kellygurl1711

In the past 8 months I've been in the program, in my home group alone, I have had 2 friends pass away, and 4 close friends have had slips which were hard on them and everyone around them. I recently got diagnosed bipolar and have learned stress is a major trigger for the disease. I'm trying to manage 2diseases (alcoholism and bipolar) and its hard sometimes to tell which is which. Anyway, my main question is to those of you who have been in the program a while. Is death very common in the program and how do you cope with it being a part of AA? I find the slips to strengthen my own program, except when it's a close friend. Then I find it disturbing to my program and it shakes up my alcoholism&bipolar. The deaths are especially hard. Any advice out there? Do any of you guys have experience dealing with dual diagnosis?

Anna

I think it's always difficult to lose a friend. I'm not in AA, but I have lost friends and family in the past few years and it's always hard.

I think there are many members here who have dual-diagnosis. I have had struggles with depression and I know that it's important to keep a balance in my life.

LexieCat

Deaths are a lot MORE common among alcoholics who never seek recovery. You might not notice because they are blended in with the general population, as opposed to a more insular group of people all of whom are alcoholics.

I've been sober in AA for six years, and I've seen a few tragic deaths among our members due to this disease. Of course, I've also seen people die of unrelated causes, happily sober to their last breath.

Relapse isn't part of recovery, but it IS part of the disease of alcoholism. It's when the disease is stronger than the medicine (the individual's program). Relapse is NOT a requirement, and when I've seen friends slip, I try to be compassionate for their suffering and grateful for my own sobriety. Sometimes it's a wakeup call and I'll realize I've sort of been coasting and that it's time for me to put a little more effort into my program.

There's no way to avoid all stress in life. I know that losing people, either temporarily due to slips or permanently through death, is stressful, but so are other things. Family members can get sick or die, we lose pets, we lose jobs sometimes or have economic setbacks. Part of recovery is learning to cope with those things without picking up a drink.

Hopefully you have good medical care to help you manage your dual diagnosis. I know a lot of people in my AA groups who have mental health issues they must manage along with their alcoholism and most of them are doing great.

Soberwolf

Hi Kelly i have also lost a lot of ppl and yes sometimes its hard but we must go on

i have suffered with depression in my life

I had to stay focused or the next death could be my own i litrelly am here breathing because of other ppl

What ive come to Accept is that this Addiction/Disease/Illness will take many and i have to accept that

Kelly well done on your 8 months thats fantastic