[BridgetDarling]

I have always loved food and have always maintained a healthy weight. Always had the attitude "eat what I want, but eat in moderation" well since becoming sober off a serious benzo addiction, the addict in me has shift towards food especially this past year. I have put on over 40 pounds. I will eat and eat and eat till I fall asleep and then find myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking about food and going for more. I have just recently realized this is an addiction. Sometimes ill eat so much I feel so sick, but will still eat more. It will be anything to healthy food to carbs, sugars....anything that's there.

I used to be a slim 5 ft even in shape girl and now the weight is really packing on and I have no desire really to stop but I'm def worried about becoming unhealthy. Cause I see this happening with the rate I'm going. There really isn't a trigger (that I haven't found yet atleast) that causes this. I think about food nonstop. And eat around the clock.

I'm always curious as to what causes addictions to shift.

[kaliope]

I don't have a professional answer for that........but addictions are coping skills. they offer us comfort, a way to escape the uncomfortable feelings we are having...allow us a way to focus on something that makes us feel better...so when we take away one addiction we often replace it with another addiction so we can continue to feel good.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by kaliope

they offer us comfort, a way to escape the uncomfortable feelings we are having...allow us a way to focus on something that makes us feel better....

I'm really finding that happening with me, as all other sources of any pleasure are gone, this one is ascendent. I'm sad.

[LostNgone4ever]

Originally Posted by BridgetDarling

I have always loved food and have always maintained a healthy weight. Always had the attitude "eat what I want, but eat in moderation" well since becoming sober off a serious benzo addiction, the addict in me has shift towards food especially this past year. I have put on over 40 pounds. I will eat and eat and eat till I fall asleep and then find myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking about food and going for more. I have just recently realized this is an addiction. Sometimes ill eat so much I feel so sick, but will still eat more. It will be anything to healthy food to carbs, sugars....anything that's there.

I started eating large amounts shortly after quitting benzos as well. For me it seemed like the eating became a new coping mechanism for my anxiety and then once Id been doing it for awhile my body got used to it and sort of got addicted to sugar and the large amount of food I had been giving it. I've been slowly trying to eat a little less and identify when I'm anxious but not hungry and make sure I don't start eating at those times. Not sure if it's similar with you...just could relate to going off of the benzos and perhaps that's what triggered the eating. I also was doing a similar thing as far as eating and eating until I fell asleep.