As I’ve written about in a previous blog post, I experienced a manic episode that lasted for months. You see, I was self-medicating with substances that were:

These substances that I was consuming on an almost daily basis caused me to get less and less sleep leading up to the mania that changed my life forever. And I wasn’t just moderately consuming them – I was abusing them. 

What were these two substances? Caffeine and alcohol.

What two substances do I no longer put into my body? Caffeine and alcohol.

Why? Because maintaining a balanced mood is the key to managing bipolar disorder. 

I am proud to say that I am now 25 days caffeine-free, and I have noticed that my energy levels have dropped. However, my mood and energy levels are so much more balanced. I am also proud to say that I am now 16 months sober from alcohol. That is well over a year and counting!

In my experience, quitting caffeine and alcohol in the past has proven to be difficult. I couldn’t just drop both of them at once because I will actually lose my mind. I had to eventually cut them out one by one. It took me years to have the discipline to quit both of them, but I’m glad I finally did. 

Caffeine and alcohol are not our friends.

The two of them can deceive you into thinking that they are, but both affect the neurological system greatly – too great actually. These two things will make you feel like a different person — a deluded version of yourself. 

Caffeine feels so good while it provides us with a temporary energy boost which makes it tough to cut out. The withdrawal headaches are horrible as well. As for alcohol, it’s just another legal drug. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I had to make these lifestyle changes. I had to! To balance my mood, they both had to go. Without them, life becomes more balanced overall. The moods are less swingy. The mind and body are happier. Life is as close to normal as normal can get. 

It is imperative to cut these out. By not freeing ourselves from these two deceptive substances, we are doing ourselves a huge disservice to our body and mind. Whether you have bipolar disorder or not, I encourage you to consider sobering up from these two things for a better life overall. If you do, you will have made a tremendous impact on your mental health, and a good one at that. 

What are your thoughts about caffeine and alcohol? Do you believe we should live without them? Do you think we should live without them?