Alcohol is a Transfer Addiction !!

[BigHarleyGuy1 149]

I share this story in hopes that it may help someone to never pick up a drink after VSG or to at least be hyper-vigilant about the dangers of drinking post weight loss surgery.

I was sleeved in August of 2015 @ 310 lbs. Quickly lost most of the weight needed and began running 5k. Not really setting the world on fire, but it was really good for me. Prior to surgery, I had always enjoyed drinking with friends. Typical guy stuff - couple beers @ a football game or watching the game on Sunday, meeting for drinks after work, etc. Never an issue or problem. Never anything that i had to have.

My doctor warned me against alcohol, sodas, and transfer addictions, but I thought "never me". WOW, was I wrong. I remember the first couple times I had a beer after the surgery (I waited 6 months), it was very fizzy and uncomfortable. I convinced myself that it would get easier, and unfortunately it did. Next came the rum and coke zero. Wow, that tastes great, and I get a buzz very quickly.

That fast buzz turned into getting very drunk, very quickly. Our new bodies absorb the alcohol in 1/2 the time that a normal internal system would. Over the last couple yeaars there have been many episodes of drinking way to much, blacking out, and not remembering what happened. I have had to apologize for my behavior more than once after a night of drinking. I even started drinking every day. I would make a drink as soon as I got home each day. 1 turns into 2 or 3. Just like lays potato chips you can not have just 1. Alcohol consumed my every thought. When can I have a drink? How can I make sure I can get a drink? It amazed me how I was able to justify that if Creamer was good in my morning coffee, how great would Rumchatta be (it's damn good, by the way).

I am living proof that transfer addiction is a real thing. I am now in counseling for my alcohol addiction.

Transfer addiction is definitely a real thing. Prior to VSG surgery I was over 300 pounds because I had an addiction to food, and all the wrong kinds of food. My new addiction is alcohol and it's best friend is food addiction. what goes with beer = chicken wings, or nuts and pretzels, what goes with a margarita = tacos, etc.

Alcohol also makes it impossible to lose weight. So if you are really dedicated to clean eating but you drink, your weight may stay the same, but it surely will not go down. I have packed on 60 lbs of the 120 that I lost. And, I am slowly changing behaviors to get back to where I want to be.

It is a journey,, but I am worth it. I will overcome.

Addiction is sacrificing everything for that one thing !
Recovery is sacrificing that 1 thing to have everything !

[catwoman7 11,215]

unfortunately, I've heard that story (or something like it) before - a few times, in fact. Alcoholism runs on one side of my family (my two maternal uncles both had it), so I've always been careful - and doubly, triply so after WLS because of the risk. sorry that happened to you.

[ReddGypsy 71]

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I read it a few months back and revisiting with a reply and saying out loud that I have a problem. I've been transparent with my BF, fam and close friends that I'm struggling...but hiding how bad it can get. Last night was a sure sign of transfer addiction and will be seeking help.

I'm 5.5 years out and over the last two years have gained 50lbs. I stopped working out and have been holding around the same weight the last 6 months. I can't seem to get the ME back that was so focused.

My Dad passed away in 2019 and to cope, I started leaning on wine and drinking (as did my Siblings) Then during 2020 covid, I was drinking during the week, sometimes alone when my SO was at work and often a bottle of wine all by myself.

I was able to get back some control in 2021, but find myself sneaking drinks and hiding my evidence. Last night, for no good reason I had wine delivered and drank 1.5 bottles of wine after BF went to work.

I know the next steps will be therapy to figure out the triggers and coping skills. Again, thanks for posting your story to inspire me to address this problem before it's too late. I worked so hard to be healthy and I'm sabotaging my future self.

[Stella S 612]

Thank you all.

[Johnsson1 1]

I can relate

[Joules007 26]

Thank you for sharing. Sadly I am in the same position and today is my 3rd day without alcohol and the withdrawals have been so bad that I needed medication from the doctor to get through it. My blood pressure raised at such high levels it was dangerous. All this is such a shock to me and before my bypass back in December 2017 I was never really interested in alcohol but over the last few years my drinking has increased so much so it had taken over my life…I seemed to look forward to the joy it gave me and the quick fix that food no longer could give me. I am hoping I can keep going and start to feel better soon. I hope to learn to live my life without alcohol and the extra weight gain from the late night Snacks and start to enjoy eating healthy and to feel alive again! 🙏🏽

[Creekimp13 5,840]

ANY addiction can be a transfer addiction after a bariatric surgery messes with your food addiction. About a year after surgery, I noticed I liked to go gambling more. (not an insane amount, but instead of going maybe once every three months or so and taking $50, I was going maybe twice a month and taking $100. One month, I went once a week) I'm thrifty, so I noticed the casino losses in my budget right away and said....oh, hells no, this has to stop. So, I quit gambling entirely. Dodged the bullet on that one, thank goodness.

But....of course.... that void looked for another way to rear its head.

I started buying way too much **** on Ebay and Amazon. Late night purchases. Ugh. When I identified that issue....I quit, and promptly started hitting thrift stores and buying too much crap. Just kept swapping out one source of instant gratification for another....kinda like food.

Addiction is a real thing. And finding healthy ways to deal with that need for instant gratification (and the hidden **** that drives it) will always be something I deal with.

Very often when I hear people talk about regain... they will beligerantly insist that they don't have problems with food addiction or disordered eating. And I always think....oye. This ain't gonna end well for you.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, imo. And I know that sounds cheesy...but it's true. You need to get your head around your blind spots and confront them. Understand the behavior so you can change the behavior.

I'm 4.5 years out, maintaining my weight loss (very proud of this)....but more aware than ever before how food addiction has impacted my life and my habits. Also, more aware of what drives my addictive behaviors.

Still workin on it, man it's hard! Parts get easier, parts get harder. Just gotta keep fighting the good fight:)

Edited April 21, 2022 by Creekimp13

[Jaelzion 1,127]

On 4/21/2022 at 6:46 AM, Creekimp13 said:

But....of course.... that void looked for another way to rear its head.

It was shopping for me. For a good 6 months I spent way too much on clothes. I really did need to replenish my wardrobe after losing 130 pounds, but I was buying more than I needed. It took me a while to recognize what was going on and stop doing that. I have a couple of friends for whom the weight loss itself became their transfer addiction. Instead of stabilizing once they reached their goal, they kept dieting and losing. Eventually they were both emaciated and skeletal. In their 50s, both of these ladies developed full-blown anorexia. Fortunately, with treatment, they both recovered and they are at healthy weights now. But it just shows that literally ANYTHING can become problematic if you use it to self-medicate. It's like whack-a-mole.

Edited April 23, 2022 by Jaelzion

[bloomin18 1]

On 4/21/2022 at 9:46 AM, Creekimp13 said:

I totally agree. ANY addiction can be a "transfer addiction" and this surgery physiologically changes not just your body but your brain. I never had an issue with alcohol, drank at home, and certainly not alone. I'm 3 1/2 years post-op and became an alcoholic maybe a year after surgery. NO ONE warned me of this, which, I think, is outrageous and negligible. Considering all of those pre-op classes, you'd think that would be brought up somewhere.

Congrats on kicking the addictions @Creekimp13 👏

Wishing everyone the absolute best on their journies. 🤗

ANY addiction can be a transfer addiction after a bariatric surgery messes with your food addiction. About a year after surgery, I noticed I liked to go gambling more. (not an insane amount, but instead of going maybe once every three months or so and taking $50, I was going maybe twice a month and taking $100. One month, I went once a week) I'm thrifty, so I noticed the casino losses in my budget right away and said....oh, hells no, this has to stop. So, I quit gambling entirely. Dodged the bullet on that one, thank goodness.

But....of course.... that void looked for another way to rear its head.

I started buying way too much **** on Ebay and Amazon. Late night purchases. Ugh. When I identified that issue....I quit, and promptly started hitting thrift stores and buying too much crap. Just kept swapping out one source of instant gratification for another....kinda like food.

Addiction is a real thing. And finding healthy ways to deal with that need for instant gratification (and the hidden **** that drives it) will always be something I deal with.

Very often when I hear people talk about regain... they will beligerantly insist that they don't have problems with food addiction or disordered eating. And I always think....oye. This ain't gonna end well for you.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, imo. And I know that sounds cheesy...but it's true. You need to get your head around your blind spots and confront them. Understand the behavior so you can change the behavior.

I'm 4.5 years out, maintaining my weight loss (very proud of this)....but more aware than ever before how food addiction has impacted my life and my habits. Also, more aware of what drives my addictive behaviors.

Still workin on it, man it's hard! Parts get easier, parts get harder. Just gotta keep fighting the good fight:)

[lovvetyga 0]

11 minutes ago, Shagi said:

I quite agree here, and it is similar to the most addictions, such as smoking or gambling

That is right but compared to other addictions, gambling is not always destructible and if you learn how to play the game you like, create a strategy and become the best player at a particular gambling game, this can be a life-saving experience where you do the thing you like and earn money at the same time, which is perfect life I guess. I think that is real, look at the poker players, they are ridiculously rich. Sometimes I play slot demo 99 as well and I win quite often. However, you can not win anything but cirrhosis if you are an alcoholic.

[binkybabajacque 0]

On 4/22/2022 at 11:12 PM, Jaelzion said:

It was shopping for me. For a good 6 months I spent way too much on clothes. I really did need to replenish my wardrobe after losing 130 pounds, but I was buying more than I needed. It took me a while to recognize what was going on and stop doing that. I have a couple of friends for whom the weight loss itself became their transfer addiction. Instead of stabilizing once they reached their goal, they kept dieting and losing. Eventually they were both emaciated and skeletal. In their 50s, both of these ladies developed full-blown anorexia. Fortunately, with treatment, they both recovered and they are at healthy weights now. But it just shows that literally ANYTHING can become problematic if you use it to self-medicate. It's like whack-a-mole.

I love the whack-a-mole imagery. That's exactly what it feels like. As soon as you feel like maybe you're "in control" of one thing, here comes another. Until you start to deal with the actual issues.

[Redsfan19 37]

I want to also add that I’m 9 years out and while I am not an alcoholic (I can be around alcohol without the urge to drink), it scared me how quickly alcohol hit after surgery and how often one glass hit like 3 used to. I quit pretty much all alcohol about 1.5 years ago now and am loving the growing mocktail and Non-Alcoholic Beer scene. If you feel out of control, it is not your fault and you can get help.

[MillsonGray 0]

I'm aware that my reply comes a little late, but thank you for sharing your story and shedding light on the dangers of transfer addiction. It takes a lot of courage to speak up about personal struggles, and I hope your journey towards recovery continues to be successful. However, dealing with addiction and withdrawal symptoms, such as described at https://sunlightrecovery.com/fatigued-after-alcohol-detox/, can be challenging. It’s important to understand that recovery is not a journey you have to go through alone. Seeking the help of experts in the field can greatly aid in the process of managing addiction and withdrawal symptoms, as well as starting a healthy lifestyle faster.

Edited April 5, 2023 by MillsonGray

[CampbellSchultz 3]

Hi guys. Just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you for all the supportive words you've shared here. I'm currently on my way to quitting alcohol, so I really appreciate your help. Actually, I'd also be grateful if you shared more of your experience on giving up that ****.

[JayvonPatterson 0]

Glad to hear that the supportive words here are helping you on your journey to quit drinking. It's not an easy road, but it's definitely worth it. I'm also on the same path and can totally relate. Have you considered checking out alcohol rehab Essex? They have some great programs that can help you kick that **** for good. As for my experience, I found that having a strong support system and finding new hobbies helped distract me from the cravings. It's all about finding what works for you. Keep pushing forward.

Edited April 24, 2023 by JayvonPatterson