Do people with addiction transfer have prior use or totally new?

For example the people that have turned to alcahol or drugs, was there prior use to surgery and you   slowly transition into more use or how does it happen usually ? What are things to watch for? Is everyone at risk for a transfer addiciton? 

Statistically, everyone is at higher risk.  But don't kid yourself and think that you are going to be exempt.  Assume you are going to have issues with transfer addictions, be aware of it and put boundaries in place.  The minute you start going over the boundaries you set for yourself, get professional help.  

Mine are:
1. No pain medications (narcotics not NSAIDs and the rest of that kind), basically unless I am dying.  I didn't have any even in the recovery room after my DS.  I know its stupid to be in pain and all that but I figure that I would rather be in pain that be addicted.  
2. No more than 2 drinks in a 24 hours ever.  Period.  
3. Sex only in committed relationships.

I know that there are many other addictions out there (gambling etc) so I am hyper-vigilant.  I have an obsessive part to my personality (it runs in my family) and all of this stuff freaks me out.  I know though that I do have resources available to me to help me if I ever do have an issue.  

I just hope that I have the courage to be honest with myself if I ever get to a point that anything really gets to be an issue.  

A joking way to describe transfer addiction is "Have you ever notice how much coffee and cigarettes are consumed at AA meetings?"

To transfer an addiction you need one to transfer. For many overweight people it was/is food. Stuffing emotions with food, hiding insecurities in fat suits, insulating yourself from problems by self medicating with food. Once the food is gone a replacement is found.

Not everyone is fat because of these issues but there are enough who are to raise awareness. And most of the time you do not realize what or why you do what you do until is it too late.

And just because you do not have problems before surgery doesn't mean you won't after. Some who've lost weight become promiscuous, party too hard and too much. They try to catch up  on things they wanted to do but didn't and take it to the extreme. So transfer addiction is real but so is at risk behavior. You need to pay attention to any and all negative behavior you exhibit.

Id LIKE this if we had a LIKE button!!!!!! well said!

I can only tell you from personal experience that I used lighter drugs a few years back, and drank what I called socially but others on this board saw it as more than that (they were right).
After surgery, I quickly started drinking (4 weeks post op) and it evolved to a bottle of wine or southern comfort a night, after that wasnt doing the trick anymore and I needed something else / more, I started using hard street drugs.
I wish I opened my eyes to what was going on b4 it took over my life, and possibly got help. I guess I would suggest if you have any type of addiction tendencies (food being 1 of them) have a plan, a therapist, something, already lined up and talk to them. I didnt even realize I had a problem until it was to late.

 If you are out there and reading this, and you are thinking "Oh, that doesn't apply to me and my  behavior!" I would suggest taking a second look, because one of the main symptoms if addiction is denial. The denial protects the addiction so that it can continue. 

If you are involved in anything to the point where it is causing you conflict with others, or other consequences in your life (DUI, missed work, too much money spent etc.) you are definitely in a danger zone. It is one of the truths of life that the addict is the last one to know he or she is addicted!

We all do things to help us cope with life. The negative addiction comes in when the relationship with that thing becomes destructive to our (and others') well-being.