One more story about alcohol and it's dangers

Here is another story in the news about this issue. I am so glad it is getting more attention. I have personally watched people in my community fal prey to this and become alcoholics. Some have gotten help some are still in denial. My own sister is currently dealing with this issue and would rather have a good time than save her own life. I myself was never much of a drinker before surgery and have found myself having a very different relationship with alcohol since. Please read this, research this topic and never for one second think that you are immune. You were an addict before the surgery you will be one after.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/weight-loss-surgery-in creases-risk-alcohol-addiction/story?id=16582225

As someone who developed alcoholism after RNY, my personal belief is that it is a three-fold problem.  There are definite physical differences between the way I metabolize alcohol pre and post-surgery.  I have a family history of addiction, so I believe there is a genetic component.  I believe I was predisposed to developing alcoholism the same way I was predisposed to developing diabetes.  Thirdly is the issue of transfer addiction, or the fact that there were underlying causes and conditions regarding my compulsive overeating which were not addressed by the surgery, and given an inability to indulge that particular compulsion, it was somewhat easier for me to develop a new one.  I have met people in the weight loss surgery community and in the AA community (I now have 2 years sober) whose stories are just like mine.  I'm not sure that we can stop people from drinking alcohol after surgery, but we sure need to let them know that they can develop alcoholism much more quickly than the non-surgery person, and if that happens to them, there is help available and they should seek it quickly before the disease kills them.

Thanks Nicole for sharing this, while I remember the surgeons mentioning the "transfer addiction" component that can occur to people post-WLS, I don't believe it is stressed enough and I think at the very least more information needs to be presented to the person having surgery, giving them the reasons why alcohol post-WLS is better left alone. I believe many are told it is "empty calories" and so we should abstain from it for that reason, when in fact, by having RNY, our bodies metabolize things differently and that along with the component of "addictive personality" issues, people have a higher than normal risk to develop post-WLS alcoholism. I also think the other factor involved is that for many in our community, the social aspects change as we become more "normal looking", many come out of their isolation and go out to live life the way they always hoped and dreamed and the backlash can be alcoholism.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on this very touchy subject of post-WLS alcoholism.

Have a good day!

Laureen, you are right about the social aspect of drinking and how it interfaces with the social aspect of losing weight. When we re no longer morbidly obese, a whole new world opens up socially....and it can involve drinking. On top of the addictive tendency....on top of the metabolic changes....wow.

What's the line from the old song....living in a powderkeg and giving off sparks!

I think the entire topic of transfer addiction deserves more attention both before and after surgery. We hear it mentioned, almost in passing. It might be gambling, shopping, yada yada. Well of course at that point we re all great guns ready to roll into the operating room. And it won't happen to us, will it?

Lynn, the idea of what you stated, "it won't happent to me", I remember thinking when I saw others regain weight, that same thought, and from those that I've come to consider friends, people I've met on this journey of ours, I know that we have all felt that and then reality came to bear. 

The social aspects of life often revolve around food and alcohol and as time moves forward it is natural for people to test the waters, this way or that, not to mention, as we've spoken of often in support group, the factor that the first couple of years post-op are pretty much a slam dunk in that we will accomplish some, if not all, of what we set out to accomplish (lose the weight), but the test comes when and where we all failed previously, maintenance, and that is when what we have changed will aid us in continuing on.  We are a susceptible group of people, because of our addictive personalities, and if we've picked up new habits that don't work well for us, then we will just have another thing to deal with and where the component of alcohol and subsquently, alcoholism comes in, it is a very dangerous one for those of us on this path and can ultimately lead to death, quicker I'm sure then our former obese selves.

So, like Nicole is doing here, I am going to be bringing this subject up in support group, because I feel that the surgeons are not doing it in a way that speaks loud and clear to our population, it is serious, as I am very outspoken about my alcoholism and since I attend meetings almost daily, I have seen more and more people coming in who had WLS and have succumbed to this new scourge.

Why can't we just become addicted to exercise or something healthy (lol)!!! 

Have a great day!

Laureen,
As you know, I was already an alcoholic, sober for six years, when I picked up alcohol once again, a little more than one year post-op.  My crazy alcoholic thinking was, "I can always go back to AA and get sober again."  Not so.  I had the worst two years of relapse I could never have imagined.  I knew better, but had not fully worked my AA program, and let the insidiousness of alcoholism control my behavior.

I try to stay active on the Crossing to Transfer Addictions forum here at OH.  It is a slow board, but Jill and I are faithful to check in there.  I also am active in working my AA program, and share about the need to work all 12 Steps when I share, because it took me two years of relapse to realize I had not ever worked the Steps completely with my sponsor.

Hugs,
Trish

good article.  I've noticed an increase in articles regarding WLS and alcoholism lately