Question:
Anyone trade a food obsession for alcohol obsession?
I am concerned with my drinking habits. For the last two years (I'm 3 1/2 years postop), I've been enjoying drinking two glasses of wine each night. It didn't cause any problems with my life, I still got up and did what I had to do. My only concern was coming from non-drinkers, I thought I must have been a raging drunk. Now, I'm trying to get pregnant. I've tried to cut down to only the weekends. I do miss it though a lot. It was like my something special at the end of the day. Now I think maybe I switched one obsession (food) for another (alcohol). Problem is if I go back to food, I'll probably regain. Any suggestions on cutting wine out of my life without me feeling so deprived? I don't think I need AA right now. — Lisa N M. (posted on October 28, 2005)
October 28, 2005
I feel the same way. I really enjoy my glass of wine every night, and I
see nothing wrong with it. My surgeon said that it's okay, my husband said
I'm a lush....lol. 246/143/129 Laurie
— chilin1106
October 28, 2005
Lisa, I think this is quite common . I, too, like to drink wine! The only
problem is I have a tendency to "snack" when I drink and have put
on 10 lbs., but I am exercising like a Trojan! This is helping! We're all
in the same boat! Nancy
— nancyscott
October 28, 2005
Hi ok I'll join the band wagon here. I have wine, but I can't every night.
Wine gives me the munchies. It is then that I eat too much. So, I try to
limit it to the weekends. As for going back to food, don't. Before you
quit the wine, find something healthy to do in place of it. I would not be
surprised if studies begin to show more alcoholism among wls people. We
shall see.
— shoutjoy
October 28, 2005
Wow! I just recently started drinking wine too. Not every day but maybe a
couple of times a week. I live alone and my fiance just deployed to Iraq a
month ago (again) for a year this time so I've kinda been trying to make
the best of all this "me time" now. A couple of times a week I
light some candles, pour a glass of wine and either cook a gourmet meal,
read a book or pop in a movie. I don't see anything wrong with it. Now
when you start finishing off the bottle every night...then we need to talk.
LOL My family, too, is concerned about my sudden interest in drinking.
— boonikki29
October 28, 2005
With any substitute behavior, only you know the extent to which you have
become addicted. Is it a challegne to not drink during the week-- if it
is, is the issue that you have an ingrained habit, or that you truly do not
feel fullfilled without it? On the weekends, do you have more than your
two glasses to "make up" for what you missed during the week?
And, of course, do you feel "deprived" in a general sort of
unsatisfied way or do you feel particularly consternated that you can't
have as much wine as you'd like?
Needless to say, all of us come to postings like this with our own
baggage-- whether as people who have turned the switch from food to alcohol
or as the spouses of those of who have-- so there is always the danger of
having us answer you and justify our own behaviors. As a result, it's only
your opinion of your behavior that really matters--- only you need to be
confident that you can truly minimize your drinking when you are actively
trying to conceive and then abstain while pregnant and nursing.
Good luck.
— SteveColarossi
October 28, 2005
2 glasses of wine a night doesn't seem excessive unless its something you
don't allow yourself to ever miss, then you may have changed your food
addiction to alcohol. Maybe you could dilute the wine or make one glass
wine and one glass something else (in a wine glass), drink it slower so
that it satisfies, or something along those lines. Kind of like when we
put our food on a smaller plate to feel like we were getting more (an old
dieting trick). Youa could also try something like a bubble bath with
candles and your one glass of wine as a way to drink it slower and enjoy
the "special treat". Anyway, wine isn't bad for you. I'd talk
to the Dr. about the desire to get pregnant and the affects of wine before
I stressed over this. I'm sure the people around you have your best
interests at heart, but they also have their preconceived notions of what
is best for you. Good luck!
— dinky
October 28, 2005
Ok, I'm going to be the devil's advocate here. It is not the amount you
drink that determines an addiction. It's whether or not you need to have
it and feel deprived if not. For some, the drinking may not seem too
much...it's how you act and feel about it. My hubby doesn't think he has a
problem either....and he drinks the same 2 glasses in the evenings. He HAS
to have it to relax he says...and then....he acts drunk. I can tell he's
been drinking and he's now trying to hide that he's doing it. You don't
say you're hiding it, so that's in your favor. However, the difficulty
cutting back, the feeling of deprivation, etc....you need to understand
that you do have an addiction. This is not uncommon. I have heard several
WLS'ers that say they traded the food addiction for alcohol. Be glad you
figured it out before it took over your life like a couple of them talked
about.
Oh, and for the person who saw nothing wrong with 2 glasses of wine....do
you all realize that 2 glasses of wine after this surgery is equivalent to
a whole bottle???? Alcohol goes thru our system so much faster and we can
get drunk on much less....most people talk about getting a buzz after one
glass!!!
No you probably don't need AA. But you do need to talk to a counselor of
some kind about your addictive behavior. We all experience this to some
extent. I know I do. I was and still am addicted to sweets.
Unfortunately, I don't dump on sugar, so....it's my personal fight. The
wine is going to be yours now. Good luck!! Oh....and let us know if you
become pg!!! How exciting!!!!!! There is also a yahoo group for pregnancy
after WLS...you'll have to do a search for it as I can't remember it off
hand. Carmen
— kccjer
October 29, 2005
If you "need" to have it, it could be becoming an addiction! You
might want to think of stoppping before you can't. Alcohol is high in
sugar. A glkass of wine a night is actually good for your health, but not
if you get pregnant, because the alcohol affects tha baby, and could cause
fetal alcohol syndrome. Medical guidelines state that pregnant women
should not drink at all. If you are trying to get preganant, you should
think of quitting. As for whther two drinks is too many while you are not
pregnant, you did not say how big you are. Bigger people can tolerate more
than small ones, as a general rule.
— Novashannon
October 29, 2005
Hi, i'm going to agree with carmen and debbie, and give you a resounding
yes, your drinking habit may be a problem--but not for the same reason. I
don't see food or alcohol as simply an "obsession" because i
think it kind of trivializes the effects of alcohol and food on the brain.
Alcohol and food (particularly sweets and carbs) both affect the seratonin
levels in your brain--many people with depression also have a lack of
seratonin. Both bring the seratonin levels up, making one feel
"normal." That's why a lot of sober alcoholics turn to carbs and
sweets when they give up the booze--it makes them better able to cope. My
dad turned from beer and whiskey to donuts! It's also why some people with
depression drink or eat excessively, it's not to make them forget their
problems, but to make them feel better. I personally have had depression
since i was a child, and so it was no wonder that when i wasn't drinking
(or using some other drug) i was eating any carb or sugary food i could get
my hands on--and weighed 298 prior to my surgery! I am now on
anti-depressants and my cravings are pretty much gone...along with the help
of talk therapy and an understanding of why i reach for things that comfort
me like sweets or a glass of wine. In fact, I just moved to Ohio and have
no insurance yet. I ran out of meds last week and after 4 days, i turned
to candy to help my brain adjust until I got more meds--and it worked! The
thing you might want to do is to look at your lifetime of eating and
drinking habits and see if there is a parallel somewhere. Also, look at
your family history. Are there a lot of people with alcoholism, obesity or
depression (or other mental illness)? If you see that you've substituted
one for the other and so have your family members, you really should be
concerned, not only for your mental health, but weight gain and your future
baby. If this is just recreational--and be honest now--heck, have a couple
of drinks then take your husband out to the back seat of the car...bet you
get pregnant, just like a lot of girls i knew in high school! ; )
— Patricia R.
October 30, 2005
I've seen this happen to a couple of folks I know post op. The alarming
thing is that the effect of the alcohol doesn't last as long as before WLS
and I think this could lead to a tendency to want to drink more and lead to
alcoholism. I've also seen someone become quickly addicted to pain meds
after WLS. Be careful!!!
— SARose61
October 31, 2005
According to the stats presented this summer at the ASBS conference, 34% of
us will become alcoholics. One third of us. I think the others were 27%
become shopaholics (this is more than enjoying shopping now & then),
22% become involved with inappropriate sex and the other two were gambling
and drugs, but I don't remember the numbers. That's frightening. I'd say
if you THINK there is a problem, address it as if it is a problem. BTW,
mine was shopping. I would also refer you to the Grad list where many of
us have found our addictions and are overcoming them, since we're all
pretty much in the same boat, at least for a time.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG
— vitalady
October 31, 2005
Thanks, everyone. Those statistics Michelle posted were sobering. (No pun
intended.) Do I need to have a couple of glasses of wine each night. No.
The same way I didn't need that extra donut or more bites of a sub when I
was 150 pounds overweight. I'm too money conscious to become a shopaholic.
I recognize I need to nip this in the bud though. I'm trying to just
drink during the weekends, but I think I am going to need to find someway
to cope with the addictions that caused me to be overweight in the first
place.
— Lisa N M.
November 1, 2005
On the shopping? Mine was thrift stores. I had to replenish my entire
wardrobe, didn't I? (right) I gave myself a $10 limit, but when I found it
was the highlight of my week, better than ANYTHING, I realized I had a
problem. The thrill of the hunt. After clothes, it became household stuff
and more. It was bad, but didn't cost much. Still, I am busy freecyling
some of those excesses still today and I've been "clean" for 8-9
yrs now. My personal eyeballs tell me 30% became alcoholic with shoping
coming in at #2, so I was astounded to see those similar stats presented
after studies.
— vitalady
November 7, 2005
this is a valid question. As a post-op, we metabolize alcohol differently
than others. It gives us a quick "high" but does not last long.
I do not understand anything else. Perhaps, future research will shed
light on this phenomenon.
— [Deactivated Member]
May 28, 2008
This absolutely happened to me. I traded one addiction to pain relievers
after 2 other surgerys. They had me before i knew it. Got off them and
moved right on to wine. Now i am in AA and a mess. The dr. agreed and
says he sees this often. Trading one for another. It is the pits to say
the least. TJ
— Tonya_J
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