RE: Cross Addictions

[Guest guest]

I was a spender prior to my wls and noticed a significant drop in the

spending afterwards. Realized I was shopping possibly from some sort of

depressive mechanism or something. Though we're not swimming in debt, we

still have bills from my hey day as a spender. However, have noticed

over the past few years that at one time or another have substitued one

type of compulsive behavior for another. Went back to smoking for

awhile, then quit again. Then with all the surgeries and the injuries,

the cluster migraines that lasted almost two months, etc. and the pain I

was in, the doctors were very free to prescribe Vicodin for me. I didn't

take it during the day because I was in charge of the kids, even when

they are at school, I have to be ready to go pick them up if they ever

get sick or hurt, so I would wait until Tim got home. I would start

taking the pills after Tim got home and the kids went to bed. But by

then, I was in such agony, I would take 2 at a time, then it went to 3

at a time, etc. I finally realized that I was taking this stuff every

night for six or seven months and once I acknowleged what was going on,

I stopped. Couldn't believe that I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms

or anything like that. Did all of this while maintaining a straight A

average at school. I once heard the phrase " functioning alcoholic, drug

addict, etc " .

When I just came home from the hospital with a scrip for Vicodin after

the hysterectomy, once the pain was gone and didn't need the pills any

more, I flushed the rest of the down the toilet. Realized I could fall

back into that mode again in a heartbeat. After the pill thing, I

started having a cocktail everynight after the kids went to bed. Again,

saw what was happening and stopped. Just thankful that I can now

recognize a potential problem and deal with it, but it doesn't mean a

new compulsion won't begin. I'm trying to focus on more healthy,

annoying habits, like cleaning constantly or organizing something. I'm

finding that things are getting done around here and I'm pissing

everyone off because now I insist that they do this or that. For right

now it satisfies the need for some sort of control/compulsive thing and

at the same time I'm managing to piss off my husband and kids.

Looking forward to going back to school in the fall to concentrate my

energies on my school work.

By the way, all of this went on with nobody knowing what was going on,

not my husband, friends, any of you. This is the first and most likely

the only time that I will fess up to this. I just feel with me, is that

I somehow have the need to trade one addiction for another. A friend of

mine is an alcoholic and saw him do the same thing with smoking and then

drugs. I think that's how I saw it in myself and was able to stop before

it became a real problem. I may eventually go talk to someone. Have a

lot of issues like everyone else, but right now feel I'm ok. I knew I

was ok when I flushed the Vicodin down the toilet two weeks ago without

batting an eye. Also knew, that I couldn't keep them in the cabinet.

Kind of like keeping a piece of candy as a test to see if I'll eat it or

not.

Thanks for listening. Must be these hormones.

Regina

[Guest guest]

> have noticed

> over the past few years that at one time or another have

substitued one

> type of compulsive behavior for another.

snip

> Just thankful that I can now

> recognize a potential problem and deal with it, but it doesn't

mean a

> new compulsion won't begin. I'm trying to focus on more healthy,

> annoying habits, like cleaning constantly or organizing something.

Has anyone been really successful in doing this, substituting

a " good " addictive behavior or compulsion for a bad one? Cleaning

instead of eating, exercising instead of shopping, that sort of

thing? Is it possible? Any tips for successfully doing it? It

would sure be useful!

Celia