Replacement Addictions

[my_mayberry]

Hello, all!

After a few years of clean time (getting ready to celebrate year number THREE) I am finally feeling less controlled by the term ADDICT and more like a human with an issue that often needs attention in some form or another. Nearly three years clean has allowed a lot of things to resolve, like urges and such. I read a book over the summer about habit circuits, though. It used addiction as an example. I won't go into details because I wouldn't do it justice, but it encouraged me to be reflective on my own activities, good and bad, that have replaced my addiction to pills.

This question may apply more specifically to those who have a little clean time but I think could be helpful to anyone. I am wondering what replacement habits, if any, have you seen develop over the course of your sobriety? Good, bad, and ugly. Also, if you ended up addressing them and how. I have noticed a few of my own in retrospect but it is much harder to identify when replacement addictions or negative habits when it doesn't come in an obvious form like pills.

Much love, and looking forward to hearing your responses.
MM

[Madmax88]

I have an addiction towards working out now that was my addiction swap!!! If I eat bad I literally kill myself over it im so caught up in fitness, but it's good for my Health and I look good so i overlook it..the first time I got clean I went two months but I swapped my addiction with alchol. Now I wasn't drinking everynight but a good 3 nights a week that turned to 5 that turned back into my doc. A lot of people specially in my NA class have claimed to gained 100s of pounds since their sobriety it's like the fast food and sugar relaspe enough ephddorums to become a replacement of their DOC. I guess if you swap addictions for a good addiction like eating healthy and working out then it's a great thing!! But whatch out for those cigarettes and beer and food cause even though there legal they can be just as deadly!!

[Ben727]

3+ years clean from opiates here. I was fortunate that I went to see an addiction councilor before I quit and one of the things she stressed to me was needing to have a replacement for the addiction. It makes a ton of sense - the addiction is a big part of your life, you're going to need to fill all the time you wasted on chasing and using your DoC with something. It sounds cliche at this point, but I decided that I was going to get serious about exercise. I was a decent athlete in my younger days, so I had a framework for how training worked, etc. I have bad knees, so I took up swimming. For the first year or so, if I felt any kind of craving, I would go to the pool and do an intense swim. I found that the exercise, combined with some time in the hot tub and sauna afterwards, gave me an awesome pure buzz that would last for a day or so. As I progressed, I began doing the swim leg of triathlons with a runner and and a biker doing the other two. This gave me a reason to train harder and was a lot of fun. To this day, I swim at least 3 miles a week, although I shoot for 5. I know not everyone is that in to exercise, but even walking or hiking at a moderate pace will really help with cravings. Not to mention the other health benefits.

[my_mayberry]

I have noticed several negative behaviors and a few positive ones. I became super involved in church, but not in a way that is overkill or intrusive to my friendships and stuff. It seems like with romantic relationships, it has had a considerable impact. Over the past three years, I have had to redevelop my maturity with those types of relationships as they started to reflect more of an a negative addiction-type model rather than anything healthy. It has improved, but I never would have guessed how much it would have impacted this! Additionally, yes...sex. Wowsers! There is really no question that I have utilized that as a replacement but I'm trying to direct that energy in a healthy way rather than unhealthy. It has indeed presented in unhealthy ways, though!

What are some methods you all use to recognize these behaviors and what do you do to address them?

[Madmax88]

Diminosarah I almost just typed what you said!

[dominosarah]

Hi MM!!  So nice to see you.  I just talked with a customer of mine who is also in the program about something similar to this.  I explained to him that i seem to be more OCD about things now.  Everything has to have it's place.  Clutter drives me nuts now.  I have always been a clean person but it has gone to a different level now.   My tolerance for BS has hit an all time high too.  I just simply cant tolerate it, nor drama.  Now the sex thing?  Oh that is just an added pleasure now that my no no's arent numbed up!!!  lol

[jifmoc]

Oh man, that comes up in meetings A LOT. Congrats on 3 years, btw...awesome. For SO many peeps I've heard it's been sex, spending money, and sugar! For myself, at almost 18 mos clean, and this one I never thought I'd have is internet surfing and posting. Stupid stuff! It's a total distraction and I do it way way more than I should. It's similar to my pill addiction in that I don't particularly like it, but I do it anyway. Ugh!

Cool topic. Love to hear others feedback. I've heard that these things even out the more sober time we accrue. If you have any answers...cool.