Thank you all - it's good to see a thread like this!
Besides being an Al-non (heck, everyone I know + care about is an A) - I'M an alcoholic (sober 13 yrs), addict (clean 23 yrs) and (ta daaaa) bi-polar (diagosed 25 yrs ago)!
The mental illness stigma doesn't just exist in the Health/Recovery fields. It exists in recovery programs as well.
Have had several woman over the years try to tell me that I'm NOT bp - after knowing me for all of 2 minutes.
"Well, but were you diagnosed as bi-polar before you became an alcoholic?"
It's frustrating - for me - and everyone around me! (grumble grumble)
Too many people seem to think that just because mental illness (of whatever flavor) originates in the brain, that it is controllablable by sheer will alone. Yeah, right. Tell that to the diabetic about their pancreas - "You don't REALLY need insulin . . . "
Dual-Diagnosis means you get to work *TWO* (at least) programs = the mental health one (take your meds, keep your appointments) AND the Recovery one (go to mtgs, SHARE, work the steps).
It stinks that in this day and age, mental illness has such a stigma attached to it. Add any kind of addiction to that and oooooooh boy! you must really be a nasty person!
ummm - think I may have ranted a bit??? Just hits close to home, esp this time o' year.
Blessings,
Blue