I’ve been having a tough time lately battling my addiction. I’ve been attending SAA meetings since July of 2022 and am almost eight months in. Starting step 4 has been on my list for about a month now and I haven’t been able to get going. (Procrastinate much?)
I’ve had no relapses and have done a really good job of staying out of my middle circle. Outer circle activities have been going well and keeping me occupied. But I’ve noticed a new and painful new addiction.
I’ve noticed myself bingeing on ice cream, milk shakes and breakfast cereal. But I’m mildly lactose intolerant. Stomach cramping, “bathroom issues” and lethargy, generally crappy feeling. What is wrong with me!? (tears, tears, cry, sniff, sniff) I can’t stop but its sooooo good! Someone help me! Have I really replaced PMO with Cinnamon Toast Crunch… adult chat sights with Neapolitan Ice Cream… objectifying women with a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard?!
Do I need to attend DAA Dairy Addicts Anonymous meetings too?
Its common for addicts to replace one addiction with another. Try to have healtier alternatives available. I still have a can of sparkling water with me wherever i go but its relatively harmless
@IA_Matt
I developed a lactose intolerance about 20 years ago. There isn’t anything dairy that I can’t eat or drink, but if it isn’t plant-based, I can only have a little of it.
Have you tried non-dairy products?
People substitute one way of escape for another, story of my life. We continue to look for a way to manage feelings and emotions (stress, boredom, happy, sad) until we learn to feel our feelings, allow ourselves to examine the WHY we are using xyz substance and heal. Substituting a healthier option is great…but like anything we can then overdo the healthy option (see exercise). If it can be taken to extremes, we will often do that until we get to the underlying WHY we choose escape and HOW we can be humans and feel stuff and not numb it in some way.
At least that has been my lifelong experience with being a human with substance abuse issues.
So the question becomes, WHY are you stuffing yourself with lactose? What need(s) / emotion(s) / feeling(s) are you filling or pushing down or avoiding?
Is it an addiction, or a strategy for coping with an addiction? Maybe it’s just choosing a much lesser of two evils.
Fight the meanest dragon first.
I craved sweets during early sobriety from alcohol, and I didn’t deny myself that one bit. I realized that I needed all of my will to stay away from booze, because that was what was killing me. It’s like, I’m on a burning ship. I can stay and burn, or jump in the water. In the water, I can swim for awhile before I face drowning. If I stay on the boat, I will burn.
Consider the lactose free versions. As your will to resist your primary addiction becomes stronger, so will your will to say “no” to the sweets.