Alcohol leads to Mania?

Hi all,
Today my therapist told me that drinking is like pouring gasoline on the fire. She told me that drinking alcohol can "bring out" the bipolar in me. Like if I drink enough I could become hypomanic and be more confident, talkative, energetic, impulsive, hypersexual, etc - the typical things having a few drinks can make you feel.
I'm in college and I drink often, but I've never felt like I've had to worry about alcohol triggering a manic episode. When I drink I feel like I'm able to let loose and have fun, but I've never felt like I was out of control compared to my friends when they're drunk. I'm wondering if anyone else has ever been told that drinking can bring out your mania or if anyone has even become hypomanic or manic just from drinking?
I don't know what to make of it, but I guess I like to play with fire.

Yes yes yes.

It goes up, down
Up, much down
Up up, doooown
UP UP UP, doooooownnn
UP UP UP UP biting and munching down
Uppity wheeee!! down
WHEEEE!
WTF DOWN
DOWN

A glass of wine? Mmmm..meh, no thanks.

It's different for everyone. Generally, if you're on a mood stabilizer or an anti-psychotic, you shouldn't be drinking a lot of alcohol to begin with. For me, personally, alcohol relaxes me. I don't chug the stuff, but I'll have one or two here and there, and it relaxes me. Knowing your limit and moderating it are very, very important.

Moderation is key. A couple glasses of beer or wine at a pub don't seem to be as mania inducing as pounding Jäger Bombs out with your boys at a club. A nice cold IPA or three makes me sleepy more than anything.

For me, alcohol doesn't do anything to my moods whatsoever. Anybody, even those w/o bipolar, will get more talkative and hypersexual from alcohol because that is what alcohol does. It lowers your inhibitions. I have always been a beer drinker in my adult life. I still drink beer. A lot less than I usually do (usually it's 2x a week). I never have a problem with it. And there have been a few times where I got blackout drunk, and had no shift in mood. Out of all the medical professionals I have seen over the years, none of them have told me this.

But you have to be careful drinking while on medication. The Lamotrigine that I am on only increases dizziness when drinking alcohol. But I usually only have 1 or 2 beers, so this has never been a problem for me. I won't drink if I have taken Clonazepam though, because this can result in something not good.

I have found that when I'm manic I drink more to relax my overactive mind. If you're out late at the bars, lack of sleep contributes more to mania than anything IMO. Excessive alcohol makes your sleep quality worse. I rarely go clubbing or to the bars anymore. Usually drink with friends at their house and try to go to sleep by 11. Obviously if you're younger you want to have fun and drink more and go out late but just be careful.

^ I'm not exactly young anymore, but there are some days when I stay up until 6 AM out with friends drinking and such. This has also never caused mania with me, because I will make up that time being awake by sleeping in.

Then again, nothing triggers my mania. Lack of sleep and excessive coffee drinking (which I do on a daily basis) doesn't do anything for me. I wish it did. Not saying that I condone inducing mania! The only thing that has caused mania with me was Prozac. Now I'm not allowed to take antidepressants.

I have drank at most 3 drinks. But usually it's 2 beers. The doctor says it's bad for my liver. My friend says if you drink, the medicine doesn't work like it's supposed to. I'd have to ask my doctor about that one, though. I don't drink often, once every month or twice a month.

Sixoclock0 wrote:Yes yes yes.

It goes up, down
Up, much down
Up up, doooown
UP UP UP, doooooownnn
UP UP UP UP biting and munching down
Uppity wheeee!! down
WHEEEE!
WTF DOWN
DOWN

A glass of wine? Mmmm..meh, no thanks.

Me exactly too, first everything is great and I'm chatty and having fun then it goes down and I start to get depressed and then it goes up and then down etc etc so I just never drink anymore (wasn't much of a drinker before anyways)... but as with everything and as others have said it's from person to person, if you don't feel it induces mania or depression for you then carry on we need to try to have as many good times as we can while we're still here