Weird Situation; Desperately Need Advice

Thanks for your response.

I know ... and I've thought about that (excuse making) a lot.  Particularly about my response to 12 Step programs.

But, with that fessed up to, I'm still at my wits end about what to do to help me stop.  Please, please, please don't say "well if you really wanted to stop, you would just stop."  That would imply that you know very little about either addiction or bipolar, and nothing about the combination of the two (i.e., dual diagnosis).

I hope that didn't sound snippy.  I'm extremely stressed on so many levels (real, not BP delusions ... my Pdoc says that even the most mentally stable person in the world would have anxiety issues if they were in my situation), that I'm finding it hard to be diplomatic :-)  I didn't mean it to be harsh.

thanks!

I'm really sorry to hear that you fear getting your kids taken away if you tell your psychiatrist about the pot.  But until he/she knows about it, then you won't get the right drug combo to get well. It's a catch 22 I know. But if you're caught driving under the influence or if you get so manic that you're taken to an emergency room, then the cat's going to be out of the bag anyway.  And if you get so manic that people get concerned for your kids, then who knows what's going to happen. So if you really look at it objectively, then you see that your real problem is manic bp. The pot sort of masks it, but it sounds like it doesn't do that great of a job. Until you address the manic bp, nothing will change. Take courage and explain to your psychiatrist that you and a friend were discussing how the laws work about confidentiality between patient and Dr. on pot use. Ask whether your friend will lose custody of his kids if he (your friend) tells their Dr. about their pot use. Then see what your Doc says. That will be your cue. You haven't admitted anything. As far as the Dr. knows, you are just doing research for your friend. Then you'll know for sure what you're dealing with. Maybe it's not as bad (punishment wise) as you imagine.