Mine has been sugar, (specifically chocolate), but it’s been my feel good vice. I don’t believe I abuse it, but it has replaced alcohol. Idk if it’s a psychological thing. A biological thing or what, but I know it’s not the healthiest. And I do try to keep myself in good health, but I can only rely on it for so long before this too starts to affect my health…and I don’t want that.
But in the back of my mind it is a sweet, (no pun intended), justification that it’s not alcohol I’m consuming……
So what’s yours? How long? How do you mitigate and to the point where everything is done in a healthy manner? My first thought is to apply the same approach with your DOC, but I’m not sure.
I cycled through most of my habits as cross addictions once I quit alcohol. I let myself smoke lots of cigarettes for a year and then I quit that 25+ year habit.
Sugar I allowed as much as I wanted up until a month ago when I restricted added sugar as a reset. It was time to cut it out but I am happy I’m back to allowing it.
Sleep, TV and shopping all reared their ugly heads addictively for awhile too and most I allowed until they negatively affected my life and then I re-examined.
I will always be an addict, which to me means someone who tries to escape reality with a substance or a behavior but now I pick my battles and evolve. I can never ever drink alcohol again and should probably leave cigarettes alone forever too. If stress gets me and I over-eat or over-spend I can accept that as a coping mechanism for a minute. But I do need to be aware that I choose addiction over reality if given the opportunity. Good question.
I have to make a deliberate decision to leave stuff alone.
I was thinking, before, that everything had to be ALL OR NONE
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I don’t think that way anymore
I use the same steps to keep sober to keep me from developing any new addiction.
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I’m with you with the sugar. For the first year I looked at it is treating myself. But then it came to the point of putting a half gallon of ice cream away every night. I never felt right. Then I quit for two weeks and I felt amazing. My sleep was better, energy, Even mental outlook on life then last night I saw chocolate covered almonds on sale, and I bought them and ate them. I feel awful.