Hello All,

My Name is Jamie I am a recovered Alcoholic who hasn't touched a drink or a drug in five years. Whilst I have enjoyed good quality sobriety and alot of peace of mind, I know I could have a much better recovery if I could just get abstinent. I sit here on day one feeling achy, irritable and twitchy with a headache the way I always feel when I get abstinent.

I understand the twelve steps well but have never gone through the steps from the start for my problems with food. I am lucky in that I got sober with next to no effort at all , I just quit and that was it. I always kind of felt superior to chronic busters ( people who struggle to get sober) in that I never had to struggle to get well from consuming alcohol, but boy oh boy has food ever taught me about powerlessness.

I intend to buy myself a bigbook from my homegroup meeting tomorrow night and systematically go through it and wherever I see the word "drinking" or alcohol I am going to whiteout the word and then write in food or compulsive eating. I tried reading the Big Book of alcoholics anonymous last night and doing this and it gave me a sense of understanding like I have never known before. I am looking forward to getting well from this once and for all by the Grace of God, I'm 35 and I've suffered since I was 9 years old, I've had enough of the pain.

Looking forward to joinging you all in the fellowship of the spirit, trudging our road to happy destiny.

God Bless

Jamie

Good luck to you, Jamie. Congratulations on your drug/alcohol sobriety!

That's how I quit alcohol too ... cold turkey. Let's just say I was a lush coming out of my teen years Now I don't touch the stuff. Unfortunately we can't quit food like that and (to me) it's harder because their is so much temptation to eat the wrong stuff or to eat for comfort. I think you have the right idea about addressing the mental aspect of it and treating it like any other addiction. Best wishes and congrats on stopping the drinking

Jamie:

I am going through the same thing. I quit drinking and smoking exactly 4 months ago because I found out I was pregnant. I was actually so excited that quitting both was easy! I was a functioning alcoholic - if there is such a thing. The problem is I have struggled with food issues too since I was 10. I lost tons of weight in my early 20s by following this plan... no breakfast, broccoli for lunch, work out, eat alot (throw it up), go out and drink all night. Then I got married and my days would either be a day of drinking and hardly eating or a day of eating so I slowly started gaining weight. Then when I stopped drinking - I immediately gained 15 pounds. I don't feel happy being chubby and am sitting here contemplating if I was happier when I drank. I would not be contemplating anything right now but I ended up having a miscarriage at 12 weeks. Which is a whole different forum ...

So with me it's either drink or eat. Why can't I just be normal?

Good For u ~So Proud OF U & U CAN SO DO THIS!

Jamie,

I struggle with binge/compulsive overeating and several years ago I went to face to face OA meetings which were good for others but I am a very private/quiet person and did not continue but a few months ago I found that OA offers online and telephone meetings. You can get their schedule on oa.org. On the Home page you will see "Newcomers" and under that selection is a selection for "Find a Meeting" and it will direct you from there. I love the telephone meetings. I have only spoken a few words but the shares from others are invaluable. They have them around the clock on different topics. I have found it very encouraging.