HA!  Could you imagine the both of us???  LOLOL

I challenge you to a DUEL!

After my first night not having a drink and realizing it was a lot harder then I thought it would be I know I need to control myself.  Question is, I am happy in life, content, so why am I doing this?  What causes a substitute addiction?

For me, it escalated, just like you.  It started out to be not a big deal; a little now and then.  Then I drank a glass or two of wine every night.  That eventually progressed to the point where I not only drank daily, but I once I started, I could not stop.  I got to the point where I would drin****il I blacked out every time (not the same as passing out).  I simply could not remember what I did or said.  I became terrified that I would drive and kill myself or someone else.  I lost a brother to alcoholism 10 years ago and couldn't understand why he couldn't just stop...until it afflicted me after WLS.  Now, I understand.  It is a progressive disease that got triggered after surgery and once the switch is thrown..it can NEVER be unthrown.  Ever.  I am now and will always be an alcoholic.  It really angered me for a couple of years but once I accepted the hard truth, I went to an AA meeting and have been sober for two years now.  I hope you are safe and sound. 
You will know you are alcoholic when you start behaving in a manner that "normal" people don't.  (Are you hiding your drinks, substituting beer for liquor, trying to "control" your drinking, only drink on weekends, and other deals with the devil).

I never had a problem prior to surgery.  I drank socially for 30 years and would go months without drinking before WLS.  It wasn't until after the surgery that the problem began.  I was so shocked.  I just couldn't believe it.  I sure do now.

Good Luck

WOW.........Ive neve been here before. I didnt know we had this forum.

First alittle background on meself:
I had RNY in Jan of '06. All went well the first few months. Then by about May things started going haywire. Dropping weight became my #1 goal. Thus I turned to starving myself. By summer I was drinking vodka. When my 1 year came around I was binge/purging, depressed and drinking a 5th of vodka a day. By the summer of 2007 I wanted to die. I was admitted into a treatment center for suicidal tendencies and a driking problem. I came out of my depression quickly but I found I will always struggle with food and drinking.

Now:
Ive been sober since April 5th 2008. A few weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I stopped drinking and I ate what I wanted. Now my daughter is 6 weeks old and Im struggling. I think about vodka to often and food is my obsession again. I feel like this cycle will never end!

Treatment is not available to me at this time, I have no insurance. My family doesnt understand. They think I should just suck it up and snap out of it. I dont want to go back to the person I was then. But Im scared thats where Im headed.

Kristi

Hello:

I was wondering if anyone has attempted and or succeeded in channeling their addictions into something safe. Years ago I had a friend who was an alcoholic. He attended AA and eventually he channeled his compulsions into gardening. He knew that he was excessive about his yard and lawn but it was safe and he had the most fabulous garden and he stayed sober.

I'd like to be able to do that. After wls I became an alcoholic. I'm attending AA. I worry about  just ending up with another addiction. So if I have to be addicted to something I'd rather it be a safe something instead of shopping or something else equally destructive.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks,

Pat