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joeyjensen1959 avatar

Is drug and alcohol addiction just a bad habit? Or is it a disease?

Addiction & Recovery | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (92)
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Profile picture for heyjoe415 @heyjoe415

Hi @slarson14

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. An addict can indeed become addicted to almost everything. I'm a recovering alcoholic, 15 plus years now, and have been addicted to a lot of what seem like strange things. For a while I was addicted to relationships. I thought it was all about love. It wasn't and each relationship ended badly, save one.

I think having an addiction related to food (bulimia, anorexia, compulsive overeating) is so extremely difficult as opposed to alcohol or drug abuse. We can do without alcohol completely and even many drugs. But food? We have to eat.

So I can't imagine the struggles you've had with that. I'd love to hear more about how you deal with this.

Thanks so much!

Joe

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Replies to "Hi @slarson14 Thank you for your thoughtful comments. An addict can indeed become addicted to almost..."
slarson14 | @slarson14 | Mar 12 8:31am

@heyjoe415 What I do is stay very structured in what I buy to eat and I keep anything "fun" to eat out of my life, including margaritas, wine, beer.

I also do not watch television with commercials. The power of suggestion is real and every time I see food, the desire is overwhelming.

I am beginning, yet again, with a new "try" and this is a whole new concept. Thinking of food as nutrition and simply a need and not a "pleasure" or social event.

I also have to keep a food diary because my brain does not stop at "enough" to keep my body going. My brain and the pleasure center for food is not my friend.

I also exercise daily.

Overeating is as devastating as over drinking or over drugging: it absolutely wreaks havoc on the human body as none of those was ever meant to be "for pleasure".

Food specifically has a purpose: to keep us alive, not keep us "happy".

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diverdown1 | @diverdown1 | Mar 13 11:30am

@heyjoe415 When I read this, I thought about Bill W. and his piece of Emotional Sobriety. I figure you have seen it as you have been around and sober for so long and I am so happy about that. It helps, as you have said, to know the story of others. If you have not seen that piece by Bill W. you can google it or I can share it. I hope today is good.

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