Have I spent a lot of time obtaining, drinking and recovering from alcohol?
Have I ever been unable to work or fulfill responsibilities due to drinking?
Do I continue to drink even though I know it causes worsening mental or physical problems?
Do I drink in dangerous ways? (such as before driving)
Do I continue to drink even though it causes problems with my spouse or family?
Have I had alcohol related legal problems such as DUI's?
Do I ever drink to avoid withdrawal symptoms?
If addiction is present, an honest frank and open discussion with the doctor or psychiatrist is necessary. Without a doubt Bipolar Disorder in itself can cause great stress for family members. Add to that symptoms of addiction and there is a volatile situation. It is a known fact that many relationships with individuals with Bipolar Disorder fail because the symptoms are so difficult to live with. Unhealthy patterns of relating and communicating are common. Treatment for both disorders can lead to better relationships.
A new October 2000 study outlined in PubMed at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/qu... has this to say about treatment for dual diagnosis:
"Recovery from substance abuse and mental health disorders (dual-diagnosis) requires time, hard work and a broad array of coping skills. Empirical evidence has demonstrated the buffering role of social support in stressful situations. This paper investigates the associations among social support (including dual-recovery mutual aid), recovery status and personal well being in dually diagnosed individuals (N = 310) using cross-sectional self-report data. Persons with higher levels of support and greater participation in dual-recovery mutual aid reported less substance use and mental health distress and higher levels of well being. Participation in mutual aid was indirectly associated with recovery through perceived levels of support. The association between mutual aid and recovery held for dual-recovery groups but not for traditional, single-focus self-help groups."
In effect this is saying that support is extremely important in the recovery of anyone who has a dual diagnosis. Many programs address either the Bipolar Disorder or the Addiction, but there are still far too few programs that address both. Mental health professionals routinely refer a patient for evaluation and treatment of a chemical dependency to a treatment center, rehabilitation center or possibly inpatient or outpatient treatment if the patient is out of control.
Everyone is familiar with the traditional support group for individuals with alcoholism. Alcoholics Anonymous was founded more than fifty years ago and is based on the belief that alcoholics who recognize they have a disease can become and remain sober through acceptance of their powerlessness over alcohol and the support of recovering alcoholics.
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