Working Through Addictions

[demonblaster]

Hi everyone ☺ Welcome aboard...hold on

Being creatures of habit makes addictions mighty to break as many would know.

Good news is we do have it in us to beat the brutes.

There are so many different types which usually have a major negative impact on our lives affecting and hurting those around us creating more anxiety and depression.

I've so far managed to break some including smoking. I've given up full time still have the odd one or packet but won't ever take it up full time again!

Compulsive gambling. 21 yr habit. After 10 + yrs of abstinence had occasional devastating relapses which have been in mania.
This will NEVER be an ongoing problem again! The compulsions not any longer there thank goods.

So far..

• To break a habit we need to create a new one.
Preferably not another addiction 😆

A new habit forms with persistence. By not indulging. Nothing easy tho either is the addictions consequences...but doable.

• Baby steps is one way

• Cold turkey's effective for many but puts tremendous extra stress on. Most people I've spoken with have been successful.

I think addictions are a way of blocking pain by finding a safe place. Survival.

Gambling gave me a bubble of security. I'd zone out.The excitement was phenomenal but devastating consequences. Financial insecurity's no ones pleasure.

We adapt...too well. I built a near unbreakable wall where pain depression guilt sorrow didn't enter my thoughts for the most. An average person would have suffered deep depression and been suicidal. Not a good life.

If only we could use that srength with Mental health (MH).

Thing is survival our strongest tool...it's in us. Learning to redirect it towards recovery.

• Our reasons to give up build our strength. Belief too that in most cases it'll improve our lives.

• Reinforce reasons constantly.

I'm going to write my reasons down and have them in sight and on my bedside table to read repeatedly. As well be thinking why I want to give up

A lifetime habit I'm embarking on.Weight loss. I know I CAN and WILL. I want to feel good again about myself.

A thought is I'll do this like I did with smoking. The craves go each time and there's many. They reduce in time.

Already worked. Resisted about um...🤔 let's see...50 craves yesterday. Feeling better already!

Good luck everyone. Support.

We got this.

The powers in us! ✊

[Paw Prints]

Hello Deebi, wave to all,

I think being prone to addictions is like so many things part heredity, part personality & part environment. I've found it is also so very easy when trying to break one addiction that another takes it's place...

I had a problem with drink... it was when I found myself craving it from the moment I woke each morning that I realised I was heading down the same path as my brothers, father, grandfather, his brothers, greatgrandfather... they were all alcoholics... most of them died directly from their drinking...

I went cold turkey & gave it away... unfortunately I replaced it with the smokes... at my worst over 80 a day even waking at night to have them... finally after 20 years & getting myself into debt to feed my smoking... I managed to quit... it's been nearly 20 years since yet I still crave them...

Being me... I replaced the smokes with drinking milk... over 3 litres a day... then I added comfort eating... my weight ballooned... I'm now 50kg above my ideal weight...

I hate it... it physically hurts... it affects everything... yet still I can't break the spiral... I've been trying for the last few years... it's extra hard because the depression/anxiety feed into it & we need to eat so I can't just stop all together....

Deebi... you've done so well lasting even just one day... nothing I've tried has worked to date...

I would love to know what tips/tricks others have used to succeed in losing weight... getting fitter

Paws

[Ggrand]

Hi Deebi and Paws,,

Great thread Deebi..

Just tagging for now so I don’t loose you..

Hugs,

Grandy..

[blondguy]

Hey DB

Thanks for the excellent thread! You have achieved a lot DB and good on you. I still enjoy a cigarette even though a lot less in quantity than I used to

I read an excellent comment from management on the 'Sane' forums which mentioned the mental health benefits of stopping the cigarette habit. It was accurate yet didnt help me where the addiction was concerned

I have 1-2 days without a cigarette which is an achievement for me yet cant kick the habit...yet

Good1 DB!

Hugs...Paul

[geoff]

Hello DB, a great topic to discuss.

The reason why we become addicted, and this is one of many, is that peer pressure develops the habit, or we use whatever we need as a way to numb what we're trying to run away from, and depression was the reason why I was addicted to alcohol and the desire for any substance for people becomes more important than the actual pleasure it provides, although at first this doesn't happen.

An addiction as we all know is something we need that is difficult to stop, let alone able to control, and I'm not blaming anybody here.

To be able to break any addiction differs from person to person, some can go 'cold turkey', while others have such a difficult time trying to stop, and remember no one is better than another person but people always have my total support because a relapse is very possible before the end result is obtained.

This has happened to me many times before I have now stopped and had for a year and a half, and have for two reasons, you actually get sick of needing it and secondly because it makes me more unstable on my feet.

Hope this thread continues.

Geoff.

[Ggrand]

Hello Deebi...and everyone..🤗.

I have a couple of addictions...I’ll do the one that’s not really healthy at all....and that’s food addiction...I will admit that I like healthy meals when I have the energy to cook them...

I am a comfort eater...and it has to be the unhealthy foods I’m addicted to....as soon as I’m feeling down or I do something not right..my head is straight into the cupboard or fridge to find something that makes me feel better...I suppose I could say I’m being kind to myself by giving me a treat to drown out the chattering inner critic..Kind of like grounding myself for a few minutes....then another few minutes until my stomach hurts...then I have my sore stomach to think about instead of my chatting head....

The easiest way is not to buy them, right?..A few times I didn’t..,Living 30 minutes away from any shop you would think, that I wouldn’t be bothered to travel that far for some ice cream, yogurt, chocolate etc...Wrong, I’ve done that trip a few times late evening when the shops are empty to just buy those treats....Which now I think about it..I have an addiction to food...I am not obese..but am overweight and the only way to loose that weight is to stop my comfort eating....Any suggestions how to do that will be very gratefully relieved....

Oh I might add..that these types of food where never allowed in my home when late husband was around...and if they did..I was banned from touching them....😢

I think to start with it was a kind of payback...like he’s not here to tell me no....so I had some fun with them....but now it’s gotten out of hand....it’s become addictive, soothing, calming...and I can’t control it properly...

My kindest wishes everyone..

Grandy..

[Matchy69]

Great thread title

[demonblaster]

Hi all ☺

Firstly power to all the people that've reached their goal and broken addictions.
Mammoth achievements and mind strengthening.

Many thanks for your time with replies ☺
I'll be back later to everyone at another time there's a lot to talk about.

I realised today a crave doesn't hurt physically or mentally which is giving me a little peace.

I was going to hide some really nice biscuits my partner bought today, he's lost some weight still going with breaks too.
He inspired me because he was being so strong.

So... decided reluctantly to leave them where I can see them 😲 Big inhale 😉
I figure this torture will work for practice not caving in every look or thought.

I can have if I want but nearly caved in thinking that way.

It doesn't hurt I don't think not having something naughty.
Might be different for others.
It's more about the stress from being denied what we get so much pleasure from.
Maybe anger and frustration.
Do we feel out of control but actually we are taking control.

Some good headway today was talking calmly to the crave.
By kinda going into the thought and questioning it...

Why did I have the thought.
Why don't I want to.
What if I don't have it. And reasons to give up are important too. Repetition teaches us.

Also had a mental taste of the biscuits by looking at them and feeling while remembering the texture taste feelings of pleasure saying inwardly it's only on my tongue and swallowing that's different.
Then walked away.
We forget.

Apparently a food craving lasts up to 3 mins.
3 wks to lose the sugar crave. Wish that was 3 mins. Unsure about other craves which might also be 3 mins. I find it so hard how often they come. You couldn't hack it if they didn't back off.

Anyones very welcome to talk here or on any forums. No pressure to tho.

Ok good people ☺ night night 🎇

[Ggrand]

Hello Deebi...

Maybe my yummy food addiction is more of a craving then an addiction...Someone once told me that everything is good to eat in moderation..haha, how hard I’d that to do..especially when you feeling so down and you feel hungry but don’t want to cook, so that chocolate bar, coffee flavoured milk, party pies are so easy to heat up...instead of cooking healthy things.....I like that you said it’s okay to be a little naughty sometimes...

I suppose..even though it’s easy to say, and oh so hard to do..we need to change our mindset and learn to listen to that little voice inside our head that is trying it’s best to keep our bodies healthy and not our hearts saying poof one more wont hurt...

I craved an ice cream last night and decided to wait those 3 minutes...and started playing an Internet game instead...a few hours later, I realised I didn’t have that ice cream...and didn’t want it anymore, I felt power to me. ..wish it was easy with the cigarettes...cigarettes are a burden we have to take everywhere we go.li tried not to take them to the shop with me...I needed one, so I bought a packet..along with a chocolate bar....nearly every night before bed....I say to myself that tomorrow I will stop both of these habits/addiction...Then in the morning, with my cuppa tea..out comes my smoke..then..later through the day, a glass of coffee milk and biscuits for my lunch....

I keep telling myself..I will stop...but my cravings are just to hard to say no too....

Kind thoughts everyone..

Grandy..

[demonblaster]

Dear Pawsy hi lovey firstly I'd like to congratulate you on giving up drink and smoking too. I imagine you'd feel a lot better as a result.
Both are extremely hard to do from what I've heard with drink.
As you and many people have successfully achieved.
They're mammoth achievemens.
I hope you can kudos yourself for these yet knowing our minds in depression/anxiety it's imperative to not be believing our thoughts that we're weak useless etc.
I commend your and many others strength and determination that we do have, it's about surfacing these qualities needed to rise above.

It is hard picking up other addictions isn't it but milk which I can relate to would be the lesser of evils.
At least there's goods in it including bone health Vit D.
I have skinny milk now which is apparently 2% Less fat which isn't great shakes but that little less. I find it still tastes good.

Foods a mighty pleasure too which I'd say addictions are.
It's hard we need to eat to survive.

I think by keeping in mind you've beaten two major addictions, point being you do have it in you. I believe we all do.
By giving ourselves stronger reasons to not continue which needs serious belief in ourselves and reiterating the why nots is pretty much where I'm working from atm.

I've had major relapses with gambling and smoking. The latter I'll be ok with being slept up now makes a mammoth task doable.

I think we need to keep in mind we're battling mighty demons here with any addiction with different thinking we can curb it.

If we relapse it's best not to add to depression and stress. We're human with powerful emotions and needs.

Best not to give up on giving up.

Importantly boredom can be a curse as well. If we can find ways to fill the time in a preferably productive way eg housework...whooptee...gardening, creating maybe cooking.. art etc our minds are occupied with a task.

The other day when I had a smoke urge I said calmly yeah I'll have one later which I didn't.

Opposed to the dreaded NO!...should be banned that horrid word 😄 it was ok because I didnt have the adrenalin soaked rebellion to NO!

Bbl with replies and hopefully some more thoughts on making the path easier.

Best to everyone ☺