Getagrip

Hi all

I have said before that i am a binge drinker and only drink 2-3 times a week but when i do, i drink to get drunk, blackout, do/ say stupid things, have killer hangovers, vow to not do it again but the day after the hangover, all is forgotten and i do it all again.

Thing is, i think i have this relationship with everything else which together make me a very unhealthy person.

I smoke probably 10 cigarettes on an average day, drinking nights, i can get through another 20 per night.

Food, if im out drinking, i wont eat (until the end of the night when i raid the cupboards or fast food places) hangover days, if i can stomach food, i eat and eat all day, any day that i dont drink or have hangover, i eat and eat out of boredom, as a result of this i am probably 80 pounds overweight.

I also see a pattern of if i wake up and think, today i will only put good food and drink in my body, my smoking doubles, this all lasts a day, maybe 2, then its all too hard and i give in.

It seems so overwhelming that they all link so i need to give up all 3.

I am on day 3 (early morning though) of not smoking or drinking, food on the other hand i have been shovelling in, the usual i will eat all the xmas junk then start with no junk in the house.

Is anyone else like me, binge drinker/ smoker and eater.

I feel like im just greedy and a little of something is never enough for me

Sorry to rant

SPM0923

With the exception of the smoking I am just like you! I found that when I quit the drinking the eating got crazy as I craved carbs like crazy. I decided to get serious about health and diet and switched to an actual program that allowed me to eat as much health stuff as I want so I tossed out the crap and bought all good stuff. I feel amazing now! Hope this helps and stay strong. You can do this!!!

Tang

I tend to starve myself then overeat. I've been doing this since I was 15 (40's now). It's not conscious for me. I just get distracted with other things. Now I try to use HALT, so I force myself to eat at regular intervals.

Dee74

I think a lot of us are, or were people of extremes...with a lot of commitment and a little work, it really is possible to change tho

I think a ravenous appetite is pretty normal for at least a few weeks tho - if it's healthy stuff I say so much the better - if it's sugary stuff, then maybe you can think about a better dietary plan a little ways down the track

D

sprout50

One thing at a time. When i quit drinking, I ate like a pig. Junk food, sugary food etc....After a bit, the craving to eat like this went away. Right now, just focus on staying sober. Allow yourself to eat. Trying to work on everything at once can make you feel so deprived that you just give in on everything. One thing at a time. First you work on staying sober. Once you find your sober footing, you can work on other things. And don't beat yourself up over it. Be kind to yourself.

FreeOwl

Balance is hard for human beings. For those of us with addiction challenges, it seems even harder.

Getting yourself onto a path of active recovery helps.

It's something we have to work at and to learn over time.

Getagrip

Thanks for the advice guys, i will work on staying sober first, this will have the most effect on my life.

I do think i am an addictive person, i have never tried drugs which i am glad of, because im sure if i did, i would be hooked straight away

Sasha4

I think, and I was a smoker too, you need to handle one thing at once.

I found when I gave up drinking, that I didn't want to eat rubbish as much. The hangovers didn't happen so I didn't crave bad food.
I also was not out drinking so there was no end of the night binge either.

In my opinion, whatever thats worth, people who decide to tackle everything bad at the same time and in one go, rarely succeed.

It almost makes me cringe when I read someone is going to give up smoking and drinking at the same time. Its too hard in most cases.

For me I did smoking before my drinking got a problem.

However if I had had to of picked which one to give up first, it would have been drinking.
I think you don't get the same 'what did I do or say' misery with smoking that you do with drinking.
You don't get done for overweight driving!
Smoking can cause ill health, but there is probably little risk you might smoke, fall down the stairs and knock yourself out, which can happen when you drink.

I tink there are lots of us drawn to the same addictive things and we do them in extremes.
We can often swap and substitute addictions too.
There is lots of evidence that people who have obesity surgery often swap food for drink. Look it up on the internet.

The best way to I found to handle this and manage it, is to recognise thats what I'm like and thats why its best not trying anything else that might cause me problems down the road.

I wish you the best xx

Getagrip

Thanks everyone who has commented

I will definitely tackle the drink 1st and i think now, by reading your comments that the other 2 things will half sort themselves out and will only then need a little motivation from me. The drink seems to be at the centre of all 3 of my vices

Thank you again and good luck to you all xx

2Wheelterror

Oh the late night food binges, thats pretty much the only time i ate while drinking. I can't recall the number of mornings i would wake up in a fog and try to remember what i ate. I too am a smoker and now that I'm not drinking my smoking has decreased, i want to quit but right now I'm focused on staying sober. There is no way i could do both at this time.

Soberwolf

Staying sober gave my life bk to me getagrip

Well done on day 3 bud keep up the good wortk

readerbaby71

I've had problems with all three. I think that quitting drinking first and focusing on that will make it easier to change your eating habits and quit smoking in the future. Don't worry about that right now. Once you detox from alcohol you might naturally find yourself wanting to become healthier the better you feel.

Have you considered seeing an addiction therapist? I think it would help a lot. Good luck. YOU CAN DO THIS!