I am 33 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 3 years ago (1998), around the same time I went into rehab for alcohol abuse. I have Bipolar II and, according to my psychiatrist, cycle much faster than the majority of people in that category. I was told in rehab that as many as half the people who come in for alcohol abuse have bipolar. It’s only natural that a thirteen-year-old with bipolar would try to quiet his mind or get to sleep using alcohol, as I did.