Multiple Addictions

Hi goldberry,

You will find that there are a million and one answers to your question. Many people differ and think that you must treat the "main' or "overriding" addiction first, and then deal with the lesser one. This approach reminds me of slaying dragons. Others will tell you to treat substance addictions (alcohol, drugs) over behavioral addictions (shopping, eating, love).

I believe you're wasting your time compartmentalizing all these different addictions, and that you need to stop seeing them as separate addictions. Huh? WHat? What I mean, is that you need to focus on the addictive personality.

If you do not address what motivates you and drives you to addictive behavior, you will essentially move down the line and replace one addiction with the other.

The food addiction is the same as the love addiction. You're not eating because you're in love with all the food you eat (despite it tasting good at the moment), and you're not a love addict because you're in love with your PoA (despite thinking you are). Both, end up making you feel lousy in the end. Right?

The trick to focusing on the addictive personality, is to stop focusing on those objects with which you are addicted (people, food, clothing, alcohol), and instead, focus on its intended purpose those objects have: to help you avoid yourself, your life, your fear, your loneliness.

In that sense, you are not an addict as much as you are an avoidant…of YOURSELF. Get it?

Anyway, here's more reading on this topic. But overall, my response it stop focusing on food or love, and focus on what you are trying to avoid by placing these things in your life so that "protect" you.

Stop Focusing on the Relationship thelovelyaddict.com/2009/09/04/stop-focusing-on-the-relationship/

500 pound elephant in the room thelovelyaddict.com/2008/12/14/the-500-pound-elephant-in-the-room/

Filling the void thelovelyaddict.com/2011/01/07/filling-the-void/

Battle Within thelovelyaddict.com/2009/01/05/the-battle-within/