Why So Many Recovering Addicts Switch Their Drug of Choice to Food

According to the journal, Psychology Today, there are actually eight ways in which drug addiction runs parallel to food addiction and so it is important to understand this when on the road to recovery from drugs or alcohol. Without understanding how you switch one addiction for another, you might fall into the trap of continued ‘substance’ abuse without even knowing it. Although an addiction to food isn’t quite the same thing as an addiction to drugs or alcohol, it can be just as lethal in the long run. Think about all the known illnesses from diabetes to heart disease that are directly proportionate to an unhealthy diet. So then, how and why do these two addictions run in parallel ways?

It’s All about Rewards

Both drugs, and of course to a lesser degree food, will cause the brain to produce dopamine, which is called the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter that causes the person flooded with it to be in a euphoric state. Just like an addict needs that ‘fix’ to feel better when they are depressed or life isn’t going as they need it to, food for the food junkie causes that instant release of dopamine – and copious amounts of it at that. This is why you will see celebs entering a Hollywood detox center also being put on a healthy diet. You might think you are doing an addict a favor by giving them comfort foods, but in reality, you are substituting one addiction for another.

Tolerance, Cravings, and Withdrawal

These are another three ways in which food addictions and drug/alcohol addiction run parallel. There comes a point when you continually crave a certain comfort food that your tolerance level rises as well so you keep eating and eating and eating, often to the point of obesity. Try putting an obese person on an abstinence diet, better known as a fast, and you will see just how quickly they go into the classic signs of withdrawal.

Denial that Leads to Continued Abuse

One of the reasons why an addict doesn’t seek recovery as early as they should is because they are living in a state of denial. You can’t tell a food junkie who weighs 300+ pounds that they are addicted to food. Again, watch how quickly they will deny that fact. To them, it’s a thyroid problem, or some other factor like it’s not what they eat but when they eat.

While so many people assume that an addict is gaining weight because they are getting healthy again, this is more often than not just not true. Usually, it is because they simply switched ‘drugs of choice.’ They’ve given up meth for ice cream, or heroin for pizza. A good detox center will help with all kinds of addictions and will not use one to heal the other. An addict is an addict. Food or drugs, choose your poison. Neither addiction is healthy so if you are seeking treatment, a holistic approach is what you need for a total lifelong recovery.