Changing one addiction for another

Getting rid of an addiction is not easy, but neither is staying sober. It is important to know that a bad habit easily can be replaced with another, and thinking about it, is it not that hard to figure out why: 

Addiction is usually a destructive behavior stemming from an inner emotional problem. Even if a person gets sober, he/she might still be suffering from the unresolved issue which caused the addiction in the first place. This may often lead to another addiction, and another one after that...

Michelle, 36, knows how it is to jump between different "obsessions", as she calls it. She recovered from an alcohol addiction about three years ago, but it only took five month for her to realize that she had replaced the alcohol for an obsession with food instead. She could go weeks without barely eating, whereupon she got the diagnosis anorexia. She explains how her sobriety didn't help her getting rid of the deep depression she had suffered from for many years.

It's good for a relative to know that a person whom has recovered from an addiction might be very vulnerable. When the person is deprived from the "solution" (such as alcohol or drugs) that has suppressed his/her problems for a long time, inner feelings may blow up, and the only thing that can overthrow them is another addiction.

How can one help a person who seems to relapse over and over again?

The most important thing is to look at the eventual psychiatric issues which might have caused the addiction in the first place. The addiction is not the only disease in the equation! One thing you can do as a relative is to talk to your close one about his/her feelings after his/her recovery. It might be a very good thing if the person has a close contact with a therapist/professional. Another thing which has proven to be effective is if the person talks to other people being in the same situation. A suggestion is going to support groups on a regular basis.

When Michelle was cured from her eating disorder, she started to look into her emotional issues. She understood that there was no other way for her to not fall back into another addiction. Today she explains how she's been sober for almost a year, which is the result of a lot of hard work in dealing with her depression. Beside from her own struggle, the most important part of the process was the support from her friends and family. "I know I did a lot of hard work", she says, "but I couldn't have done it without them". 
 

Do you want to read more about being a relative to a person suffering from addiction? Visit me on Facebook :)  

Take care! /Carina