Substance Abuse: Alcohol PART TWO

I've been thinking overnight and realised that:

ALCOHOL LUBRICATION FOR SOCIAL CIRCULATION

could work equally well as:

ALCOHOL CIRCULATION FOR SOCIAL LUBRICATION

(told you I liked playing with words)

Anyhow, there are 2 other reasons why alcohol abuse fits a BiPolar personality like an exquisitely tailored glove: Control and Extremism.

Control
Us BiPolars have much less control over our state-of-mind than the rest of you out there. We pretty much get led by the nose to where our brain chemicals feel like taking us for the day. At worst this can feel like a tiny feather getting ripped around at the whims of a merciless storm.
Should it come as a surprise then that a magic-pill (magic tipple) that can give us pretty definite short-term control over our mood is not extremely enticing? It's certainly reassuring when you're going to a prickly social occasion. Without any control, who knows what mood might turn up when you're being introduced to your Next Big client. :Pretty Shitty turns up and his overflowing enthusiasm (sarcasm here) is bound to secure the deal. Of course if "In-the-Pink" or even a moderate version of "YeeeHaaaa!" (depending on the client) makes an appearance, the deal is a dead cert. (no sarcasm here). The problem is that other lesser known characters can pop out the woodwork too like "Panic Attack Pete" and "Shakin' Stevens". So the alcohol route is the least-risk option. Rather be sizzled than sorry.

Extremism
BiPolars never do things in half measures, especially tots of whisky. Indeed that is our defining feature - when we have moods, up or down, we take them to the max. We're the ALL or NOTHING brigade.

So, given that alcohol can be quite useful, it is the BiPolar that is particularly susceptible to taking the part-time habit to new dimensions of all consuming life style. Obsessive behaviour is a fairly closely related cousin of BiPolar (there are a whole bunch of interesting relatives!) and substance abuse (not limited to alcohol), which is just dying to be obsessed over, is a common trait amongst the BiPolar community.

PART THREE of this "mini-series" will be about the consequences of overdoing alcohol, and the consequences of stopping.

***

A good day today, and I've channeled all my positive vibes into my limp-along business.