So...about addiction...

Again, just a few random thoughts going on in my head.

 

I have a few friends in my day-to-day life who are walking this WLS journey. They like to use the word “addiction." Anyone who has been here for a minute knows I have feelings about that word. Further, anyone who even remotely knows me knows that I believe the words we use to describe how we feel and what we experience are important. They are not just semantics. They MEAN something.

So the other day I got kind of fed up with one friend (of said person continually bemoaning her "addiction" then not doing anything about it except bemoaning it some more) and suggested that if she felt she had an addiction (in this instance to junk food) that she should seek out treatment, to which she replied, “It’s not that serious, Nikki…"

 

Addiction is a disease. It requires treatment. I’m not here to provide the threshold to whether or not you have vices or addictions, but I will say that I do believe it is universally true that if you have an addiction you need treatment. I’ve been taught that when you have an addiction to something your life has become unmanageable and that, by virtue of the fact that you are addicted, YOU alone cannot “save yourself" from the addiction. You need help. You need accountability. You need treatment.

 

I share that with you all because I know we say the word addiction in jest a lot. I sort of feel like we do ourselves a disservice that way. Different problems are treated differently. I am even guilty of doing it. I often joke that I’m addicted to peanut butter. I’m not “addicted" to peanut butter. I simply like it a lot and have bad decision making skills when it comes to the stuff. My life is not unmanageable because of my “bad peanut butter decision making skills" J And mitigating the problem is relatively easy: I can (and do most of the time) simply stop buying peanut butter. When it’s not around, I don’t eat it. Unlike an addict, I don’t go and seek it out no matter where it is.

 

That’s just an example. And again, I know we all joke about the concept of addiction and that’s natural. But what I’m saying is that if you are hiding an addiction behind a nervous giggle, get help. If you aren’t sure IF it is an addiction, get help. And even if you are pretty sure it’s NOT an addiction, but it’s something that can jeopardize your progress, get help!

We are not superhuman. We shouldn’t try to take on this process in a bubble. There is NOTHING wrong with getting help when you need it.

 

Ok…ramble over.

 You ramble makes great sense. 

ad·dic·tion

   [uh-dik-shuhn]  Show IPA noun the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is 
 psychologically or physically habitforming, as narcotics, 
to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

I'm with you, Nik.  I feel the same way about words, as everyone here probably knows by now.

And I don't like it when people use the word "addiction" to mean something they just like a lot.  For instance, more than once I have seen someone post something like "My husband hopes my transfer addiction is sex!"  Well, no.  No one's husband hopes they are addicted to sex, or anything else.  Or if he does, you should get divorced.  Because a sex addiction doesn't just mean you like to have sex a lot.  It's a serious issue that ruins relationships and causes all sorts of problems in life, just like an alcohol or drug addiction.

And I see people post that they are addicted to a certain food, sometimes a "bad" food like chips or cookies, sometimes a "good" food like yogurt or fruit.  It's really hard for me to picture someone with a watermelon addiction (would they go to WA meetings?) and I think when we use the word addiction so lightly it kind of diminishes the severity of someone's experience when they have a true addiction.

I never realized it before, but you're right.  Most people do use the word addiction when it's not necessarily an addiction.

In my mind, addiction is something that gives me some kind of physical reaction when I give it up.  For instance, when I gave up caffeine I had 3-4 days of headaches. 

I smoked for 22 years and quit smoking about 3 months ago.  Even though the nicotine is completely out of my system now, I still sometimes have cravings for cigarettes.  I've heard this sometimes continues for many years afterwards and there's definitely no longer a physical addiction, so why does this happen?

At the same time, though, I feel that I'm addicted to certain foods or food types.  Starchy carbs, for instance...but I don't actually get a physical reaction when I give them up other than that "gnawing" feeling when I'm around them, like my body is aching for them. 

But is that a true addiction or more of an emotional response that's manifesting itself into a physical feeling?

Very interesting thread, I'm curious to see others opinions on it as well!

Jen

I think if it causes an emotional reaction instead of a physical reaction, that's still an addiction.  And I also think it's an addiction when we feel we don't have control of it but it has control of us, and when we continue to do it (whatever it is) even though it has plenty of negative consequences for us.

Nik.

So you're not serious about the steps for PB?

I don't need to take you to a meeting?

LOL!!!!
Now that is funny!

(twitch...twitch)

I ain't got no problem!!!!

;)

In all seriousness though. Food. Yes. Big time addiction. And my mom is in AA so I am am intimately familiar with all 12 of those steps! I've gone to OA (although there is a sentiment of WLS haterade going on up in there sometimes).

THAT addiction I practice recovery on every single day. But like I tell my mom, my lot is a bit tricky. Addicts can avoid drugs. Alcoholics can refrain from drinking alcohol. I gotta face food every damn day.

 

Good post.  I am guilty of lightly using the word too.  I don't have addictions, so I guess I didn't realize how my words could be understood or misunderstood.

On the subject of addiction....it grates on my nerves when everyone lumps all obese people into the "food addict" category.  Many of us are not food addicts, and there are a host of reasons why people can become obese, food addiction is just one of many.

Have a great day and keep those random thoughts coming!

I totally agree with you.  Some people (not saying everyone), after surgery could benefit with sometime of "help" or therapy.  The surgery is only a piece of the puzzle, but some of us (including myself), definitely need to get to the root of the issue.

Hello my name is Jameen, and I am an addict ...