Out of closet, drinking problem :(

Some will say "stop drinking" and for most it makes total sense; however, addictions are REAL and many post-ops deal with cross-addictions and like you think it will never happen to you. 

My suggestion is to check into this group on OH.....it's other post-ops that have dealt and are dealing with addictions post-op.  http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/crossingtotransferaddiction s/

I wish you the best, you can do it probably not alone but there is help out there.

Thanks for the encouragement and the tip on the group. I didn't know about them. Thanks :)

Not sure that would help but there is a lot of people who find that alcohol really affects us differently post op.  It is the way our system has been changed - the alcohol is metabolized differently than before.
I know I have an issue.  But I am working on it.

Thanks for sharing.....cool to know Im not alone. There just must be a reason, huh.

Did you have a problem before?

no, I did not have any issues before. Liked my wine or mixed drinks but never ever had issue with drinking.  I could have a drink or not.  And I could have 1 glass or 1/2 glass.. or whatever. And did not feel like I wanted a drink.  I had wine and hard alcohol in my house for years (I would buy a good alcohol and have it for guests or even for me ... if -I wanted to have some) A normal person with no need to get rid of alcohol in the house. Now I can't have any. If I do - I will drink it - sooner or later. When the stress gets to me. Or just because it is there... 
I get a buzz, then the buzz goes away and I want more and more...  almost like when I start drinking - there is a switch in my head... and I NEED to finish the bottle.  or go to bed. Living by myself... it is so easy to do...that's why I do not keep ANY alcohol at home. 

I didn't have a problem before surgery either. I would have one here and there. Now, I start and don't stop.

We obviously are different for some reason now. I think its more than transfer..I think its biological. We are different.

You know how they say we don't produce the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, well I read on a website today that some, not all, American Indians are born without this enzyme. The American Indian population is known for not handling alcohol well and developing alcoholism. .... I wonder?

Absolutely. You are right.  It is not transfer addiction - my shopping is transfer addiction. Drinking - not so much.  It is physical.

Well, it's better than having an in the closet drinking problem. If that were the case you'd be in big trouble.

When I was a teen and early 20's preop I drank like a fish and abused some drugs. I mostly got into it to fit in, but I took it a bit overboard. I never crossed the line into actual addiction. Thank goodness.
I highly doubt that after a few month bender that you're an alcoholic.

There are two problems that I can think of. One is that you now absorb alcohol very rapidly. This is well known to drastically increase the risk of alcoholism post op. The second issue is that while wl may be good for us, there are still a lot of stresses that come with such rapid wl. Some of us turn to booze to cope. Whatever your case is, the obvious first thing is to stop drinking and get help. I will say for myself that due to my history and now that I rapidly absorb alcohol I stay far away from it. I don't ever let myself have more than one drink. I usually don't even finish one because I start getting buzzed half way through. The risk of addiction is just not worth it to me.

I hope things work out for you.

Your body simply does not absorb the alcohol the same way it did pre op.  Some people can drink without this creating problems post op.  There is a significant percentage of us, however, who just can't drink any more.  At all. 

I'm one of those people.  It sounds like you probably are too.

If I have a drink it goes straight to my head.  I get this great buzz and then, within a couple of minutes, I feel totally sober.  Then I want another one to get the buzz back.  Then another one.  My judgment becomes altered.  I don't think that I'm all that wasted, but I really am. 

If you've been drinking large quantities on a regular basis, you should not attempt to detox without medical supervision.  You could have seizures or other potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms.  Your doctor can prescribe medication to help ease you through the process. 

Once you put it down, don't even be tempted to think you can ever drink like a normal person again.  For some of us, alcohol is as deadly as poison.  I try to warn people about it.  It ain't pretty.

You're not the first person who's had to deal with this and you definitely won't be the last.  I applaud you for reaching out for help.

Gastric Bypass Increases Risk for New-Onset Alcohol Abuse

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751257

 

 

Dangers of Drinking Alcohol for Gastric By-Pass Patients

http://www.treatmentcenters.net/addiction/alcoholism/alcohol -dangers-gastric-bypass/

 

 

Bariatric Surgery Can Make People More Sensitive To Alcohol, Surgeon Finds

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070614132754.ht m

 

 

Gastric Bypass Surgery and Alcoholism Video

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Gastric-Bypass-Surgery-and-Al coholism-Video

 

Thank you. Its the same for me. I drink one glass of wine and its within 30 seconds affecting me. Then its lightens, I want more, more...I never realize how drunk I am. And sometimes I'm angry, that's not me. But, its has been.

I'm about 2 years out and started drinking about a year ago, but for several months its been lots. Everything else in my life seems on hold, so to speak. As the wine takes most of my time :(

Thanks for sharing.