Having A Cross-Addiction To Hard Drugs

  I'm wondering how common that is, since we hear about the "lesser" cross-addictions on here from time to time, but it seems we never hear any cases involving WLSers that didn't do drugs at all before their surgery and now are really into it deep.  I don't really expect anyone to talk about their own situation here, given the sensitive subject matter,   but maybe you can (anonymously) relate some story(s) you have about friends or family who are WLSers that have fallen into it?      Were they eventually able to pull themselves out of the problem, and if so, how? 

I'm not sure if his is common or not but if you know someone who is having problems wth addiction there are many resources for getting help.  Narcotics Anonymous s an excelant place to start.  There are also treatment centers that specialize in addiction.  Look in the phone book or online for resources. Madeline

MSG me if you would like to know more, I have some issues w/ a drug, even though I say I'm not addicted. 

the op is known for copying and pasting posts and pm's even after he may have taken out personal information. I know you are just trying to help and I hope you can overcome your problems but as someone who has been around awhile I would not pm him any personal information. take care, judi

Thx judi, I am always careful of people that try to phish for info, I am not real crazy about deceptive people, it gets you nowhere in life, I know. 

I'm a licensed professional counselor and have primarily seen/heard of transfer addictions only to alcohol and shopping.  I know of only one instance of a new addiction to a "hard" drug (heroin), and that person had experimented with various kinds of drugs before surgery. It's purely anecdotal data, of course, based on clients who are primarily from middle and upper middle class areas, but that has been my experience. Lora

Certainly cross addictions are not uncommon.  I think that getting help with counseling would have to be a must.  Support of family and friends is a must as well as taking responsibility and have patience with one's self.  Getting ANY addiction is a struggle and won't happen overnight.  But it can be done!

Cross addictions are very common. We all have "addictive personalities" of some range. I have talked about cross addictions at several support groups so people are aware of the problem. I'm a firm beliver that you must pick your "cross addicition" before you have surgery, have a plan in place. What are you going to do when you can't reach for food "to make it better"??? I choose exercise. Good for me!! I have several family members who are addicts of some choice...one is herion/meth, alcohol run rampent in my family so I don't drink and if I do it's only an ounce cuz I just don't like the taste and I've always said "I would rather have a hot fudge sundae instead"...okay so now I don't do ice cream...I exercise. Shopping and alcohol are very common and I know drugs are too, people get addicted to pain killers and shop around to get perscriptions from doctors, these people are called "drug seekers" and I use to work in ER and we kept a seperate box with cards with people names if they had a history of being drug seekers. If they didn't get their script they wanted they leave angry. We would then call other area hospitals with a "heads up" on visits. Drugs suck bigtime. It ruins family lives. Sorry this is so long but I'm really passionate about addressing cross addictions of any kind.

My Dr. makes you take specific blood tests, urine tests and a phyc. evaulation prior to your surgery.  I think part of this is to check if you have an issue with drugs or alcohol. In his manueal it says that if a person has an alchol or drug problem this surgery will not be a tool to you at all.  But I could easily see how we could become alcoholics.  From what I understand we can get drunk from only a little   bit. So I guess we can become a cheap drunk!  lol