I’ve heard of a lot of recovered alcoholics who find, in the absence of alcohol, they’re not bipolar OR depressed. Amazing how that works.
Yes, but it seems it's either chicken or egg. Some with bipolar disorder self-medicate with alcohol, and then become alcoholics. Some alcoholics become severely depressed as their lives fall apart.
Alcohol can sneak up on you. I remember in college thinking that I could never be at risk of alcoholism because it made you feel like crap in the morning if you drank at a party. I couldn't imagine being able to drink again the next day, or ever wanting to. After going out into the real world, with all the stress, and starting to have a glass or 2 of wine, or sometimes 3 at night because of how intense the day was, you start to realize that we are a lot more susceptible than we think. Won't make that mistake, thank God, but I'm much less dismissive of the possibility than I was before.
Approx 20% of alcoholics suffer from depression.