For the last 18 years I have been involved in a 12 step program. I have used food as my vice/substitution. Once I have surgery in a few months, what will I have left? That question keeps going on in my head. Hopefully, just maybe, I will become a exercise junky. Anyone else suffer from any addiction?

Take this time to access why you are dependent on food, Feel the feels, don't feed them. I had this problem, I got a therapist before surgery and she helped sort out a lot of my issues. I would highly recommend a therapist that specializes in addiction or disordered eating.

Finding another vice just encourages the cycle of addiction.

I am such a food addict. I'm 7 weeks out & it's finally becoming an issue. I'm "hungry" all the time. I know it's just head hunger, but its bothersome. I hope I can combat this. I just don't know how.

Yes and initially the surgery will help you recondition yourself with food. Eventually this won't be the case and it will get much more difficult. Old habits did hard. Explore eating issues now.

I am such a food addict. I'm 7 weeks out & it's finally becoming an issue. I'm "hungry" all the time. I know it's just head hunger' date=' but its bothersome. I hope I can combat this. I just don't know how.[/quote']

It is normal to have these feelings. Think of it as you brain throwing a temper tantrum. It is saying but I want food - give me food. Most of your life you have given into it and now you are saying no. So just like a kid wants the toy your brain screams and screams hoping you finally give in.

Just smile and feed your brain what it needs to fuel your body. Remember this is a stage and although your brain will get mad from time to time this will calm down the Further out you are.

Thank u... I'm going to try my best & take control!!

Very normal to feel these sorts of things. Unfortunately years ago and even today these things are not dealt with appropriately and I can profess that if it goes left on the wayside ultimately bad habits will come back. You can do this!

For the last 18 years I have been involved in a 12 step program. I have used food as my vice/substitution. Once I have surgery in a few months' date=' what will I have left? That question keeps going on in my head. Hopefully, just maybe, I will become a exercise junky. Anyone else suffer from any addiction?[/quote']

I two have been involved with a twelve step program for years....I use the same principles in my new attitude toward food, especially steps 1,2,and 3. I can't, he can...let him.

Very normal to feel these sorts of things. Unfortunately years ago and even today these things are not dealt with appropriately and I can profess that if it goes left on the wayside ultimately bad habits will come back. You can do this!

You have no idea how tough this is until you have the surgery and your coping mechanism is gone overnight. There is a high incidence of substance abuse , acting out sexually and many other things

Until it is gone you have no idea how much tome you spend planning, cooking and eating. Another hard part is nor being included in family meals etc. People ate uncomfortable that you eat nothing basically, and ate getting thin= sick looking and unhealthy for at least awhile. If you don't have a hobby or big time consumer you could be in big trouble. Heafs up!"

I am there sister well but backward I had surgery 2002 and was a normal drinker and after surgery my drinking became unmanageable. But going to the 12 steps is not really that we learned that our life was unmanageable with or without the addiction. And isn't the answer still the 12 steps I am powerless over food instead of alcohol . I came to believe in a power greater than myself could restore me to sanity. I am willing to turn my will and my life over the care of God as I understood him . I made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself . I shared it with God another person ... You know the rest . So I'm not apply the steps to food why not make food your diction why not rework the steps with food and understand that your body will be different but your mind will not

Always be an addict you will have to find another solution for me I lost the hundred and 50 pounds in all the time that I've been postsurgical and now I'm in the place where games 50 of the back and miserable but I didn't do that for at least 10 years and so now I'm playing sets to the principles of my life with all of my addictions . The only differences with her other addictions we have to remain abstinent with food we have to use it in moderation we have to eat to live not live to eat and with your new stomach the desire to live to eat will diminish on it's own I found for myself but slowly just as the up session for alcohol is removed if session to eat was removed.. But for the grace of God go I . You can't but he can so let him . Ask God to come into your head every morning before you do thank you every night .

since surg in 2012 I came to realize not being able to eat all the time took away my coping skills and have delt with some addictive tendencies as well as depression.

Heads up! Everyone here is addicted to food. Don't be fooled! Rather they admit it or not they are. You have conquered one and added another. Big deal! This is your new tool to be free of all addictions. You will shine and you will conquer. Being aware of it is half the battle. As Dr. Phil says you can't conquer what you don't acknowledge. You are half way there!

Edited May 28, 201412 yr by Sparklingbeauty53

Just a heads up. At group we were informed that a study showed that 10% of formerly non-drinking RNY patients became alcoholics. I was shocked and concerned, coming from a family of alcoholics. 5 out of 7 of us became alcoholics - only myself and one brother dodged that particular bullet. I do recognize the addictive personality in myself. I was addicted to sugar and carbs and live in fear of substituting those addictions for something equally destructive, like alcohol. Just be aware of the danger...

Addiction after surgery is a serious issue. I was never warned about this. There are so many post gastro patients who eventually trade one addiction to another. Let me make something perfectly clear first. I never ever drank or took drugs my entire life. I was always to scared of that kind of stuff and being raised Pentecostal, well, it was never around me. 2 years after surgery I exchanged food for prescription pain pills. Every year I got worse and worse until recently I had to go into REHAB. Yes, that's right , Rehab. It has been devastating for not only me but my family as well. I can't tell you I regret my surgery. I would do it again if given the chance. The point is, is that it was never seriously stressed of the seriousness of this issue. I wish I would have been warned and then maybe I would not of had to go through this. I am completely off pain meds and Im trying to get my life back in order. It's been along road that maybe could have been avoided if the topic was discussed before hand.

This is a very important issue, and I agree it is not discussed much at all

In my program it was stressed in pre op appointments, psych appointments, workshops, and nurse education class). Post op, it is discussed frequently in support group meetings. I was just shocked that the statistics showed how easy it is for a non-drinker to become an alcoholic. It seems that all of us have some sort of tendency to addiction (ie food addiction) so we really need to be vigilant to avoid a transfer addiction to drugs and alcohol. And to shopping, exercise, sex, or anything else.

Just liking something is not an addiction. Some people like exercise and jokingly call it a new 'addiction', as do some people with shopping. Liking and enjoying something you've never been able to enjoy before is normal and healthy. Doing it to an unhealthy degree - thinking about it all the time, doing it all the time, having it affect your relationships with people, interfere with work, affect your finances, affect your health, and affecting your life in any negative way - these are all signs of an addiction you need to seek help for. It is a very real but avoidable danger. Recognize the signs of an unhealthy addiction and change what you're doing before it becomes a more serious problem.

I like wine but with my family history of alcoholism I limit to two glasses on Saturday nite. I love shopping (and coworkers say I have a problem) but I work in a bank and need a professional wardrobe. I budget a certain amount per week for clothes shopping. I'm not spending money that I can't afford to spend. Shopping used to reduce me to tears and send me on a donut binge but now I enjoy trying on clothes even if I don't buy them. It's fun activity for me. :-)