Recovered 363 – Secondary Addictions

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The Recovery Topic is Secondary Addictions.

We come into the fellowship unhealthy and some of us develop substitute addictions to fill the void left by alcohol.  Aaron shared that he used food as a source of comfort and the result was weight gain.  After gaining several pounds, he was given a moment of clarity and decided this behavior had to stop.  This resulted in going back into the gym.  However, as Aaron shared, his addictive behavior kicked in a he went too far and injuries started to pile up.  It wasn’t until his doctor reminded him that he wasn’t a young kid any more and that he needed o scale back on the exercise.  Aaron also shared that he found himself spending alot of time at work which may have had some negative impacts on some of his relationships.

Mark shared that he also had food issues coming into the program.  He found that he craved sweets and that was all he wanted to eat.  Mark was told at the time that alcohol is a form of sugar and that his body was craving the sugar.  After a while, Mark balanced his eating habits.  Mark shared that there was a temptation to get medications from his doctor to help with his anxiety but was advised by his sponsor that might not be a good idea.  Since then, Mark is careful around any mood altering substances since it has been his experience by talking with others that it is easier to start drinking again after using prescription drugs.

Mark shared that secondary addictions may not be a relapse but it can be a first step toward relapse.  Mark shared that these bad habits separate him from his higher power and puts him in a vulnerable position.

This Week in Recovery included discussions around our Home Group’s Friday Night Meeting and the tension between our group and the Board of Directors of our Alano Club.  We discussed the fact that we are moving our Friday Night meeting to a off site location and how that’s going to work.