By Katie Jay, MSW

Here’s a typical scenario. At her sister’s wedding, Fiona, who had never been a big drinker, decided to try her first taste of alcohol after her recent weight loss surgery. She had waited 11 months after surgery. Fiona had lost 115 pounds and wasn’t going to deny herself a glass of champagne on such an important day. And wow, did she enjoy that champagne! She sipped on a small drink and laughed the evening away. No big deal.

However, Fiona didn’t realize that gastric bypass (weight removal surgery) patients will get drunk more quickly than others. They may have higher blood alcohol levels after drinking smaller quantities of alcohol than people who have not had weight loss surgery.

Rekindling the Pleasure of a Mood-Altering Activity

After weight loss surgery, Fiona had done a pretty good job of changing her eating habits. She almost completely avoided sugar and ate mostly protein and vegetables. She loved her success, but there was a part of her who missed indulging in food. When she tried the champagne, she felt self indulgent and relaxed in a way she hadn’t in a long time (in about 11 months, actually).

The following week when Fiona was grocery shopping she decided to pick up a bottle of wine. It would be great to have a small glass before dinner sometimes, she thought. She poured herself a small glass when she got home from the store just to find out how it tasted and to quietly enjoy the pleasurable sensation of having a drink.

Drinking in Secret

Over time, Fiona began to sneak wine during the day. She hid it when her husband commented on her consumption. The behavior of wanting something forbidden, getting it, hiding it, and consuming it in private was so familiar to Fiona from her days of overeating that it was almost a relief to sneak the wine — and she slowly built up the quantity she was drinking.

Thankfully, Fiona was participating in group therapy with a social worker who specialized in weight loss surgery at the time. When one of the other group members shared about getting into a car accident and being arrested for driving drunk, Fiona felt uncomfortable. She had driven to pick up her son from soccer the prior evening after she had a small glass of wine. At the time she knew she was tipsy.

Still, she poured herself more wine when she got home from group and drank it in the basement playroom, because her husband almost never went down there.

Confronting the Problem

Fiona didn’t have to get arrested for drunk driving to understand that she had a problem. Everything came to a head when her friend’s and her sons found an empty wine bottle in the toy box in the basement. Fiona was completely humiliated.

Embarrassed and ashamed, Fiona called her therapist to talk about what happened, and the therapist referred her to a social worker who specializes in substance abuse.

With the help of the therapist and a support group for substance abusers, Fiona was able to get on the road to recovery quickly.

Substituting One Addiction  for Another

Fiona simply switched one addiction for another. It’s not uncommon for a person who gives up one addictive behavior to pick up another addictive behavior. Fiona had quit using food as a soothing substance in her life. The alcohol came in and filled that void.

Switching addictions is also demonstrated when a person develops an unhealthy relationship with eating and exercise following weight loss.

Exercise can become a way to compensate for overeating, and can turn into what is called exercise bulimia. It’s not bad to exercise as part of a plan to control one’s weight. But if the overeating becomes excessive, and then is replaced by excessive exercise — that’s a problem. Your physical health can actually be threatened — not to mention your peace of mind.

The other common addiction people switch to is spending. Many weight loss surgery patients get such a kick out of shopping for new clothes that they get a little carried away – and then they get hooked. Having been so burdened by obesity in the past, weight loss surgery patients commonly begin to leave the house more, because they’re now physically able to, and they shop more frequently. Shopping can morph into a mood-changing activity, and hence, an addiction.

What Can People Do?

Several steps can be taken to address the experience of switching addictions:

• Identify your addiction(s), both old and potential new ones, and the extent to which it is (they are) ruling your life.
• Educate yourself about a particular addiction by doing research and talking to professionals who have knowledge and experience in that area.
• Seek out a knowledgeable therapist if you are unable to control your addictive behavior on your own.
• Join a support group that addresses your specific addiction, such as Overeaters Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous, etc.

Remember, addictions are very common and nothing to be ashamed of. But, they are hard to get rid of in isolation. Get help if you are struggling. And keep in mind any addictions left untreated absolutely have a potential to take over your life.