Hi,<\/p>\n
I do try to be a Christian, but I slip up a lot. My fellow brothers and sisters know I’ve been battling alcohol for a while and battling bipolar too. I don’t want to sin, but I slip up drinking, thinking it would help me with my bipolar. I get tired of my bipolar. My question is: How can I make good choices with my bipolar?<\/p>\n
Thanks for your website.<\/p>\n\t
What too many people do is make decisions based on their emotional responses at the moment. This is dangerous at any time because your emotions change. “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered<\/em>” (Proverbs 28:26). This is especially true when a person has bipolar. Your emotions are too unstable to use for decision-making.<\/p>\n Instead, decisions has to be done based on truth (God’s Word). “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil<\/em>” (Proverbs 3:5-7). That will be difficult at times because what you\u00a0know<\/strong>\u00a0is the right thing to do will be totally different from what you\u00a0feel<\/strong>\u00a0you ought to do. This is where your faith (trust) in God comes into play.<\/p>\n So let’s look at what you’ve been doing. There are many verses that state that drunkenness is a sin (I Corinthians 6:9-10). Christians are required to be sober. “You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ<\/em>” (I Thessalonians 5:5-9). Alcohol is not a medication for bipolar. It is a way people use to escape from their feelings and thoughts. It doesn’t solve the problems, it only temporarily numbs you. When you return to reality the problems are still there and are often worse because you were drunk.<\/p>\n There are medications that help with bipolar symptoms. Instead of self-medicating, you should be seeing a doctor about finding a medication that works for you.<\/p>\n\t I agree with you. Thank you for taking the time for me. Nobody else did.<\/p>\n Jeff, you do good work. I do appreciate you and God will love you for that. I’m not perfect. I wish I was normal and did not have the problems I have, so I can’t be like you and other brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s harder for me to fight the devil and temptation than other people.<\/p>\n\t I agree that you face extra struggles that many Christians do not face, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t a brother in Christ just like everyone else. While temptations can be hard, the promise remains that God doesn’t allow temptations beyond what you are able to handle. “No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it<\/em>” (I Corinthians 10:13). There are many faithful Christians who have bipolar, and I know a few personally.<\/p>\n\t Thanks, Jeffrey, for taking the time to explain things to me and keep me in your prayers, I need it a lot. Keep up the good work.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Hi, I do try to be a Christian, but I slip up a lot. My fellow brothers and sisters know I’ve been battling alcohol for a while and battling bipolar too. I don’t want to sin, but I slip up drinking, thinking it would help me with my bipolar. I get tired of my…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1538,763,508],"class_list":["post-53386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-bipolar","tag-decisions","tag-mental-illness"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52150,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-take-medication-for-my-bipolar-disorder\/","url_meta":{"origin":53386,"position":0},"title":"Should I take medication for my bipolar disorder?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings Brother, I have been reading your site for some months since I was investigating the church of Christ, and I was baptized about six months ago. Your articles on marijuana and drinking have been a great encouragement to me and have helped me walk my thoughts through the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35307,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-you-honor-a-bipolar-mother-and-an-autistic-brother\/","url_meta":{"origin":53386,"position":1},"title":"How do you honor a bipolar mother and an autistic brother?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I'm trying to follow the whole honor thy mother and father thing. My father is not around and my mom is hard to deal with. She and I argue sometimes, but she is also skitzo and bipolar. She seems like she's a normal person, but she told me I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60865,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/genetic-link-between-marijuana-use-and-psychiatric-disorders\/","url_meta":{"origin":53386,"position":2},"title":"Genetic Link Between Marijuana Use and Psychiatric Disorders","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Source: \"Shared Genetics for Cannabis Use and Psychiatric Disorders,\" Neuroscience News, 21 May 2023. \"Researchers discovered shared genetic underpinnings for cannabis use and psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.\" \"Some genetic variants can have opposing effects - increasing risk of cannabis use while decreasing the risk of schizophrenia or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52284,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-dont-know-if-these-thoughts-are-gods-or-not\/","url_meta":{"origin":53386,"position":3},"title":"I don’t know if these thoughts are God’s or not","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I need an answer. I'm bipolar, and I have all kinds of thoughts and feelings. I don't know if it's God or not. I argue with my husband a lot about this. Answer: \"\"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,\" declares the LORD\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32901,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/would-god-throw-me-away-because-im-mentally-disabled\/","url_meta":{"origin":53386,"position":4},"title":"Would God throw me away because I’m mentally disabled?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am disabled (Autism, SchizoAffective, and BiPolar Type 2) and on disability. Does that mean God isn't pleased with me? I know the verse \"He who doesn't work ought not eat\". I've been mulling this over a lot. My attitude toward it has been even though I don't work\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16370,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/im-thinking-of-divorcing-my-wife-because-she-is-bipolar-and-a-gambler-what-do-you-think\/","url_meta":{"origin":53386,"position":5},"title":"I’m thinking of divorcing my wife because she is bipolar and a gambler. What do you think?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have an unusual problem.\u00a0 The wife and I got married and divorced seven years later.\u00a0 We got married again after another four years.\u00a0 I want a divorce.\u00a0 Besides, not ever having sex with my wife since we got married the second time, my wife is bipolar.\u00a0 But, more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53386\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Question:<\/h2>\n
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