Sobering Up to the Truth: My Battle With Bipolar and Alcohol

3. Mania Can Feel Thrilling—But It’s Dangerous

David’s manic phases were characterized by sleepless nights, risky behavior, overspending, and boundless energy. On the outside, they sometimes looked like success—he could excel at work or activities—but the cost was high.

David recalled how others described him:

People say like, “You have like cocaine energy,” but I didn’t. That wasn’t it. It was just like this little battery pack that I had.

While mania can appear exciting, it often leads to serious financial, physical, and emotional consequences. For David, the crashes afterward were devastating, often leaving him paralyzed by depression and frightening suicidal thoughts.

4. A Diagnosis Can Be Both Terrifying and Comforting

After collapsing at work during a camp counseling job, David was hospitalized and finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

He admitted:

That was the beginning of like the next phase of knowing… Okay, it has a name, which is actually really comforting. Because I thought I was losing my mind.

Diagnosis can be a turning point. Even though stigma often prevents people from talking openly, knowing what you’re facing allows for treatment, planning, and hope.

5. Stigma Makes Honesty Difficult

David admitted that fear, shame, and stigma kept him from talking openly about his struggles.

As David shared:

Where I felt shame… is talking about something that’s a vulnerability or a weakness, particularly one like that, that’s invisible. It’s not a broken arm that I can explain.

This double standard still exists today. Normalizing conversations about mental health—especially among men and in peer groups—is essential to reducing stigma.

6. Alcohol Almost Cost Him Everything

Despite medication, David continued drinking heavily, believing it was the only way he could sleep or quiet his mind. That routine nearly killed him.

He recounted a turning point:

It finally hit me that morning: You’re not just going to take yourself down, dude. You’re going to destroy someone’s world.

That realization became a breaking point. For David, it was the moment he knew alcohol couldn’t be part of his life anymore.

7. Honesty Builds Support and Accountability

When David decided to get sober, he didn’t just make a private promise. He told everyone in his life what he was going through and asked for their support.

David remembered:

I decided that the thing I needed to do was tell everyone in my life what was going on and make a commitment, not just to myself, but to them that I was going to stop drinking.

The response surprised him—people showed up, encouraged him, and stood by him as he began his journey. This public honesty created accountability and reinforced his commitment to recovery.

8. Sobriety Creates Space for Healing

With alcohol out of the picture, David could finally focus on therapy, medication, and healthier coping strategies.

He explained:

If I go to therapy, and I’ve been drinking for five days… they’re not talking to the person who’s ready and engaged and wanting to learn how to make tomorrow better. They’re just dealing with a hot mess.

Sobriety didn’t fix everything overnight. But it removed the handcuffs that had kept him from caring for himself and learning skills to manage bipolar disorder.

9. Therapy Is Like Training for the Mind

David compared therapy to exercise: it requires consistency, patience, and practice.

As he put it:

Whether it’s depression or PTSD or bipolar, there are tools. But you have to learn them and then you have to practice them.

Recovery is not a quick fix. But with repeated effort, therapy builds resilience, equips people with strategies, and strengthens the ability to manage future episodes.

10. Healing Is Built Drop by Drop

David emphasized that there isn’t a single conversation, book, or podcast that will suddenly make someone change. Instead, healing happens gradually, through steady drops of support, hope, and encouragement.

He explained:

You don’t have to fix this today. You’re not going to flip a switch. It’s just let this in, let this conversation in, let a book in, let someone help you — let all that in. If you allow that to happen and enough of it happens… eventually it can have the right effect.

Carly connected this to a metaphor from her garden:

All of my basil looks pretty sad, except for this one plant. And what I realized is it’s directly underneath where the gutter leaks. And so every day, it gets little drips… Supporting David — little by little, drip by drip — was nourishing in sort of the same way.

Together, these reflections remind us that progress is rarely instant, but with patience and persistence, it is possible.

11. Vulnerability Creates Connection

David’s story also highlights the importance of vulnerability. When people dare to speak honestly about their struggles, they open the door for others to say, “Me too.”

As Terry reflected:

Statistically, the number of other young men in his fraternity… who were also experiencing mental health disorders is high. And maybe it would only take one to say what he said he couldn’t say, which is, “I’m in a really bad place. I need some support.”

Sharing vulnerably creates space for connection, reducing isolation and making it easier for others to step forward with honesty.

12. Recovery Is Possible—Even With a Dual Diagnosis

Today, David is 10 years sober, living with bipolar disorder, and thriving as a successful business owner and author. His journey is proof that even with a dual diagnosis, recovery is possible.

He admitted recovery is still a process:

I can keep taking mood stabilizers every day for the rest of my life, but I’m angry, I’m confused. I don’t know why I have this. I don’t really know what to do. I don’t know how to make it something I’m okay with and eventually see as a source of strength.

But over time, David has learned to transform his experience into a story of resilience and hope.

Final Thoughts

David’s journey shows that healing from both bipolar disorder and alcohol addiction is neither simple nor quick. It is layered, messy, and filled with setbacks. But his story also makes clear that:

• Naming the illness brings clarity
• Honesty reduces isolation
• Support systems make sobriety possible
• Therapy equips us with lasting tools
• Healing happens drop by drop, not all at once

For anyone struggling—or for those supporting loved ones—David’s voice is a reminder that hope is real, change is possible, and you are not alone.

Here are the most important lessons from David’s experience—expanded with context for anyone navigating their own path:

Key Takeaways

• Early recognition matters. Don’t dismiss ongoing mood swings as “just stress.” If something feels off, reach out for professional evaluation sooner rather than later. Early intervention can shorten suffering and prevent crises.
• Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs only delays healing. What feels like temporary relief is often fuel for the fire. Numbing symptoms may feel easier in the moment, but it deepens the underlying issues and can create a dangerous cycle.
• Mania is not just energy. It may look like productivity or success, but underneath, it can drive risky behavior, debt, and exhaustion. Recognizing mania for what it is—a symptom of illness—makes it possible to treat and manage.
• Diagnosis brings clarity and relief. Knowing the name of what you’re facing allows you to make sense of your experiences and seek effective care. For many, just having a diagnosis reduces the fear of “going crazy.”
• Stigma is powerful, but honesty is stronger. Fear of judgment often keeps people silent. Yet speaking openly reduces isolation and creates unexpected opportunities for connection and understanding.
• Sobriety creates space for recovery. Removing substances that cloud judgment or worsen symptoms opens up the mental and emotional clarity needed to engage in therapy, relationships, and self-care.
• Therapy is training for the mind. Like going to the gym, the benefits come with practice and patience. It’s not about instant results, but about building strength and resilience over time.
• Healing happens slowly, one drop at a time. Change is often imperceptible day to day, but over weeks and months, steady drops of support, hope, and small efforts build into lasting transformation.
• Vulnerability opens doors. Sharing struggles invites empathy. More often than not, someone else will say, “Me too,” and that shared connection lightens the load.
• Recovery is possible, even with a dual diagnosis. Having more than one diagnosis may feel overwhelming, but David’s story proves that with persistence, sobriety, treatment, and support, a fulfilling life is possible.
• You don’t have to do it alone. Support systems—friends, family, therapists, peers in recovery groups—make a profound difference. Asking for help is not weakness; it’s survival.
• Progress is not linear. There will be setbacks, relapses, or bad days. That doesn’t erase growth. Each step forward counts, even if you stumble along the way.