poll about addiction
From time to time we see posts about alcohol addiction after RNY and also about the idea of transfer addiction, which is basically the idea that before we had WLS, we were addicted to food and after WLS, we will become addicted to something else. There haven't been many studies, that I can find, on these issues though. There was on study not too long ago that found 10% of RNY post ops were addicted to alcohol - 7% of those in the study alcoholic before they had RNY and 3% developed alcoholism after RNY. Some people believe the rate of addiction post RNY is much higher, though. I'm personally skeptical about that, though.
So I decided to post a poll, which admittedly is not real scientific.
1. Were you addicted to food before you had RNY?
2. Were you addicted to alcohol before you had RNY?
3. Were you addicted to anything else before you had RNY? And if so, what?
4. If you were not addicted to alcohol before you had RNY, did you become addicted to alcohol after you had RNY?
5. Did you develop any addictioins after RNY? And if so, to what?
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
My answers: I was not addicted to food, alcohol, or anything else before my RNY and have not developed any addictions after my RNY.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
1. Were you addicted to food before you had RNY? Yes, I believe I likely was.
2. Were you addicted to alcohol before you had RNY? Nope.
3. Were you addicted to anything else before you had RNY? Yes. And if so, what? Chihuahuas. I love Chihuahuas. I have four of them. 
4. If you were not addicted to alcohol before you had RNY, did you become addicted to alcohol after you had RNY? Nope.
5. Did you develop any addictions after RNY? Nope again. And if so, to what?
1. I don't know if I was addicted to food exactly. To carbs there is no doubt.
2. No
3. No. I've always been a "take it or leave it" type of person. Smoked cigarettes but only on occasion. Like 2 a month. Tried other things in my youth but never had trouble giving them up. For which I am so thankful
4. No but I have been afraid to try it since surgery. Because of the issues some have had. Alcohol is too easy to obtain and drinking is so acceptable to others. I fear losing myself in that. And I'm not usually this way so I'm thinking maybe it is my subconscious telling me because it knows what would happen.
1. Were you addicted to food before you had RNY? Probably
2. Were you addicted to alcohol before you had RNY? No
3. Were you addicted to anything else before you had RNY? And if so, what? Does shopping count? Nah, never any other addictions
4. If you were not addicted to alcohol before you had RNY, did you become addicted to alcohol after you had RNY? Nope
5. Did you develop any addictioins after RNY? And if so, to what? Running? No, not addicted to anything
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
Shopping counts, to me, if it is really an addiction. Of course, just liking to shop a lot or even sometimes spending a bit more than is really wise doesn't mean you're addicted to it. But some people really are addicted to shopping and spend so much on stuff they don't even need that they can't pay their rent and stuff.
I would say the same about running. Or any exercise. People can be addicted to it. There are people that set an alarm to wake them up in the middle of the night to exercise. There are people that exercise even when they are exhausted, underweight, sick, injured, whatever, because they feel they absolutely have to.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
The first winter after I made my goal weight, I was actually starting to wonder if I was developing an addiction to buying cashmere sweaters. I know it sounds ridiculous, but even after buying almost a dozen of them, I would still get excited to see them on sale! I cut myself off for a year. Then I bought two more.... But that was several years ago.
You wanna know the worst part? Cashmere really doesn't wear very well! 
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
