Bipolar Disorder/Stablization

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Expert: - 2/13/2006


Question
When my most severe manic symptoms are apparent I am usually drinking.  I can't stand my behavior when I drink and go for long periods of time without doing so.  When the urge to drink hits, it seems unstopable.  What is more likely?  That a hypermanic state induces the desire to drink or that drinking causes my manic symptoms?  It doesn't take much alcohol at all to cause these typically manic behaviors.  Could it be that I'm not bipolar at all and just can't handle a buzz?

Dallas  

Answer
Hi . . .

Theer is no way I can truly answer your question but I can point out that manic symptoms of any severity decrease control and increase impulsivity, so your control over the impulse to drink may be lost.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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Bipolar Disorder

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Ivan Goldberg, M.D.

Expertise

I am a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist with many years of expereince in treating individuals with depressions, manic-depression (Bipolar Disorder), other mood disorders,. I am especially interested in the psychopharmacologic treatment of individuals with so called "treatment-resistant" syndromes.

Experience

I have been on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health, Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. I am currently in full-time private practice in New York City.

A.B. Johns Hopkins University
M.D. N.Y.U. College of Medicine

I am the creator of Depression Central:http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.html

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