SpaSlave

I am a compulsive over eater, alchoholic, and cigarette smoker. My question is I really want to quit all 3 but quitting one is hard enough as it is.They are all three killing me in different ways. Have many of you had to deal with this? Should I take one at a time or is it better to tackle all three at once as to not lean on any of them?

Aysha

I think everyone is different when it comes to that. I wanted to quit everything at once too. But I found that in early recovery. That wasnt a good idea for me. It was already stressful enough to stop getting high. Food and smokes helped me keep a grip on sanity.
I decided to tackle the worst of them first. Which was the drugs. And then slowly incorporate the other two in as time went on. I never did end up doing that.
I can only get a few months at a time clean. But its getting better and easier every time. I did quit smoking cigs April 2nd. And that was only because I had no choice. I was unemployed and the tax hike made it impossible for me to buy them. So after a few days I was like might as well just quit. And so I did. I slipped last week and smoked for one day. But that was it. It wasnt as painful and hard as I thought it would be. But I also have alot of heart into it this time. I really wanted to quit this time. I am getting that way with the drugs. Slow but sure.
Eating. I dont eat as much as I did before. I ate more when I was using. But I am working on it more and more as time passes.
I say whatever you feel comfortable with.
Just prioritise and then take it as you see fit.
Good luck.

jamdls

I agree with Chi, I smoked and drank I still smoke. I was advised early in recovery (around 6 mths I think) to not be so hard on myself about the smoking to just concentrate on sobriety then at a year give up the cigs. Well I quit smoking after 13 mths of sobriety and I was good for about 2 mths then came Thanksgiving and I had 4 days off work w/nothing to do other than have dinner at daughters house, that Friday I was so frustrated and just wanted a drink or a smoke just something that was MINE. So I went and bought a pack of cigarettes and I still smoke. I don't smoke in during the day, nor in my home, nor in my car but I still smoke. Tackle 1 thing at a time save your sanity.

Dee74

I quit smoking when I quit drinking cos I'm an all or nothing guy. It worked for me, and that's about all I can say about it. Doesn't work for a lot of others.

If all or nothing doesn't work for you, Chiys idea is good - prioritize your addictions and work on them like that.

D

Horselover

So true that we're all different when answering this question. I gave up alcohol and cigarettes when pregnant. I went back to drinking but not smoking. I gave up drinking 6 years later. Glad I gave up the cigs, but wish I had stuck with being sober back then. I'm a mom and so both were an issue while raising my son. Good luck with whichever road you take.

Bamboozle

I quit the drinking first because it's the worst...although the food thing is pretty bad.

I'm working on one thing at a time. My smoking (I started up about 1.5 months ago after a 4 month break) has been reduced. I have no cigs left in the house. I know all I have to do is buy a pack if I really want one, but I'm going to try to avoid doing that.

The food....(ugh)...

I know alcohol was the immediate danger, but I think getting control of my food problems is going to be harder.

Take it easy, SpaSlave. You can try to stop all at once or tackle them one at a time...whatever you feel comfortable doing.

joedris

Tough call. When I first went through rehab they cautioned against quitting drinking and smoking at the same time. They said that quitting drinking was the most difficult and thus should be tackled first. So I waited about two years and then quit smoking (3 pks a day). And I found that they lied. It was much harder to stop smoking than drinking. After a year I couldn't care less about a drink but would have killed for a cigarette. Nicotine is very addictive and getting off it is hard. I went cold turkey and would recommend that method over patches and gum, etc. Actually, after 72 hrs your system has detoxed itself of nicotine, but the pshchological factors take forever to overcome. My doctor says that now, after having not smoked for 21 years, my chances of lung cancer etc. are the same as a person who has never smoked. So I'll probably get hit by a train and regret foregoing the pleasures of smoking and drinking....

So the choice is yours. I'm sure you'll get a lot of different opinions on the subjec. Best of luck, however, with whatever route you take.

tellus

My two cents (and keep in mind, it's only that): I'd quit the booze first. I'm also a compulsive overeater, and over a year into my sobriety, I'm only now starting to deal with it. If I'd tried to tackle both at once I don't think I'd have made it. I actually started smoking regularly when I quit drinking, mostly because of the AA culture around it. I don't regret it: I'll live a lot longer smoking and snacking than I will drinking.

Quitting one addiction can be an overwhelming task. Don't make it too hard for yourself.

Best of luck!

resacup

The first time I became sober I had already quit smoking and that was in large part due to being on Welbutrin. I am still on welbrutin now and I would only smoke when I was really drunk, just for that extra high. As far as eating, when you get rid of the drinking, hopefully that will lessen too. I know for me, I ate a lot when I was drunk and only then. So with sobriety I am losing two very bad habits with smoking not being an issue. I would definitely say get rid of the drinking first. That is the most damaging to your body. Once you are sober and feeling confident about that, move to the lesser of two evils and work on that. Good luck my friend. I am right there with you.

sfgirl

As for cigarettes I quit smoking before drinking so I don't have personal experience. I have, however, read numerous studies that say if you quit alcohol and nicotine simultaneously you have a better chance of staying sober. I think there is a lot of good information on the LifeRing site about this very thing. There is something about nicotine that triggers your desire for alcohol. The other thing is that I do know from personal experience is that when I quit smoking my anxiety level went way down and my general feeling of well being went way up. If you quit the booze and keep using the nicotine it probably cancels out some of the positive physical effects. But it is a personal choice and it is whatever works for you. I think reading up on it might help you make a decision.

The Sober Alcoholic's Stop Smoking Support Page

As for the compulsive overeating, it is not something that I have personally dealt with. However, part of me feels that to work a program of true recovery you should try to be completely sober. In this I am not including nicotine mainly because it really is not intoxicating. I think that compulsive overeating is quite a different beast and has much more similarities with alcohol and/or drug abuse. Therefore, I think you should definitely stop that at the same time as alcohol. However, I am in no way a professional and this is just my personal opinion. I think it will help you recover. I think the danger in quitting only one is that you will transfer that addictive energy into your other habit thereby making recovery all the more difficult. You need to get to a point where you are not engaging in any addictive behaviors and can really engage to begin to recover.

marty888

I found it 2 hard to quit everything at once, Alcohol was affecting my life and those around me terribly so I have made that my first priority. I will give up the cigs when I feeling stronger, I have found I am smoking more though.
The main problem seems to be my sweet tooth, I never had one when I was drinking !!!
That means extra gym sessions.

yeahgr8

IMO drinking has to go first and should be the biggest concern, get some sanity back and then tackle the others. Although as Dee74 said, some people can do smoking at the same time. Whatever you choose best of luck:-)

CarolD

My drinking was causing me mental distress.
I was horribly depressed.
So I began AA to deal with that first.

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