Opposites attract

"The lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence is 22% for individuals with any mental disorder compared to 14% for the general population, and the odds of having alcohol dependence if a person also has any mental disorder is 2.3 times higher than if there is no mental disorder."

I don't know how reliable this article is, but it's got footnotes, so I'm going with it. It's amazing the correlation between mental illness and addiction to any substances. Apparently, duh, abused substances can create psychiatric-like symptoms, which many people with mental illness seem to crave. Who doesn't like to be manic? Well, take some coke! And when you're depressed, somehow alcohol (a depressant) makes it better.

Perhaps, like some psychiatric drugs, the addictive drug has the opposite effect on mentally ill people than it does in the general population. Like Adderall, or Ritalin. They are uppers (prescription coke, basically) and docs give them to people who are manic or hyper-active and it calms them down. So something that would make most normal people manic, has the opposite effect on mentally ill folks.

I wonder if other substances work the same way?

Quickie

Went off to the lovely local aquarium today with some good friends, one who is in the program, too. We had a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe, and didn't have to have booze with it! What a revelation.

I'm feeling much better - the new meds kicked in, and I'm out and about more. I think I might actually feel...good!

I have no wisdom today, so I'll shut up.

Another ramble

I have absolutely nothing interesting to say today, so I'm just going to ramble.

I got my hair done last night, and went from bleach blonde to dark brown. I find it very amusing the shock that everyone at work elicits, and then the, "you're so funny! You're always changing!" I love change. I think change is a healthy part of life. One should take the chances one is given by the universe, and run with them. What fun is life if you keep going the same boring direction all the time?

I had another interview with a great company yesterday, and have a follow-up on Monday. My dad was so excited. "We can go to concerts together, again!" I used to love going to shows with him. He had season tickets to an outdoor pavilion, and we saw shows like The Who, Heart, and Evita (not with Madonna, the original). I look forward to being able to do that again.

I think Adam is a little hesitant about me coming home. He doesn't want to talk about it, and just asks if I've told my sponsor. I told her, and she is excited for me. "Not changing things is a suggestion. A good one, but if you are meant to do something, it will happen." I'm hoping it will happen.

Getting old is hard

Not that I'm old, or anything, but getting old is not for wimps. And that includes drinking when you're older.

"The reason is that older people metabolize alcohol more slowly, and they also have less water in their bodies. The result is that an adult who consumes just a few glasses of wine will have a higher percentage of alcohol in his or her blood than a younger person drinking the same thing."

Apparently that's why women can't drink as much, as well, because our bodies are less water than men's. Interesting, right? But they go on to say:

"The National Institutes of Health site says that people over 65 shouldn’t consume more than seven drinks in a week, and that they should have no more than three drinks on a given day."

Seriously? One a day, I suppose, is what they say helps with heart health (red wine, I hear), but three a day? That's nothing to me, but it seems like if alcohol is going to have a bigger effect on older people that it should be one or two a day. If one is going to cause you to be unstable on your feet, then two is probably dangerous. I don't know. Read the article and let me know what you think.

Are you an alcoholic?

Wonder if you have a drinking problem? Take this screening test from Johns Hopkins!

"Alcohol and drug use can progress into abuse and even addiction so insidiously that sometimes people do not realize that it has become a problem for them and those around them."

It's sometimes a slow progression. You start out like everyone else, having a few drinks at a cocktail party, having one while you cook dinner. Then it becomes having a few more with dinner. Then it's embarrassing yourself at a cocktail party because you've had one too many. Then it's drinking alone, or in the mornings, and it just gets really bad from there. Alcoholism is an insidious disease, which burrows it's way into your life, slowly but surely.

But there is a way out. You can stop drinking, promise. It might take detox, or a 12 step program like AA, but there is a way. If you think you have a problem, or know you have one, get help. You don't have to live like this anymore!

Impulsivity? What impulsivity?

"Personality traits associated with impulsivity normally decrease during emerging and young adulthood, and these decreases are associated with reduced substance use."

It's interesting that impulsivity decreases in college-aged kids. You would think it would increase, but I'm sure that the upper ages of this group skew it downward. People in their early 20's are often starting careers, and learning how to be responsible. This leads to less impulsivity in their drinking and drug use.

Except us alcoholics and mental illness folk!

"Impulsivity is a problem with anyone who is an alcoholic, but alcoholics with antisocial and borderline personality disorders may be particularly troubled by inhibitory-control issues."

Like you would guess, those with mental illness are more likely to be substance abusers, and have impulsivity issues. I know mania makes you uninhibited by rational thought, so it would make sense to be impulsive.

So I guess we just have to watch ourselves closely. If you have a problem, 12 step groups are really helpful. But keep an eye on your moods. Too up, and you may develop that problem with alcohol and drugs.

Abuse and mental illness

There are a lot of folks in AA who talk about their dual-diagnosis, as well as problems of incest and rape in their early lives. Many of them were raped while in intoxicated situations. Now, there is a study that may link sexual abuse to mental illness.

"Our most recent study identified an association between rape and subsequent diagnosis of a psychotic disorder over a 10-year period."

It's really not surprising. Children who are abused often withdraw and use substances or food to hide the pain. We all have pains, and we often drown them in booze and drugs. People who are abused often have hidden pain; they block out the situation and don't know why they drink.

Not that I've been abused. I had a weird thing with my cousin once, but I don't know if I would label it rape or abuse. Who knows. I just know life is hard, but AA IS the easier, softer way. It's good to be sober, and to be able to deal with your pain instead of push it down and let it fester.