100

I'm doing good except I've been sick for a week and half but I'm feeling much better now. Anyway I'm transitioning from having to fight to stay sober to work on other areas of my life. I've also completed the first three steps. I've also Amited I'm powerless over junk food and that food also makes my life unmanageable as well. I'm hoping as I work the steps the hold food has on me will go away to. I don't understand how quiting booze has been so much easier than quitting junk food. I only abuse food that sweet or salty so basically anything hyper palatable. People tell me at meetings that the food issue will improve with more sober time and it seems People do seem to lose weight after being sober for longer periods. Most smoke which is a habit I gratefully don't engage in. Last I obsesse over food and I can eat for hours on end. I've thought about going to oa but I just don't know. I really don't have time to go to another meeting.
David

RecklessEric

I think - and I stress, this is an uneducated opinion, that if you are just comfort eating for a while having quit booze, it might settle with time.
But if you are talking about another addiction, you might need to get help with that too.

Wish you well, David.

biminiblue

Food issues are really common with alcoholics. It was my first secret addiction, mostly sugary stuff. It's just another way to numb emotions for a little while. Something to do that feels good in the moment but doesn't fix anything. For me food has been the hardest of all my "addictions" to overcome.

The whole impulse-control thing does get a lot better in time. I would agree with RecklessEric, give yourself a little grace in early sobriety. Getting and staying sober is a big enough "project."

ScottFromWI

You have been making a lot of progress David, so do give yourself some credit where credit is due. And yes, cross addictions are very common. After I quit drinking I found myself seeking other "escape" mechanisms to replace alcohol. The internet and my phone were one - it was super easy to just go hide somewhere and get lost in a website or music or whatever, but in essense I was using it exactly as I used alcohol...to avoid facing the hard issues that are called life.

My work in recovery was helpful in general, and I think you will find the same - keep going with all you are doing and if you need to tweak the plan along the way, go ahead and do so. By that I mean if you needed to get some support for your eating issues, go right ahead and do so. But don't forget to look at how far you've already come too.

advbike

I agree with the others, David, on all counts. Whenever I have gotten sober for any length of time, other addictions (both behavioral and food) have risen to the surface. We used to just say we had an "addictive personality" because some of us went from one to another. Booze, sex, pot, food, shopping, porn, exercise.. whatever. Ultimately it is a result of an emotional void - we are not happy with ourselves and our reality. We want to avoid pain, so we use a substance or behavior to escape it. Avoidance is a huge trait of addicts.

Over time, if you keep exploring your response to life and significant events, and continue to be mindful, you will be able observe and modify your behaviors and gain healthy ones. A mindfulness practice is supposed to be helpful, allowing us to just sit with ourselves, and "be", in the moment, but I find that a bit esoteric and have focused more on healthy behaviors, like exercise. I do have a tendency to crave sweets, something I am always working on it seems.