Food Addiction

openskybeach

Wonders if she's serious.

I don't know, but from someone (me) who's been through an addiction / withdrawal / recovery I find this laughable either way. I'm not trying to be a prick, just being honest. I think the American notion of addiction as a disease is wrong and provides an easy excuse for those who fail to overcome their dependence. It's a notion created by the healthcare-industrial complex to bilk more money out of health insurance companies.

Well your opinion is definitely just that but I will tell you or anyone else that food addiction is no different than an drug addiction or an alcoholic addiction the only difference is my drug of choice was food. I ate til I was so full I would have to throw up, then would come the guilt and remorse but that only lasted til the hunger pangs start and then I would dive right back in for more. I was consuming 8 to 10,000 calories a day and not blinking an eye at that amount of food. I order 21 inch pizza 3 or 4 times a week and put the pizza in tupperware and hide it around the house so when my family went to bed or left the house I had some food to eat between my meals with my family.. I ate myself until I was homebound for over 2 years and 560 lbs.and finally to the point that I hit rock bottom and sat in my recliner with a loaded hand gun for 3 days trying to figure out how to blow my brains out without leaving a mess for my family to come home too. On the 3 rd day my wife walked in on me holding the gun and I told her (she knew something was terribly wrong though) that I could not live another day like this so she took a week off work and started the process of getting me help. The very first stop was to see a psychiatrist to start dealing with my food addictions... I have spent the last 3 and a half years in therapy going through the 12 step program (yes the same one all drug and alcoholics go through) to get control over my addiction. It wasn't sugary items or any one particular thing. I self medicated with food plan and simple... And now 2 months shy of my 4 year anniversary I have completed my 12 step program and have begun the final process of the 12th step which is Paying it forward.... So I have to humbly disagree with you on this particular issue. If it wasn't for my wife insurance being willing to pay for my therapy visits I have no idea where I would be today.. No I take that back I actually think I would have figured out a way to pull the trigger had I not had the help I need..... Best of Luck Op.....

what he said!

GamerLady

I don't know, but from someone (me) who's been through an addiction / withdrawal / recovery I find this laughable either way. I'm not trying to be a prick, just being honest. I think the American notion of addiction as a disease is wrong and provides an easy excuse for those who fail to overcome their dependence. It's a notion created by the healthcare-industrial complex to bilk more money out of health insurance companies.

I'm an American and I agree with you about addiction being a disease being an easy excuse. It's rediculous, and pathetic. I use to drink heavily, and it wasn't a disease, it was just me wasting money, getting wasted . I just woke up one day and said "ok, I'm sick of feeling like %$#@ ". LoL. I'm not talking about the original poster, just saw your post and wanted to say I agree. People like to have an excuse so they're not accountable for their actions.

StheK

I'm glad you've come as far as you have Ed, and trying to help others who are dealing with the same issues is honorable. However, there is a difference between a physical dependency on a cellular level and an emotional attachment. I'm not discounting what you or the OP is going though, but voicing my opinion on addiction/attachments in general. And FTR I did not complete a twelve step program. It was more like a three step....detox, feel like sh#t for three months, don't do opiates anymore.

Congrats on your progress though.

You are quite lucky not to have an addictive personality. Some of us are like that. We can get physically addicted, but we usually don't get mentally/behaviorally addicted, and our addictions are usually situational, acute, and are relatively easily overcome. However, there are an awful lot of people who DO have addictive personalities- and for these people, addiction is a life-long battle. It very much is a chronic condition for them.

Not everyone is like you. It would be nice if they were (at least with regard to the addictive personality thing) but they're not, and dismissing their disease as invalid is simply misinformed. It's like saying that because you got stung by a bee once and barely felt it, the medical community is wrong to treat people with bee allergies. After all, bee stings don't bother you much, why should anyone else need EpiPens?

StheK

And I'll clarify- I think 12 step programs are crap too, but not because these people don't have a valid disease and legitimately need help.