Has anyone found that they have other obsessive behaviours along with/replacing their bingeing? I've managed to beat the binge monster after many years, but it's like I have to replace it with something- in college it was with drinking and the wacky tobacky, and now I like to pick my skin. I haven't done any permanent damage (yet) but it's getting a little worrisome.

Thanks

*Linki*

Replacing obessesive behavior...I guess that the old addictive behavior game...
My replacement list: I relplaced binging with boozing, boozing with chain smoking and binging, smoking with binging, binging with chain smoking....

Now I am very close to "obsession free": no smoking (34 days), no binging (more or less since May), no boozing (no alcohol at all since October 2003).

I am feelig very, very vulnerable sometimes, but a great deal more alive. I am more active when it comes to interactions with other peoples and I am *****y...
And i am still a bit scared and itīs hard to stand some situations if you donīt have a crutch.

I am really wondering how all the "normal" people stand it....But after all, in my opinion itīs harder for me than for that "normal" people: when they expirience bad situations, they have a package of cigarettes, a drink and ice cream and tomorrow will be a new day....For a addictive person like me: nothing left.

But I guess that replacement is what a lot of people do: thatīs why there are litres of coffee, tons of sweets and chronically full ash trays at AA meetings.

Kate

YES!!!

hi kate

definitely agree with this. some people have compulsive behaviours that will automatically shift from one "obsession" to another. if you're talking about addiction then it's known as "poly addiction" meaning more than one addiction. most addicts have more than 1.

not everyone who binges fits into this category but the majority would. kate's example of AA is spot on. one stimulant /relaxant is replaced with another - usually sugar smoking or coffee. but there are other ways it can come out. if you stop bingeing on food you might start over shopping and becoming a shopaholic, or other things such as drugs or alcohol. sometimes other obsessions such as work or exercise.

it's very hard for someone with a compulsive personality or with those tendencies to not be obsessing about something

right now i've switched to obsessing about stuff to do with promoting my books. and i mean really obsessing. but at least i'm not bingeing (much).

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I guess I'll always have a bit of an obsessive personality. Can your obsession be something good? Or are obsessions in themselves bad? Obsessing about promoting your books could at least bring you professional success, whereas obsessing about your looks brings you nothing but misery. (BTW good luck with your book sweet-pea! ) Like right now I've developed a totally out of the blue mini-obsession with cleaning and organizing. I am seriously hoping this obsession will take hold over the others because all my life I've been embarassingly messy! I don't want to be that girl anymore!

Kate: Almost obsession free?! That's great! Congratulation!

I guess the bottom line is: I'll take 2 minutes of skin-picking instead of bingeing any day!

Hmm yes I appear to have replaced my obsessive eating with obsessive exercise. However, it has not got to the point that if I miss a workout I am overly worried, or berate myself. I do MISS my workouts, but I will not beat myself up about it.

I also love to shop and I haven't been able to go around the shops and buy things for myself since I am spending a lot of money on wedding things. I think when I can't shop, or exercise (like yesterday) I become a little uncomfortable, and a little bored and a little like nothing will satisfy me. I drank about 2L of diet coke yesterday trying to distract myself from eating and not shopping and not exercising!

i'm sure some obsessions produce great works. i've heard it said that many artists sublimate sexual frustration into work and yes obsessing about work can lead to success, but it can also tire you out. ultimately obsessions can drain you so somehow you have to get a balance

I think that for a lot of us, there is a fine line between obsession and dedication to doing a task fully and completely.

I have had behaviours that produced no good ... sitting with a set of encyclopedias looking for something for hours on end, seeing how many harlequins I could read in one day etc. I also have become immersed in diet message boards and fitday and planning weight loss and exercise. Any of these to the detriment of my family life and things that need to be done.

When I'm feeling really good I can carefully balance maybe two projects, family and work. Right now, I'm redecorating our new home and trying to get back into exercising and eating right. All the while still trying to work and feed my family. Yesterday I spent waaaay too much time downloading music It often takes written goals and determination to leave one thing and move on in time.

The problem with what we normally think of as "obsession", seems to be that component of doing "no good". There also is the component of harm.

If we can substitute one obsession for another ... I believe we can work at it until we've substituted a couple of dedications for those harmful behaviours.

I'm afraid that this message board started out as an obsession for me- hey, it's a good board!

I find myself very dedicated to my work these days. It's a good feeling.