new habits while in recovery
 

I am trying to recover from years of drug abuse, but what habit I've picked up to substitute is going to do harm in the process ? I now smoke more than ever. I have been eating everything in sight. Sweet tea by the gallon. One habit at a time. Ain't that what they say

Are you going to AA meetings regularly ?? .....

All the best.

Bob R

I picked up a whole lot of new bad habits when I gave up alcohol...the strongest of which is my addiction to sugar. Now, I've always had a sweet tooth but never like this! I eat chocolate and cake (I never even liked cake before!), ice cream and biscuits like a woman possessed!

And I can't moderate....hmm.

I've put on some weight, hasn't really bothered me too much because I've always been skinny, but my clothes are getting the teeniest bit tight now (as in I can't breathe or sit down!).

I will tackle this at some point, but you know it isn't likely to kill me, it doesn't cause me any anxiety, I don't wake up in the mornings filled with shame and regret, it isn't damaging my relationships.

So....I'm letting myself be for the moment.

You're doing great Ricky, one thing at a time x

I would love to find something healthy to obsess over. I'm trying to motivate myself to make it exercise.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
- by Charles Duhigg

This is a great book about habits and how to form new ones. I've used the method described in the book to form many new positive habits. It's probably at your local public library.

Alcohol was killing me the quickest. When I stopped, the doc had put my life expectancy at months, not years. So I reasoned that alcohol had to be my priority and I put everything else to one side. It seemed to work ok, and I would generally have suggested that approach to anyone else.

About 20 years later I stopped smoking. What a battle! Completely different to stopping the booze. Powerful chemical cravings which, of course, one cigarette could satisfy. But I stopped and gave it no more thought. Shortly after that I went through a spell of about 3 years where I seemed very angry. My doc said it was depression. I kept working my steps and put more effort into helping others and it passed. Then recently I met an old AA friend who experienced the same thing, the common factor being that we bopth gave up smoking.

My feeling now is that smoking was much more than a mere chemical addiction. for all those years it was my way of dealing with anger and frustration. When I stopped it was like going back to early sobriety. Maybe it would have been wiser to tackle it at the beginning. Who knows. I admire those that manage to become free of all substances early in recovery.