[LvS19]

I easily become addicted to lots of things but alchohol and foods are the worst. I have absolutely no control in these two areas. I was crazy addicted to weed for awhile but the day I decided to quit I instantly went cold turkey and never had a desire to smoke again so why can't I control my alcohol and eating?? I wish I was addicted to sex so my husband would love me more haha. Anyways, how do I even begin to control myself?

Sent from my SCH-R720

[kindachaotic]

(((((LvS19))))). My husband has an addictive personality.

He got sick in 1997 & almost died from untreated pneumonia & high B/P, because he chose to drink & smoke weed. Was 39 yrs old at the time.

He's been sober & clean for almost 15 yrs but replaced it with food. Now he is considered morbidly obese & has to take all kinds of meds related to that.

Don't know if this helps but wanted you to know someone read your post & has been thru this with a loved one. It can be done. You can do it too.

Wish you the best of luck.

[roads]

** hugs galore, LvS19 **

I have an addictive personality. I tried drugs during the sixties in my college days. I was aware that I "enjoyed" alcohol, but drugs were way over alcohol for me. When I discovered mescaline I realized this was something could I lose my life to, I was so strongly hooked to it on the first use ... like an electromagnet to an iron gate. I never used it or any other drug again. Illegal drug, that is.

Addictive is a relative term. Alcohol seemed safe, compared to mescaline. But I was addicted, just took me longer to discover it.

Over the years I've been addicted to Coke, a brand of lip protector, and a nasal spray--among other things. Ive been 25% overweight, so I guess I was food-addicted, though no one ever labelled me that.

I've never known any way to deal with the problem except one addiction at a time.

Kindachaotic is right. It can be done. Go for it!

[Caretaker Leo]

You certainly aren't alone! I envy those people who don't seem to be addicted to anything. Not that feeling that way will solve our problems.

It does seem from my experiences that there are "favored" addictions for some people.

My hub easily gave up smoking cigs, but giving up drinking was a struggle. (He is now 13 years sober). There are a number of people in my life who seem to be able to give up some addictions easily - but just can't seem to give up the others. (me included)!

Perhaps a T could help you figure out the root causes of your addictions and that could help you begin to find ways to get control. At the same time, sometimes the only way we learn how to control our addictions is to put a dead stop to them - and then the understanding comes later.

[RapidFlyer]

Dear LvS19,

I too have an addictive personality. I can easily become addicted to anything that makes me feel different than I feel now. That is not a joke.

I am a recovering alcoholic, food addict, smoker, and I put them down one at a time. I had to reach bottom (absolutely and utterly defeated by each addiction) before I could stop. I stopped the alcohol 1st. I stopped smoking 1 year and 3 months ago, I stopped eating addictively 72 days ago.

Unfortunately for me I was never able to "control" myself in these three areas. they controlled me. Until I gave up and surrendered control I couldn't begin to get any kind of recovery.

I wish you the best.

[Willcat]

I have an Introverted Thinking personality, yet addiction has come into my life. I used to try to control my addiction, but that never worked out that well. Then I decided to control my response to those things I became addicted to. I found I could do that.

My addiction treatments help me detach from drugs/alcohol. The more I practice recovery skills the less I respond to picking up and using drugs/alcohol.

Every day is a new day to practice positive change in life.

[RaggedyAnn67]

Your question is 'the big one' to me. If anyone could figure out how addicts could 'just let go' of their addiction, they would be a millionaire!!

I don't think it just happens for anyone. I think that even those who 'just put it down' had some sort of mental process going on until they did it.

I think that what our Vet Member, Willcat said in the previous post is the most important step in recovery. "The more I practice recovery skills the less I respond to picking up and using drugs/alcohol." Key word 'practice'. Start implementing skills and practice using them today. I think recovery is a process and that we need to be prepared or at least aware that it will be.
And...as Willcat said...
"Every day is a new day to practice positive change in life."

[Radiant]

I too have an Addictive personality, since I was about 16 I have really noticed it in day to day life (I'm 22 now). I tend to go through phases with my addictions, (or maybe some of them are habits). I still smoke cigarettes, i quit once for 3 months though. I smoked lots of weed for about 3 days, every day for a while, but once a started to get bad anxiety attacks, I managed to stop that and have only had the odd puff every couple of months. Alcohol only gets to feel like an addiction for me when I get into the habit of opening a cold beer as soon as I get home from work everyday, then It turns into 6 beers. Hell, I'm even addicted to the Internet. And some foods. The worst addiction for me has been ecstacy and LSD, if it's not readily available to me I'm fine without it. But once I come into contact with a source for these drugs I have to have them, and I can see it affecting my life badly!
The one thing that helps me with all this is a complete change of habits, like moving to a new town, with a new job, new house and new people. This way you can develop new habits, new routines, and hopefully get dampen down some of your addictive personality traits. Doing this hasnt magically "fixed" anything for me, but it has made it a little easier to slow down and eventually cut something out of my life. Hope that helps, and remember you're not the only one!

[madisgram]

this is a longer article but it deserves some merit i believe. it addresses other addictive people not just a drug or alcohol addiction. hope this may help you ..

Nearly everyone has had a taste of what it would be like to have an addiction—eating a second (and third) piece of cake, staying out until 4 a.m. drinking when work starts at seven, buying three pairs of shoes when you had just enough cash to cover one. You know the consequences: the stomachache and spare tire, aching head and lousy day at work, the credit card debt, and above all—the guilt.
But the immediate payoff, whether it’s pleasure or simply a sensation of feeling alive, calls to you like a siren’s song.
In the addicted mind, the urge hijacks the brain, overpowering the analytical part involved in good decision-making. Whether sex, shopping, or heroin, mental health professionals generally distinguish a habit from an addiction when it takes center stage and shoves everything else off, destroying relationships, finances, and careers. As one mental health expert put it, a healthy person plans exercise around their life. An addict plans their life around exercise, etc..
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