First it was Coca-Cola, now it’s energy drinks.
I’m always looking for a fix.
Things could be worse, it’s fairly moderate. I’ve been holding it to 8 oz per day, which isn’t much more caffeine than coffee. I think it’s the sugar that makes it work for me – especially when I’m in Haiti and it’s real sugarcane.
Sugar and Cross Addiction Behaviors
Yes, I’m using sugar to change my mood.
It’s obvious.
Alcohol was my drug of choice. Now that I’ve quit drinking, I don’t know how to cope with feeling down. Learning to manage life sober is part of recovery.
My relationship with sugar is dangerous, it’s addiction thinking. Just swallow a little fun and chemical happiness is on the way.
Whatever the cross-addiction might be – food, sex, gambling, shopping, compulsive exercise, or the like – the drive is the same. The recovering addict wants to feel better, which often means they want to feel less. Drugs, nicotine, and carbohydrates all happily oblige by altering serotonin levels in the brain. [source]
I’m watching for that, but I’m also going to talk to my doctor.
The mood disorder remains an issue
Things have improved with my the Depakote for bipolar medicine – I can sleep, I’m less impulsive, and my life is becoming stable. Things are less over-the-top.
On the down side, my mood alternates between bored or depressed. The magic is gone from life. It doesn’t feel sustainable.
Fitness is a problem. As some blog readers mentioned, I need to get more active. Things will be better once I’m back in the USA. I’ve had almost zero exercise during this visit to Haiti.
Anything to stay sober
Hearon shared this book excerpt with me on Twitter. It makes the case for food to help prevent drinking cravings. [Source: Being Sober].
I’m willing to risk the sugar habit to get more quality days sober. It’s an issue, but the greater risk is falling back into the alcohol trap.
That’s my update for sobriety day 115. Leave a comment to start the conversation.
- Have you experienced cross addiction while in recovery?
- Have sugar or energy drinks become a problem for you?
Hi Tony!
I still drink too much coffee, but it’s getting better. I switch to decaffeinated drinks, mostly water, after 1:00 or 2:00.
The refined sugar thing is real. It’s like salt, and very hidden in all of our foods.
Even bread has refined sugar.
I have been eating more moderately since I stopped drinking, and I no longer have the horrible binges I used to have after drinking.
I am sorry about the drug side effects. I know the feelings. One doctor put me on Trazodone , and I was almost in a coma from the side effects. It was awful.
Keep on this path. I am happy you are sober today!
xo
wendy
PS – I was wondering if I should get onTwitter, but I am worried that I will have even more things to read on-line!
Twitter can be fun, if you can avoid all the news and spam. I mostly follow recovery people.
My plan is to get back to a plant based whole foods diet, maybe 80% of the time, once I’m back in the USA.
Counting down the days! My flight is Sunday
When I started my sobriety journey I moved to sugar as well, very common I have learned. As a matter of fact, I gained so much weight I was nearing 300 lbs. It took me a while to get that under control as I drifted into the sugar addiction and again, like a good addict didn’t really think it was in addiction for a couple of years. I just thought I like to “sweet.” Once I understood what was going on it was, “Progress Not Perfection” towards getting the situation handled. My sponsor told me not to try and do everything at once. One thing at a time. he told me to focus on recovery and that is exactly what I did, not 90 meetings in 90 days but 380 meetings in 380 days. Then, when the time was right I addressed my sugar intake. I still battle the sugar but it does not control me today. One day at a time, one thing at a time. 🙂