So tonight (or last night? It's the early hours right now as I write) I went out with a friend for drinks. I take loads of steps in order to keep myself well such as sleeping well and exercising, however I do still drink alcohol. It's not recommended I drink alcohol as it can act as a trigger but for me I look after myself and I never overdo drink, so I don't feel it's something I need to miss out on. As a 20 year old girl, it would be difficult to continuously be in circumstances of social drinking where I'm having a water, not that I am condoning holding back but I do enjoy my woowoo cocktails.
I've only ever gotten so drunk I was ill once, and that was more a combination of factors such as not having eaten and being bought drinks/mixing drinks. However, I have never been in a situation where I needed an intervention in order to get me home or been too drunk to walk or think rationally. Drinking can be really fun, but I do think I have to have much more caution about me than my friends do who don't suffer from Bipolar Disorder.
Addiction is common in people who have Bipolar Disorder, and drink often acts as a trigger - however, I just want to comment that I don't feel I am putting myself in danger or sacrificing my well being by drinking socially with my friends. I think it's important to have a routine and have rules when you live with Bipolar, that's what I do and I often try to follow that strictly. However, having a drink with my friends - for me - is more beneficial to my well being and social life than not ever drinking or enjoying myself and drinking water. Alcohol is one of these delicacies of life and of course there are people who abuse it and those who cannot drink it - but I think when it comes to mental health and alcohol it's a personal decision as it's a situation that is completely different from everyone.
I like having rules for myself like never taking drugs and getting a sufficient amount of sleep and exercise, but I'm never going to look at something online about my illness that says 'you should do this, you shouldn't do that' - I think that although we can relate within the realm of the illness, we all have our own personal experiences of the illness. Perfecting a routine and organising your life in the way of recovery is so beneficial, but it's important to tailor that to your own needs.
