FattyMcFatty

Has anyone had it? If so, is that when the troubles started?? I did, and I swear it's a one way ticket to alcoholism. At least it puts you on the fast track..

doggonecarl

I doubt it. Alcoholics have been around forever, while weight-loss surgery is new. The correlation between the two is not there, I would think. You are a few days into recovery. I think it's normal to wonder, why am I an alcoholic?

Normal, but pointless.

Kellye C

Actually, yes I had it 11 years ago and yes that is when I started drinking in an alcoholic fashion. For me it was a transfer addiction and it almost killed me.

Transfer addictions are pretty common is post-op patients (to the tune of up to 25%) so it isn't as far-fetched as some might believe. I have seen it both in people that I know and in rehabs where I have told my story.

Many people use food to stuff their emotions and once they are unable to do so they turn to other substances or risky behaviors. My sponsor told me though that I had been thinking and behaving in an alcoholic fashion for many years.

PM me if you would like to talk.

Take care,
Kellye

Sally1009

Out of interest, has the surgery worked?

LexieCat

I have a couple of AA friends who found that their drinking became alcoholic after the surgery. My guess is they were already well on their way, but the digestive changes sped up the process--smaller quantities had a greater effect.

As Carl points out, though, trying to figure out "why" is kinda beside the point. It is what it is, and the sooner you deal with it (regardless of the "cause") the sooner you get your life back.

Kellye C

I agree that by the time you have crossed the line into alcoholism then it really doesn't matter how you got there. Speaking for myself only, I crossed that line and I cannot go back so it doesn't do me any good to sit and wonder "What if" and "If only".

On the other hand, I do think that this is information that should be talked about more prior to people having surgery as well as in the aftercare support groups so that newly post-op patients as well as those considering the surgery can be made aware of the potential for transferred addiction as well as the other reasons for avoiding alcohol.

LifeRecovery

At least 30% of people living on the eating disorder spectrum already struggle with substance/alcohol abuse.

I have witnessed from the eating disorder side a couple of people have the surgery to "help" with that part of their addiction and it shift also to other addictive concerns.

1983ritag

There is a strong link between bariatric surgery and alcoholism. Just like kelleye mentioned, one addiction for another. Sometimes things that we think are problems, are actually just symptoms of the problem. If we just try to fix the symptoms, the problem is still there. My nutritionist told me that about half of her gastric bypass patients develop other addictions within the first couple of years. My mother had gastric bypass and became an alcoholic. Not to say that's what caused it, but I think she thought by having surgery and losing weight her life would be in control. She never fixed the underlying reasons as to why she was compulsively overeating and since that didn't work very well after the surgery, she turned to alcohol. Since I witnessed it firsthand, the correlation makes complete sense to me.

sugarbear1

My fiance gave up alcohol & turned or transferred his addiction to food. He died on January 3, 2008, four days shy of his 48th birthday, with complications of multiple organs due to obesity.

We try to fill our emptiness with our addiction, no matter how we fill it. Without addressing our issues, we continue our addictive/vicious cycles...

FattyMcFatty

Yes and no, In my case I dropped about 90 pounds, then over the years, have gained 25-30 back. I'm still down over 60 pounds, however, now I'm trying to lose the 25-30 to get to an ideal weight.

FattyMcFatty

Thanks folks for the input. I think I was typing in a moment of anger. I'm sure that the surgery was not the one reason for alcoholism. After reading your posts, I do believe I switched addictions from food to alcohol. and my body just doesn't process it anymore "Bypass" And towards the end before I sought help, I had no off switch, I would wake up the next morning, and over half a bottle of hard liquor would be gone..