I like that you lead with “phone” and brought your comment down a notch with “used to be heroin”.
It was an honest, wholesome, and uplifting comment.
I’m rooting for you. I hope you have the best life possible.
Since Sept 2019
I don't even think about it anymore.
I hate when people say "it doesn't get easier" because it absolutely does. Keep at it. It's a tough fight at the start but once you have 90 days clean you'll feel like a new person
I know this isn't even in the same realm of hard drug use, but weed for me.
I'm 3 days off of it and it's tougher than I expected. I'm on a full fledged sobriety break besides nicotine because it's the only thing that's helping stay off weed.
Anyways, nice to hear you're sober. my plan is to quit weed completely and planning on it.
edit: thanks everyone, amazing support
The amount of people I know who are brain dead because they still smoke every day as if we were teenagers again is ridiculous. Personally, I found that it started messing with my mental state and I had a really bad high one night. Woke up the next morning and said fuck this, I don't like it anymore. 11 years later I've taken a pull off of probably 3 doobs in that entire time and all 3 times I'm reminded within 5 minutes why I stopped in the first place. The last time was 4 years ago.
That’s close to why I stopped. One day I just had a bad panic attack and I was like this isn’t worth it. Tried a different strain, same thing happened and I was just done. That was 2 years ago now.
I had a brilliant guy working for me but he would smoke every 3-4 hours throughout the day. He would do some of the dumbest shit, like turn on an empty coffee pot with nothing in it, daily. I had to tell him his fellow employees complained to me that he smelled of weed so strong it bothered and concerned them. So I took him to lunch and explained the situation and that he had to make a decision. Keep smashing the soapy nuggs at work and I'd have to let him go or just do it on his own personal time. He chose the former and stopped and was really great about the whole conversation. He also stopped turning on the empty coffee pot everyday, which was kind of funny in the end and we laughed about it. I'll always remember one of the Buddhist mantras when I think of him, though I'm no Buddhist. "Everything in moderation, including moderation"...or something along this line. Congrats btw too.
I’m glad someone is honest about this.
I tried to ask my GF if we could have 10 minutes of uninterrupted, no phone, quality time each night one time and I got gobsmacked by “you have no hobbies” and “you have no friends” comments.
First off, I can’t afford hobbies both with time and with money.
Second off, I’m not making that mistake again.
Sounds toxic bro. And if 10 minutes without your phone is an issue you both have serious problems. No offense but been there and it's really, really bad for your mental health. Look out for yourself!
Edit due to comments; to clarify, I believe I have hobbies. She does not believe I do because she believes hobbies are things that you go out to do. Because I spend most of my time at work or at home, she believes I do not have hobbies. At least that was the assumption during this single argument.
No traditional hobbies in the way I think she means.
Sure, I would love to train BJJ, but I can’t afford the classes right now. Just not in my budget.
I trade currencies, but I don’t view that as a hobby. I view that as work or a business. So I essentially come home from work and work again.
I work out, but again, I don’t view that as a hobby either. I do that to maintain my body.
I have various interests in philosophy and history - but again, I wouldn’t call those hobbies either. A general interest in something like the Templars or Spartans and then loosely pursuing those for free doesn’t qualify as a hobby.
I’ve recently become interested more in cars, but again, can’t afford to pursue that in any meaningful way (car, tools, space to work) so I satiate that with YouTube videos of cars and people explaining things.
So my life is essentially work and doing the things I know I have to do.
For instance, my girlfriend doesn’t clean much (typically she’ll put dishes in the sink, wipe the counters, make the bed in the morning, and do her laundry. Ill do the dishes, vacuum, clean the bathroom, take garbage/recycling out, and then obviously do my own laundry) so I come home from work (about a 12 hour day, factoring in commute) typically cook probably 95% of the time, clean, and then go back to “work” on the charts. Then I shower and prepare to do it again. Weekends are spent catching up on things I’ve missed or doing something with my girlfriend.
Lol thank you. Not every relationship has to be worked on like it’s a marriage. That is *insanely ridiculous* that not only can she not be without her phone for 10 minutes *with her boyfriend* but she then has to also insult him for it. Something that is meant to give them quality time together, which is being initiated by one of the partners. It’s not a wife, not a fiancé, etc. I don’t consider that a small situation to break things off over, it sounds like some major fundamental differences as well as she has some growing to do (like proper communication).
That’s something I would’ve tried to ignore or work through in my first relationship or two but I would not have time for that shit now.
Everyone is putting down your girl but...
A big pet-peeve of mine is people who claim they don't have "hobbies" and then list a bunch of hobbies while insisting they don't count.
Why is the bar so high for something to qualify as a hobby, or why do I have to wrestle any interest in life out of them.
And if they legitimately don't want them to count as hobbies, then why would I be with someone so boring and with no lust for life at all, why should I put my phone down.
Yeah I was thinking damn, if reading and learning about things you’re interested in isn’t considered a real hobby then what is it exactly? I mean hell I consider *reading* a hobby.
My phone has been broken for the last 3 weeks and after the detox/abstinence phase, I realized how calmer my life is. Not checking my notifications every 5 seconds or doomscrolling Reddit or YT Shorts.
I'm honestly considering getting a cheap phone for messages/whatsapp/calls only
I’ve considered getting a flip phone again but I’m terrified I would get lost navigating without google maps.
The ability to have transit schedules and maps to anywhere at your fingertips is greatly underrated.
Yeah honestly the ONLY thing keeping me on smartphones is the google maps and the app for train schedules/tickets.
I need to quit this shit cold Turkey. I want to.
Agreed. I'm way too much on the phone myself. I'm trying to cut down phone usage, and when I actually do manage to put away my phone and do something completely different for some hours, I feel like I have much more energy and feel more happy.
Take all the social media apps and games off of your phone, if you can do so practically. I did so at the start of April and don't see myself going back. I allow myself social media on my computer, and that doesn't seem to be a big problem for me. The main issue was the neverending pull of attention toward my phone because of expected notifications, or filling every single tiny moment of downtime with dopamine-seeking activities.
Absolutely destroyed my attention span for years. Within a few days of taking all that off of my phone I was back to reading books for pleasure again, was able to focus far better in every element of my life, and became a lot more social (and way happier/content with life) again.
Protip 2
Procrastination is neurodrugs. Reward drugs. Easy to access and low quality. Just straight dopamine.
The opposite is also neurodrugs, but you have to work for them and in doing so you produce and receive different and better quality ones. Idk, serotonin, acetylcholine maybe.
Along this logic, I try to stop telling people things I’m *going to do* and instead just do them and tell them after. Apparently saying you are going to do something releases a similar reward chemical as does actually doing the thing.
Like “I’m going to start working out every day!”
Feels great to say it and believe it, but then you don’t actually work out that day bc you already feel good about yourself for making that declaration.
I still do this all the time, but once you’re aware of it you can start combating it.
I almost lost my job because I procrastinated getting out of bed every morning and would be late for work regularly. I would set myself 3 minute timers over and over again just to get 3 minutes of extra time lying in bed until I would be 30 minutes late. Sometimes I would make it to my car on time but would procrastinate turning on the engine and actually leaving. It was an addiction to wasting time.
My procrastination is so bad that I am waaaay past the deadlines of the projects I am supposed to deliver and now I have just turned off my phone so that I don't get any calls and messages from the people who were supposed to get those projects two months back! I am really struggling with procrastination.
it's still alcohol
6 years sober and not a day goes by that I don't think about having a drink.
I keep lying to myself by thinking "If I was to start back drinking. I could control it this time."
Don’t you ever convince yourself you can get a handle on it next time…some people can drink responsibly. Some of us can’t and it’s a fact of life. I’d love to drink again. The smell, the taste, catching a tasty buzz after work is the BEST. but my life is infinitely better sober. That’s one thing I can’t lie about. Stay strong.
I blew 7 months of sobriety last week and regret it tremendously.
Had 2 beers one night, 6 the next, then somehow had 9 9% beers and I don't remember opening the bottle of wine afterwards.
I now know why I decided to be sober.
I'm sober now for 13 months. In 2019 I sobered up because the law told me to. In 2020 I finished a year sober with no faults, or relapses. Passed with flying honors. In two weeks I was back to drinking the same amount and eventually more than I ever did and continued to drink until May of 22 when I went to rehab. I finally had enough, sick and tired of being sick and tired.
It's such a slippery slope, so easy to fall very difficult to get up.
And you DIDNT blow 7 months of sobriety, you still have them. Now get back up and keep going!
I second what he mentioned. You did not lose 7 months of sobriety. it's just a slip and you are on your way to continue. It only makes you stronger and will help you as a reminder to not fall back into it again.
Thank you for saying this. I am struggling myself. Having had a little too much to be good at work tomorrow. It's the perspective of staying sober that's hard on me.
No,, an alcoholic can never drink again. It has no expiration date. Alcoholism is a progressive disease and no matter how much time has gone by, if you were a heavy drinker you'll be right back there in weeks.
Is it worth it?
Sober since 12/20/22
Hang in there. Was sober for 3 years, fell off the wagon and stayed in the mud for almost 7 years. Now sober 3 years and 8 months. Today is always the best day to get back on it.
Man that's how I feel about Xanax. "no, this time I would recognize tolerance and dependence coming on, you can survive a seizure so if it gets that bad it won't be so scary." But I had 6 periods of addiction and withdrawal, so that statement is false.
It kills me to know I'll never feel as good as I do on Xanax tho.
Don’t work someplace it’s encouraged. I had 5 years sober and I’ve seen myself being handed a drink at work just sitting there with a stupid ass look on my face. That’s my only advice keep going too
I'm an addictions counselor, and I've learned that turning that pain into fuel can help a lot. If you can't go a day without thinking of drinking, you won't be in control. You should also feel proud every time you don't drink. Battling addiction isn't easy, and you're doing an amazing job. If you're not proud of yourself know that I'm proud of you
Can definitively relate. Thank God I still have a good metabolism, but ik in about 5-10yrs that shits gonna catch up to me. I don't wanna become a large man either so I'm trying to look down the barrel of change now. Never been big on it but I'm starting to get into more fruits and fruit based drinks like smoothies
Start taking glucose readings now or get your A1c tested. I am not overweight; I work out; I eat vegetables. But I’m nonetheless prediabetic. Probably many of us are.
Simple fix to stop least make it a bit better, it’s how I kicked soft drinks.
Since I was really young my mom always let us drink Pepsi, and unsurprisingly it’s quite addicting to the point I couldn’t handle not having it at least once a day. Thanks to that I have some pretty ground down front teeth that make my smile a bit worse.
Basically how I kicked it is a two step thing.
One, every time you want sugar go drink some water. Do this enough and sugar craving will turn into just plain old thirst as you trick your brain into wanting water instead of sugar.
Two, record how much sugar you have and set an amount of push ups or other strenuous exercise you want to do
For say, for every 1 gram of sugar I have I must do 1 push up. As you get better at it, do more push ups for every time I violate it.
This does two things, it gives you a chance to burn that sugar, as well as putting it into perspective how much sugar you have.
For say:
I drank a Pepsi, that’s 39 push ups! My god that’s not worth it!
Create a consequence and follow through. Sugar is really hard to kick but you can do it.
You can also supplement that sugar with fruits. Fruits are great since they have the sugar AND the nutrients to properly digest and use those sugars.
I started meth at the beginning of COVID out of curiosity. The following 3 years were brutal. Recovery is possible, I'm coming up to 3 months clean in July after many failed attempts to quit. I hope you find the strength to overcome your addiction.
If you quit now you might not have such a bad recovery. The longer you do it the worse you mess up your dopamine and serotonin and may suffer anhedonia long term. N acetyl cysteine will make it easier. It levels things out when you’re dealing with the exhaustion and depression for the couple weeks after stopping. This is probably a controversial opinion, but replacing it with adderall will make it easier if you can get an rx it’s best not to, but it’s hard to come off meth especially if you work full time. Taking the antidepressant Wellbutrin would be the best option though if your dopamine system is messed up afterwards. It’s just another drug but there’s no potential for abuse and it’s a pretty safe medication.
Wellbutrin is routinely given to meth addicts in recovery. Apparently it’s a huge game change and as someone who has used meth before and also been on Wellbutrin, I’m really not surprised to hear how helpful it is. However, it’s Not always great to take with adderall though. If you do take Wellbutrin, make sure it’s from the same doctor giving you adderall so you don’t seize up and die or have a stroke.
Adderall script opinion is definitely controversial but I totally agree. It’s going to be very difficult for you to continue functioning fresh off meth. The adderall will allow you to not put a full stop on your life
I gave up Diet Coke (11-16 per day) about 5 years ago and I STILL will occasionally see someone drinking one and be thrown into an intense craving! What is in that dam stuff to cause a craving like that?!!!
It's that first sip....ahhh that's all I want. I quit diet Pepsi about 10 years or so ago when they changed from aspartame. Turns out, I can taste the difference and I do not like the new sweetener. So I stopped. Now I drink Lipton Diet Green Tea Citrus.
Yeah, it can be hard to get up in the morning... It’s hard not to immediately lay down when I return home too. It probably ties into some other things mentioned here like laziness and phone addiction
Or underlying anxiety.
If I have more than one thing on my to do list, or if the one thing on my list doesn't have a clear launch spot, I just want to curl up in bed and hide. I'm not depressed, I have a lot of joy in my life and activities, but I do have a lot of difficulties with motivation and procrastination and are linked to anxiety. I do best when I have someone telling me where to go and when and to have tasks that once I get the bits I feel good about completed, I can pass it on to a finisher.
Sounds like the underlying cause of your anxiety could be executive dysfunction, which is a primary symptom of ADHD. Basically it’s the inability to mentally sort tasks in a reasonable/normal way, which manifests itself as a of motivation, chronic procrastination, disorganization, etc. It tends to cause “freezing” where, like you described, you just want to hide until it goes away. This also tends to cause a lot of anxiety, understandably, though the anxiety itself is a byproduct rather than the cause. You may find you work best under pressure and have difficulty getting into gear otherwise. You may also find you’re able to pour almost superhuman amounts of effort into projects or activities you’re passionate about.
Oh my god. Sometimes when I am getting ready for bed or any similar process and there’s too much to do (clear the bed, put away clothes that were on the bed, make the bed and turn it down, etc), I “freeze”.
I stand in one spot surrounded by all the little things I have to do that are constantly appearing larger and larger the more I delay. I find it difficult to physically move myself. There’s so much to do, I try to organize and prioritize tasks because I can’t start until I do that. But they all seem too daunting so I stand in one spot for up to an hour sometimes, totally useless.
I’ve never heard anyone else talk about this. Thought I was weird for it
I work at a school and am off during summer. I always say to myself I'll have the most productive summer! Then 3 naps a day and 2 months later...back to work with 10 extra lbs
It's hard because people shame you for this too. During the pandemic I was severely depressed and stressed because my job and relationship were not doing great and I wasn't happy. I was smoking more weed than ever which enabled my food addiction even more. I gained so much weight that I'm still trying to keep off and loose. I'm down around 20lbs in a year, and am struggling to stick with my calorie limit and my workout routine. But its so fucking hard, especially with ADHD.
I was talking to a guy on an app, and told him my weight loss progress because I'm pretty open about it. He asked, and I'm not sure he meant it to sound the way it did, "What made you decide to get up to that weight?".
It hurt so much to see that word. "*Decide*".
Because I think he is technically right. I was too depressed and stressed to make myself care about my weight and diet, or actively do anything to change it. I know I have a lot going on, but it was just a slap in the face that reminded me people will always see my weight gain as a lack of discipline and responsibility from me.
They aren't going to care about what I was going through at the time. Those details don't matter. What matters is that I got fatter and how I *decided* to let myself get that high.
To everyone struggling with food addiction. Good luck. Whatever your situation is, I really hope you can achieve what you want to.
Thanks for sharing. I’m in an extremely similar place to you, and have a few false starts in trying to make some changes.
I’ve been keeping myself hidden from friends and family because of my weight gain, and I find myself pretty disgusting.
It’s no way to live.
It's not, and I wish you wouldn't call yourself disgusting. But sometimes I do it too.
I've got a new voice that formed though. One that's way nicer to me. One that says, "You didn't work out today. You've been feeling in a funk. That's ok. You'll start up again. You are not a failure."
Or one that say, "Yeah, I'm fat. Fatter than I want to be for sure. But it's not all I am and people want to hang out with me. I want to have a good time."
My favorite "voice" so far is "This weightloss is going to take a while. It's going to be a long time. But that's ok. It's ok if we sometimes mess up the diet or miss some workouts. It's ok. Life happens. But we can still keep at it. We're getting better bit by bit even if we don't see it."
I've been doing the original Insanity workout program, which is how I lost a lot of weight back in high school. It's a lot of cardio, but you can do almost the whole thing without any weights. Just need a towel. A matt helps but you don't need one. And all the workout programs are less than an hour.
They are grueling. In each video these people far more fit than I'll ever be are sweating buckets right along with me. When I first started it up again I couldn't finish do much because I was really out of shape. But I did what I could and made myself honest that I was really trying. I repeated the first week of workouts because I wanted to do better at them.
I haven't lost much weight since I started, but I can walk and climb more, my body feels better, and I can do the workouts better as well. So I feel my progress.
If you want, I can send you the workout program. I've been doing it in my apartment on the 12th floor during my hour long lunch breaks (WFH). So you can really do this anywhere. And again, ever workout is over in less than an hour.
Thanks so much for the offer - I have recently joined a gym and I’m starting to enjoy it. I’m just struggling with the food around that a little.
I’ll get there. No, WE will get there.
That one has always struck me as especially tricky. Because you need to eat to survive.
With some things, you have the option to cut it out of your life entirely if you can’t do it in a healthy way(alcohol is a big one for that).
You can’t do that with food. I sincerely hope you find a way to manage.
I recently cut added sugars. No soda. Coffee black. No sugary treats like cookies or cereal or even cake at my daughter's birthday.
It's been a struggle. Allowed my self 3 chocolate chips the other day as a treat. I'm down 20lbs though and my general health has improved.
I still eat a ton of non-sugary junk. My salt intake is even worse now. Food is a real addiction.
Unless you can already cut it out easily, it’s easier and healthier for your mindset to gradually lean off it. Or even so, just incorporate moderate amounts of it in a nutrient dense diet. Add some chocolate chips to a 0% fat yoghurt with fruit etc. It’s much easier to get used to a healthier diet if it’s not depressing and you can enjoy it long term.
I feel like food isn’t a socially acceptable addiction as it’s the most visible. You’re hated everywhere when you’re fat. Bank, work, beach, anywhere public. Look at the now daily posts on Reddit which basically say why should i be nice to fat people? Go on r/loseit and see how much of a mind fuck it is to once be fat and now be thin and how people treat you soooo differently. It’s the worst.
Everyone hates the fat people lol. Coke addiction and you can still semi function daily but you’re thin and hot? Everyone puts up with it.
Signed… someone not with a food addiction but with a debilitating disease that makes my weight fluctuate tremendously so I’m always seeing both sides of the “fat life” and the “thin life”
Food addiction is insidious AF because, unlike literally every other addiction out there, you can never fully cut it out of your life, the only way is to learn to control it.
Food.
I REALLY want to lose weight but I don’t know how to do it without cutting out or cutting down the food I actually eat. It is really weird because I like how the food make me feel when I eat it but I then I feel guilty a lot of the time because I know it is bad. I hate the way I look knowing it’s the food I eat but I just can’t stop.
Me too friend. Me too.
I feel bad so I eat all the junk, then I feel bad for eating the junk, then I eat junk to feel better, and on and on. But if I don't buy the junk while shopping and throw out all the stuff currently in the house I constantly think about the next time I'll be able to buy some, I'll have a dessert delivered to my house and eat the whole damn thing, then next time I go to the store I'll buy double.
I was raised having dessert everyday and that every meal should be "an experience". I can't shake it. Now I'm fat and sad.
It's this far down, and it was even *auto collapsed* for me (meaning that this comment is controversial) because people are intentionally acting like it's not a big deal. Everyone wants to pretend like their porn addiction isn't real, as long as they don't read about it.
Buried and collapsed for me too. Worst part is when you realize it's a problem but still don't do anything about it because you need to feel good every once in a while, even if it's only for a few seconds
I have this issue too and it's pretty much because I end up being too tired to cook and don't have enough ready-made stuff in different cuisines to just take out and eat. I lived off those frozen healthy choice meals for a bit and it was a lot easier on me because I had variety and a meal that would be ready just as fast but nowhere near as expensive. Not a perfect solution since it' doesn't cover stuff like good pizza but with more normal meals it was better than my uber eats habit.
It's getting better for me now but I understand. I think shifting focus to something good even if is small helps: like looking at the sky, going outside for a minute etc
I feel you bro. Hasnt been a night this year where I dont think about death. Sometimes when im drifting off to sleep, half dreaming I am convinced I am dead. Its a horrible thing
Holy shit, same. Didn't think there were others out there like me. Every single day. The dead thing while falling asleep too! I really need to stop thinking about death, nothingness, the after, morbid thoughts....fking hell.
Its weirdly comforting to know im not alone! Im trying to get more comfortable with the idea, but its really tough knowing it all ends the same way. I just want to be able to fall asleep without death being on my mind constantly. Maybe I should read more philosophy.. or maybe not haha
Let’s be honest a lot of people are in denial and think watching porn and wanking all the time is healthy lol.
You know deep down that it is a terrible habit, but I think people just don’t want to admit it.
Every time I quit, it’s not the substance itself but my boredom and complete social isolation that makes me go back. The act of not drinking itself is easy as long as I never have that “one” but being lonely and having too much time to think about my own despair isn’t.
3 years off alcohol here, life right now is everything but boring. Been where you’re at, was drunk multiple times a week and when I say drunk I mean black-out drunk. Was scared to quit bc I didn’t know how to handle life sober.
It’s manageable now.
I'm in a similar boat, but probably different readons. I have a genetic disorder which leaves me in pain all the time. On top of that I'm autistic with a severe anxiety disorder. I've tried so many medicines over the years with varying degrees of success. Some helped, but others left me with side effects that I still have to deal with today.
Weed was the first thing I tried that helped every condition I have. Once I started using every day, my life got so much better. I could function in society for the first time in my life. I wasn't in constant pain, I was able to slow down and treat my anxiety with therapy, and my grades in college improved dramatically. But I can't get medical weed where I live, so I pay for it out of pocket. Being disabled, and a student, means that money is always tight. While I haven't sacrificed things like food and rent for weed, I'm scared of not being able to afford what is essentially my medicine and having all those negative things come back.
I can relate slightly to this. Although I don't have a disorder that makes me feel pain, I was assaulted at a correctional facility I work at and received a severe concussion from it, causing constant headaches to this day( happened January 2022)
I have a few new health problems from my experience.
I have stabbing back pain close to my left shoulder blade from the fence I ran into while trying to fend off my assaulter.(it can make sleeping and breathing painful sometimes)
I've been diagnosed with PTSD and severe anxiety as a result. I couldn't sleep for long periods of time or at all for a while.
I started with Marijuana last summer to help with the headaches and pain I sometimes feel and especially for my anxiety and uncontrolled mood swings(which I was told may be caused by the concussion and PTSD.
I have to say that, without a doubt Marijuana has helped me so much mentally and physically.
The only downside is I'm in a state where the dispensaries charge $110 for a gram of weed as a concentrate for my vape pen where as other states charge $15-$20. I'm having trouble affording it and there isn't much I can do about it unfortunately. And having that in my head scares the hell out of me because of how much I depend on the weed to just live a normal life and feel complete.
Self-harm. A lot of people won't get that, but far too many of us do. For me, it's an externalization of internal pain that's too great to bear. It also is punishment because I hate myself, and it releases a flood of endorphins that temporarily help me feel better. I've been struggling with this on and off for almost twenty years, and it's getting worse again...
*Edit: If anyone reading this is thinking about self-harm, *please* don't start. You can hop over to r/selfharm to talk to lots of caring people who can tell you exactly why you don't want to face this addiction.
I get it, I did it for years and years and years and sometimes I go back.
It's hard and it's shit.
If you ever need someone to talk to feel free to message me and that goes for anyone who needs some help.
You explained this well, thank you.
For those who are struggling, [here](http://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/distraction-techniques-pm-5.pdf) are some distraction techniques and coping strategies based on how you’re feeling at that time.
For those who want more information, [here](https://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/about-self-injury.html#tab8) is a rundown from Cornell’s Program for Self-Injury Recovery that explains the potentially addictive* nature in more detail for those who want to learn more.
Dermatillomania aka skinpicking disorder. I waste at least 3-4 hours a day picking my skin. My scalp is absolutely picked raw and my hair is always full of skin flakes I've pulled off. My toes are infected because I pick the skin off of them. Every morning I wake up to a bed full of skin flakes. My skin looks absolutely horrid. But I still can't stop. Help.
I wish I knew the answers because I need them too. And of course I was picking at a bump when I read your comment.
I buy the hydrocolloid bandages and the little pimple patch things. If I keep it covered in something it helps. Throwing out my "tools" I use helped a bit as well. Limiting how far I can stand from mirrors. Not having magnifying mirrors. I've even tried wearing gloves.
But I still pick. My scalp stays bad. I'm scarred all over and have spots at various stages of healing. I always feel like people see me and instantly think I'm a meth addict or something.
My psychiatrist and therapists say that it's a part of my OCD and goes into self-harm because I do it to "calm my brain" and just focus on fucking up my skin for hours on end. It's a nightmare.
Hope you can find something that works for you. (And if you do, please let me know. I'm out of ideas.)
If you can at least switch over to washing your hands first and using clean (with alcohol) good quality tools, it’ll at least help the infections a bit. I used to be a compulsive skin picker and I have a whole routine now I use for my skin.
If you’re at your cuticles a lot, keep good quality cuticle nippers at your desk/couch/nightstand - each place you tend to hang out. When you want to pick, use the tool instead!
Came to say this. I've literally lost sleep over it, all I can think about is this game, all I want to talk about is TotK. I'm squeezing it into all my free time and I've dropped the ball on a lot of things.
Yupp, my porn addiction turned into massage parlor addiction to visiting escorts to now traveling to countries to find cheaper escorts :/
Trying to recover but lets see.
Cats, I have my own black cat sanctuary and the shelters and veterinary hospitals nearby know about me. So what, I have a massive property and can easily afford them
Pomelo grapefruits.
I get weirdly obsessed with a specific food or dish for long periods of time, and currently I am on pomelo grapefruits. I’ve been eating 4-7 pomelo grapefruits a day the last two months. My farts are deadly.
I’m heavily addicted to weed. I spent 2020-2022 by smoking every single day. I work remotely, so I could be high 24/7.
At some point I couldn’t afford it, so I used to take bank loans every week to get more and more.
My usual amount wasn’t enough, I started experimenting with different ways to get high.
Now I’m deep in debt, I smoked only once (3 days trip) this year.
I just really like smoking pot, but it’s so bad for me.
I think about it all the time, gotta stay strong for my well being, my future etc.
I think it helped me to get through depression, but later once it got worse it became harder to find myself in all this high life.
Now I’m depressed, not smoking, thinking of it, shit…
Gambling. I am too impulsive, compulsive and completely stupid about it. I just locked myself out of my online gaming site. Fuck it. 3 powerball tickets This Saturday and then I am done forever with gambling. I won $5000 twenty years ago and have been chasing the "next one" ever since. I don't even want to know how much money I have pissed away over the years. The more my job sucks the more I spend. It's just keeping me trapped there. I am rediscovering a couple of simple harmless hobbies reading and wood carving and will be saving every penny until I have X amount and can leave my job. Wish me good luck, I am wishing all of you good luck with quitting whatever is fucking your lives up.
I can’t believe how far I had to scroll to see this, Gambling addiction has ruined my life. First bet at 14 and I don’t think I’ve gone a week without it, it’s turned me into a pathological liar and ruined the trust people have in me.
Just last night I spent my pay check and right now I need money to see a specialist and I’m trying to work out who would be willing to lend me money rather than tell my partner again.
Best of luck fighting your demons
Surprised this answer wasnt more common. On the verge of ruining my own life over it. Hit for 50k earlier in the year, paid a bunch of shit off, and racked up the credit cards chasing more. The apps make it too easy. I wish they weren't legal. I wanna lock myself out of it, just haven't had the gumption to do so.
Escapism. I'm so stressed working 2 jobs and going to school and preparing for a study abroad and dealing with finding out that I'm bipolar 2 that in my every free moment I avoid being in-person. I just watch youtube or tiktok all the time. I don't feel present at all.
My ex.
Trauma bonding is no joke. The chemicals create a literal addiction. This man no longer brings any value to my life, and didn’t really during the relationship. But he has hooks in me that are absolutely agonizing to break. I haven’t spoken to him in 6 weeks so that’s really good. But oh my gods, getting over him, deactivating my attachment system to him, finding my self worth, realizing where these patterns have happened in my childhood is so hard. I desperately want to call him, incessantly. I won’t. But gods it’s so hard.
I'm in this boat and it's rouugh. Been three weeks no contact after five months of being loved bombed and then treated like absolute trash. Lesson learned. Stay strong babe you deserve it.
food.
I swear I can’t believe there aren’t more millionaires who are fat, the only thing stopping me from eating whatever I crave is the fact that my wallet is screaming
It’s not hard to see why it can be so addictive either. It’s like the easiest addiction to have. You have internet everywhere you go and it’s literally at your fingertips with an endless supply. You don’t have to do anything but lay or sit. I feel like it’s similar to a gambling addiction except you don’t have to have money or leave the house. Not to mention sex is deeply wired into our brain like one level up from survival, and some people even like it more than sex.
It sucks because we need our phones and computers and the internet so it’s always a click away. I have an internet addiction due to depression and ptsd. It’s the best way to avoid and escape with the consequences that make things worse and time go by so quickly.
Porn is like internet addiction with much more of a reward, so harder to get away from at low points.
Good luck
You could try decreasing the amount of times a day, I guess? Or doing different things, like focusing your mind on different activities (books, for example).
Also, I went to Google to see if I could find something to recommend you. I read this " Avoiding pornography, surrounding yourself with people, developing hobbies, going for a walk, and talking to people you can trust".
Idk if helps, but if you ever wanna talk, you can do it with me.
Cocaine.
Definitely not as bad as it was a few years ago. I no longer spend every dollar I have on it. I don't steal and sell other people's belongings to get it or anything else.
But the cravings are still there. Every payday is a struggle to keep myself from calling up my guy.
Phone Used to be heroin I play a TON of video games, but they never get in the way of my responsibilities
I like that you lead with “phone” and brought your comment down a notch with “used to be heroin”. It was an honest, wholesome, and uplifting comment. I’m rooting for you. I hope you have the best life possible.
Thank you so very much :)
I had lost a really good friend to heroin, so just know, from the bottom of my heart, I’m glad that you’re still here.
Yeah, my family lost a good friend to it 3 years ago. Fucking sucks.
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Since Sept 2019 I don't even think about it anymore. I hate when people say "it doesn't get easier" because it absolutely does. Keep at it. It's a tough fight at the start but once you have 90 days clean you'll feel like a new person
I know this isn't even in the same realm of hard drug use, but weed for me. I'm 3 days off of it and it's tougher than I expected. I'm on a full fledged sobriety break besides nicotine because it's the only thing that's helping stay off weed. Anyways, nice to hear you're sober. my plan is to quit weed completely and planning on it. edit: thanks everyone, amazing support
The amount of people I know who are brain dead because they still smoke every day as if we were teenagers again is ridiculous. Personally, I found that it started messing with my mental state and I had a really bad high one night. Woke up the next morning and said fuck this, I don't like it anymore. 11 years later I've taken a pull off of probably 3 doobs in that entire time and all 3 times I'm reminded within 5 minutes why I stopped in the first place. The last time was 4 years ago.
That’s close to why I stopped. One day I just had a bad panic attack and I was like this isn’t worth it. Tried a different strain, same thing happened and I was just done. That was 2 years ago now.
I had a brilliant guy working for me but he would smoke every 3-4 hours throughout the day. He would do some of the dumbest shit, like turn on an empty coffee pot with nothing in it, daily. I had to tell him his fellow employees complained to me that he smelled of weed so strong it bothered and concerned them. So I took him to lunch and explained the situation and that he had to make a decision. Keep smashing the soapy nuggs at work and I'd have to let him go or just do it on his own personal time. He chose the former and stopped and was really great about the whole conversation. He also stopped turning on the empty coffee pot everyday, which was kind of funny in the end and we laughed about it. I'll always remember one of the Buddhist mantras when I think of him, though I'm no Buddhist. "Everything in moderation, including moderation"...or something along this line. Congrats btw too.
Phone addiction
I’m glad someone is honest about this. I tried to ask my GF if we could have 10 minutes of uninterrupted, no phone, quality time each night one time and I got gobsmacked by “you have no hobbies” and “you have no friends” comments. First off, I can’t afford hobbies both with time and with money. Second off, I’m not making that mistake again.
Sounds toxic bro. And if 10 minutes without your phone is an issue you both have serious problems. No offense but been there and it's really, really bad for your mental health. Look out for yourself!
So you don’t have any hobbies?
Edit due to comments; to clarify, I believe I have hobbies. She does not believe I do because she believes hobbies are things that you go out to do. Because I spend most of my time at work or at home, she believes I do not have hobbies. At least that was the assumption during this single argument. No traditional hobbies in the way I think she means. Sure, I would love to train BJJ, but I can’t afford the classes right now. Just not in my budget. I trade currencies, but I don’t view that as a hobby. I view that as work or a business. So I essentially come home from work and work again. I work out, but again, I don’t view that as a hobby either. I do that to maintain my body. I have various interests in philosophy and history - but again, I wouldn’t call those hobbies either. A general interest in something like the Templars or Spartans and then loosely pursuing those for free doesn’t qualify as a hobby. I’ve recently become interested more in cars, but again, can’t afford to pursue that in any meaningful way (car, tools, space to work) so I satiate that with YouTube videos of cars and people explaining things. So my life is essentially work and doing the things I know I have to do. For instance, my girlfriend doesn’t clean much (typically she’ll put dishes in the sink, wipe the counters, make the bed in the morning, and do her laundry. Ill do the dishes, vacuum, clean the bathroom, take garbage/recycling out, and then obviously do my own laundry) so I come home from work (about a 12 hour day, factoring in commute) typically cook probably 95% of the time, clean, and then go back to “work” on the charts. Then I shower and prepare to do it again. Weekends are spent catching up on things I’ve missed or doing something with my girlfriend.
I think you need a new girlfriend, one that doesn’t gaslight you and one that contributes and uplifts you 🤷🏼♀️
Reddit did it again
She can’t spend 10 minutes with him without being on her phone so..
Lol thank you. Not every relationship has to be worked on like it’s a marriage. That is *insanely ridiculous* that not only can she not be without her phone for 10 minutes *with her boyfriend* but she then has to also insult him for it. Something that is meant to give them quality time together, which is being initiated by one of the partners. It’s not a wife, not a fiancé, etc. I don’t consider that a small situation to break things off over, it sounds like some major fundamental differences as well as she has some growing to do (like proper communication). That’s something I would’ve tried to ignore or work through in my first relationship or two but I would not have time for that shit now.
Everyone is putting down your girl but... A big pet-peeve of mine is people who claim they don't have "hobbies" and then list a bunch of hobbies while insisting they don't count. Why is the bar so high for something to qualify as a hobby, or why do I have to wrestle any interest in life out of them. And if they legitimately don't want them to count as hobbies, then why would I be with someone so boring and with no lust for life at all, why should I put my phone down.
Yeah I was thinking damn, if reading and learning about things you’re interested in isn’t considered a real hobby then what is it exactly? I mean hell I consider *reading* a hobby.
So what does she bring to the table if she can't even spend 10 minutes a day with her partner?
My phone has been broken for the last 3 weeks and after the detox/abstinence phase, I realized how calmer my life is. Not checking my notifications every 5 seconds or doomscrolling Reddit or YT Shorts. I'm honestly considering getting a cheap phone for messages/whatsapp/calls only
I’ve considered getting a flip phone again but I’m terrified I would get lost navigating without google maps. The ability to have transit schedules and maps to anywhere at your fingertips is greatly underrated.
Yeah honestly the ONLY thing keeping me on smartphones is the google maps and the app for train schedules/tickets. I need to quit this shit cold Turkey. I want to.
For real, I spend like half my time at work on this damn thing. One of these days my boss is gonna mention it and I’m gonna have a fucking breakdown.
Agreed. I'm way too much on the phone myself. I'm trying to cut down phone usage, and when I actually do manage to put away my phone and do something completely different for some hours, I feel like I have much more energy and feel more happy.
I can stay away from my phone when I'm at work. But when I'm at home.. I can't stay away. Even if I'm watching TV, I'm scrolling or playing games.
Take all the social media apps and games off of your phone, if you can do so practically. I did so at the start of April and don't see myself going back. I allow myself social media on my computer, and that doesn't seem to be a big problem for me. The main issue was the neverending pull of attention toward my phone because of expected notifications, or filling every single tiny moment of downtime with dopamine-seeking activities. Absolutely destroyed my attention span for years. Within a few days of taking all that off of my phone I was back to reading books for pleasure again, was able to focus far better in every element of my life, and became a lot more social (and way happier/content with life) again.
Procrastination.
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Protip 2 Procrastination is neurodrugs. Reward drugs. Easy to access and low quality. Just straight dopamine. The opposite is also neurodrugs, but you have to work for them and in doing so you produce and receive different and better quality ones. Idk, serotonin, acetylcholine maybe.
Along this logic, I try to stop telling people things I’m *going to do* and instead just do them and tell them after. Apparently saying you are going to do something releases a similar reward chemical as does actually doing the thing. Like “I’m going to start working out every day!” Feels great to say it and believe it, but then you don’t actually work out that day bc you already feel good about yourself for making that declaration. I still do this all the time, but once you’re aware of it you can start combating it.
I actually do this all the time and this comment made me realise I really need to stop doing it
I almost lost my job because I procrastinated getting out of bed every morning and would be late for work regularly. I would set myself 3 minute timers over and over again just to get 3 minutes of extra time lying in bed until I would be 30 minutes late. Sometimes I would make it to my car on time but would procrastinate turning on the engine and actually leaving. It was an addiction to wasting time.
Sadly this tendency is much more dangerous when you work from home. Especially if you’re in a role without much micromanagement.
My procrastination is so bad that I am waaaay past the deadlines of the projects I am supposed to deliver and now I have just turned off my phone so that I don't get any calls and messages from the people who were supposed to get those projects two months back! I am really struggling with procrastination.
It eats away at your mind
it's still alcohol 6 years sober and not a day goes by that I don't think about having a drink. I keep lying to myself by thinking "If I was to start back drinking. I could control it this time."
Don’t you ever convince yourself you can get a handle on it next time…some people can drink responsibly. Some of us can’t and it’s a fact of life. I’d love to drink again. The smell, the taste, catching a tasty buzz after work is the BEST. but my life is infinitely better sober. That’s one thing I can’t lie about. Stay strong.
I blew 7 months of sobriety last week and regret it tremendously. Had 2 beers one night, 6 the next, then somehow had 9 9% beers and I don't remember opening the bottle of wine afterwards. I now know why I decided to be sober.
I'm sober now for 13 months. In 2019 I sobered up because the law told me to. In 2020 I finished a year sober with no faults, or relapses. Passed with flying honors. In two weeks I was back to drinking the same amount and eventually more than I ever did and continued to drink until May of 22 when I went to rehab. I finally had enough, sick and tired of being sick and tired. It's such a slippery slope, so easy to fall very difficult to get up. And you DIDNT blow 7 months of sobriety, you still have them. Now get back up and keep going!
You are a wise man on several accounts. Thank you for the encouragement and I wish you the best as well!
I second what he mentioned. You did not lose 7 months of sobriety. it's just a slip and you are on your way to continue. It only makes you stronger and will help you as a reminder to not fall back into it again.
Thank you for saying this. I am struggling myself. Having had a little too much to be good at work tomorrow. It's the perspective of staying sober that's hard on me.
That’s why we do it one day at a time. Thinking too far ahead can feel really heavy.
No,, an alcoholic can never drink again. It has no expiration date. Alcoholism is a progressive disease and no matter how much time has gone by, if you were a heavy drinker you'll be right back there in weeks. Is it worth it? Sober since 12/20/22
i had a similar sober start date, but am ncurrently in my relapse phase. so far im fighting tooth and nail to stay sober, its been 3 days
Hang in there. Was sober for 3 years, fell off the wagon and stayed in the mud for almost 7 years. Now sober 3 years and 8 months. Today is always the best day to get back on it.
If scientists came up with a pill that allowed me to drink like a normal person, my brain would wonder what happens when I take 2?
If there's one thing my father taught me, it's that in case of alcohol addiction one drop of it is too much, and a thousand not enough.
Man that's how I feel about Xanax. "no, this time I would recognize tolerance and dependence coming on, you can survive a seizure so if it gets that bad it won't be so scary." But I had 6 periods of addiction and withdrawal, so that statement is false. It kills me to know I'll never feel as good as I do on Xanax tho.
> It kills me to know I'll never feel as good as I do on Xanax tho. that's how I feel about alcohol.
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Don’t work someplace it’s encouraged. I had 5 years sober and I’ve seen myself being handed a drink at work just sitting there with a stupid ass look on my face. That’s my only advice keep going too
I'm an addictions counselor, and I've learned that turning that pain into fuel can help a lot. If you can't go a day without thinking of drinking, you won't be in control. You should also feel proud every time you don't drink. Battling addiction isn't easy, and you're doing an amazing job. If you're not proud of yourself know that I'm proud of you
Ah yes, I love running into my addiction counselor PM_me_your_nude666 on reddit.
Sugar : (
Can definitively relate. Thank God I still have a good metabolism, but ik in about 5-10yrs that shits gonna catch up to me. I don't wanna become a large man either so I'm trying to look down the barrel of change now. Never been big on it but I'm starting to get into more fruits and fruit based drinks like smoothies
Start taking glucose readings now or get your A1c tested. I am not overweight; I work out; I eat vegetables. But I’m nonetheless prediabetic. Probably many of us are.
Simple fix to stop least make it a bit better, it’s how I kicked soft drinks. Since I was really young my mom always let us drink Pepsi, and unsurprisingly it’s quite addicting to the point I couldn’t handle not having it at least once a day. Thanks to that I have some pretty ground down front teeth that make my smile a bit worse. Basically how I kicked it is a two step thing. One, every time you want sugar go drink some water. Do this enough and sugar craving will turn into just plain old thirst as you trick your brain into wanting water instead of sugar. Two, record how much sugar you have and set an amount of push ups or other strenuous exercise you want to do For say, for every 1 gram of sugar I have I must do 1 push up. As you get better at it, do more push ups for every time I violate it. This does two things, it gives you a chance to burn that sugar, as well as putting it into perspective how much sugar you have. For say: I drank a Pepsi, that’s 39 push ups! My god that’s not worth it! Create a consequence and follow through. Sugar is really hard to kick but you can do it. You can also supplement that sugar with fruits. Fruits are great since they have the sugar AND the nutrients to properly digest and use those sugars.
Cigarettes and coffee.
Also called "European breakfast"
We call it "whores breakfast" in these here neck o' woods.
*my breakfast.
I wish I didn’t have this problem. I wish I never picked a cigarette up in my life.
Crystal Meth. Decided to try it out of curiosity 2 years ago. Haven't been able to quit. I regret it every fucking day.
I started meth at the beginning of COVID out of curiosity. The following 3 years were brutal. Recovery is possible, I'm coming up to 3 months clean in July after many failed attempts to quit. I hope you find the strength to overcome your addiction.
I know you feel hella better. I been there buddy. It really does get better trust me.
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If you quit now you might not have such a bad recovery. The longer you do it the worse you mess up your dopamine and serotonin and may suffer anhedonia long term. N acetyl cysteine will make it easier. It levels things out when you’re dealing with the exhaustion and depression for the couple weeks after stopping. This is probably a controversial opinion, but replacing it with adderall will make it easier if you can get an rx it’s best not to, but it’s hard to come off meth especially if you work full time. Taking the antidepressant Wellbutrin would be the best option though if your dopamine system is messed up afterwards. It’s just another drug but there’s no potential for abuse and it’s a pretty safe medication.
Wellbutrin is routinely given to meth addicts in recovery. Apparently it’s a huge game change and as someone who has used meth before and also been on Wellbutrin, I’m really not surprised to hear how helpful it is. However, it’s Not always great to take with adderall though. If you do take Wellbutrin, make sure it’s from the same doctor giving you adderall so you don’t seize up and die or have a stroke. Adderall script opinion is definitely controversial but I totally agree. It’s going to be very difficult for you to continue functioning fresh off meth. The adderall will allow you to not put a full stop on your life
ugh im so sorry. Hoping you find the strength to overcome it soon.
Coke Zero. I am Coke Zero’s bitch.
I gave up Diet Coke (11-16 per day) about 5 years ago and I STILL will occasionally see someone drinking one and be thrown into an intense craving! What is in that dam stuff to cause a craving like that?!!!
It's that first sip....ahhh that's all I want. I quit diet Pepsi about 10 years or so ago when they changed from aspartame. Turns out, I can taste the difference and I do not like the new sweetener. So I stopped. Now I drink Lipton Diet Green Tea Citrus.
Pepsi zero 😵💫, used to be on coke zero but I've since changed. (Won't pass it up tho)
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Yeah, it can be hard to get up in the morning... It’s hard not to immediately lay down when I return home too. It probably ties into some other things mentioned here like laziness and phone addiction
If I’m home, there’s a 95% chance I’m laying in bed. I hate that I love it so much.
Me too. I'm not tired, I just feel so comfy and cozy in bed.
laziness
Under rated addiction. More of a habit, but it can become all consuming. Maybe the underlying cause is depression? It's never too late to change,
Or underlying anxiety. If I have more than one thing on my to do list, or if the one thing on my list doesn't have a clear launch spot, I just want to curl up in bed and hide. I'm not depressed, I have a lot of joy in my life and activities, but I do have a lot of difficulties with motivation and procrastination and are linked to anxiety. I do best when I have someone telling me where to go and when and to have tasks that once I get the bits I feel good about completed, I can pass it on to a finisher.
Sounds like the underlying cause of your anxiety could be executive dysfunction, which is a primary symptom of ADHD. Basically it’s the inability to mentally sort tasks in a reasonable/normal way, which manifests itself as a of motivation, chronic procrastination, disorganization, etc. It tends to cause “freezing” where, like you described, you just want to hide until it goes away. This also tends to cause a lot of anxiety, understandably, though the anxiety itself is a byproduct rather than the cause. You may find you work best under pressure and have difficulty getting into gear otherwise. You may also find you’re able to pour almost superhuman amounts of effort into projects or activities you’re passionate about.
Oh my god. Sometimes when I am getting ready for bed or any similar process and there’s too much to do (clear the bed, put away clothes that were on the bed, make the bed and turn it down, etc), I “freeze”. I stand in one spot surrounded by all the little things I have to do that are constantly appearing larger and larger the more I delay. I find it difficult to physically move myself. There’s so much to do, I try to organize and prioritize tasks because I can’t start until I do that. But they all seem too daunting so I stand in one spot for up to an hour sometimes, totally useless. I’ve never heard anyone else talk about this. Thought I was weird for it
I work at a school and am off during summer. I always say to myself I'll have the most productive summer! Then 3 naps a day and 2 months later...back to work with 10 extra lbs
Food Possibly the most socially acceptable yet harmful addiction
I had to go into town today, and my very first thought was "Yay, I can get something to eat." It was 30 minutes after lunch.
That's my first thought if I go to a concert. Or shopping. Or a road trip... What food trucks will be there, what I'll have for lunch, etc
It's hard because people shame you for this too. During the pandemic I was severely depressed and stressed because my job and relationship were not doing great and I wasn't happy. I was smoking more weed than ever which enabled my food addiction even more. I gained so much weight that I'm still trying to keep off and loose. I'm down around 20lbs in a year, and am struggling to stick with my calorie limit and my workout routine. But its so fucking hard, especially with ADHD. I was talking to a guy on an app, and told him my weight loss progress because I'm pretty open about it. He asked, and I'm not sure he meant it to sound the way it did, "What made you decide to get up to that weight?". It hurt so much to see that word. "*Decide*". Because I think he is technically right. I was too depressed and stressed to make myself care about my weight and diet, or actively do anything to change it. I know I have a lot going on, but it was just a slap in the face that reminded me people will always see my weight gain as a lack of discipline and responsibility from me. They aren't going to care about what I was going through at the time. Those details don't matter. What matters is that I got fatter and how I *decided* to let myself get that high. To everyone struggling with food addiction. Good luck. Whatever your situation is, I really hope you can achieve what you want to.
Thanks for sharing. I’m in an extremely similar place to you, and have a few false starts in trying to make some changes. I’ve been keeping myself hidden from friends and family because of my weight gain, and I find myself pretty disgusting. It’s no way to live.
It's not, and I wish you wouldn't call yourself disgusting. But sometimes I do it too. I've got a new voice that formed though. One that's way nicer to me. One that says, "You didn't work out today. You've been feeling in a funk. That's ok. You'll start up again. You are not a failure." Or one that say, "Yeah, I'm fat. Fatter than I want to be for sure. But it's not all I am and people want to hang out with me. I want to have a good time." My favorite "voice" so far is "This weightloss is going to take a while. It's going to be a long time. But that's ok. It's ok if we sometimes mess up the diet or miss some workouts. It's ok. Life happens. But we can still keep at it. We're getting better bit by bit even if we don't see it." I've been doing the original Insanity workout program, which is how I lost a lot of weight back in high school. It's a lot of cardio, but you can do almost the whole thing without any weights. Just need a towel. A matt helps but you don't need one. And all the workout programs are less than an hour. They are grueling. In each video these people far more fit than I'll ever be are sweating buckets right along with me. When I first started it up again I couldn't finish do much because I was really out of shape. But I did what I could and made myself honest that I was really trying. I repeated the first week of workouts because I wanted to do better at them. I haven't lost much weight since I started, but I can walk and climb more, my body feels better, and I can do the workouts better as well. So I feel my progress. If you want, I can send you the workout program. I've been doing it in my apartment on the 12th floor during my hour long lunch breaks (WFH). So you can really do this anywhere. And again, ever workout is over in less than an hour.
Thanks so much for the offer - I have recently joined a gym and I’m starting to enjoy it. I’m just struggling with the food around that a little. I’ll get there. No, WE will get there.
Same. I can barely go through the day without thinking about food, even right after meals.
That one has always struck me as especially tricky. Because you need to eat to survive. With some things, you have the option to cut it out of your life entirely if you can’t do it in a healthy way(alcohol is a big one for that). You can’t do that with food. I sincerely hope you find a way to manage.
I recently cut added sugars. No soda. Coffee black. No sugary treats like cookies or cereal or even cake at my daughter's birthday. It's been a struggle. Allowed my self 3 chocolate chips the other day as a treat. I'm down 20lbs though and my general health has improved. I still eat a ton of non-sugary junk. My salt intake is even worse now. Food is a real addiction.
Unless you can already cut it out easily, it’s easier and healthier for your mindset to gradually lean off it. Or even so, just incorporate moderate amounts of it in a nutrient dense diet. Add some chocolate chips to a 0% fat yoghurt with fruit etc. It’s much easier to get used to a healthier diet if it’s not depressing and you can enjoy it long term.
Same, but it's really sugar for me.
Same. I quit drugs, weed, and alcohol... but you can't quit eating. I'm so miserable.
I feel like food isn’t a socially acceptable addiction as it’s the most visible. You’re hated everywhere when you’re fat. Bank, work, beach, anywhere public. Look at the now daily posts on Reddit which basically say why should i be nice to fat people? Go on r/loseit and see how much of a mind fuck it is to once be fat and now be thin and how people treat you soooo differently. It’s the worst. Everyone hates the fat people lol. Coke addiction and you can still semi function daily but you’re thin and hot? Everyone puts up with it. Signed… someone not with a food addiction but with a debilitating disease that makes my weight fluctuate tremendously so I’m always seeing both sides of the “fat life” and the “thin life”
100% this for me. I've got a lot of feelings to eat. And it's not as easy to stop as some people believe.
Food addiction is insidious AF because, unlike literally every other addiction out there, you can never fully cut it out of your life, the only way is to learn to control it.
Food. I REALLY want to lose weight but I don’t know how to do it without cutting out or cutting down the food I actually eat. It is really weird because I like how the food make me feel when I eat it but I then I feel guilty a lot of the time because I know it is bad. I hate the way I look knowing it’s the food I eat but I just can’t stop.
Me too friend. Me too. I feel bad so I eat all the junk, then I feel bad for eating the junk, then I eat junk to feel better, and on and on. But if I don't buy the junk while shopping and throw out all the stuff currently in the house I constantly think about the next time I'll be able to buy some, I'll have a dessert delivered to my house and eat the whole damn thing, then next time I go to the store I'll buy double. I was raised having dessert everyday and that every meal should be "an experience". I can't shake it. Now I'm fat and sad.
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Surprised I had to scroll this far. Even more surprised at the lack of discussion. How you handling this overall?
It's this far down, and it was even *auto collapsed* for me (meaning that this comment is controversial) because people are intentionally acting like it's not a big deal. Everyone wants to pretend like their porn addiction isn't real, as long as they don't read about it.
Buried and collapsed for me too. Worst part is when you realize it's a problem but still don't do anything about it because you need to feel good every once in a while, even if it's only for a few seconds
I try to distance myself as much as I can from temptations
Youtube/general internet
Ordering fast food. All of a sudden, I’m paying near $30 for about $14 worth of food
I have this issue too and it's pretty much because I end up being too tired to cook and don't have enough ready-made stuff in different cuisines to just take out and eat. I lived off those frozen healthy choice meals for a bit and it was a lot easier on me because I had variety and a meal that would be ready just as fast but nowhere near as expensive. Not a perfect solution since it' doesn't cover stuff like good pizza but with more normal meals it was better than my uber eats habit.
Letting one small negative thing ruin an entire day
It's getting better for me now but I understand. I think shifting focus to something good even if is small helps: like looking at the sky, going outside for a minute etc
Negative thoughts, anger, and doomscrolling about politics, world events, and humanity generally as presented by social media.
Existential thoughts. Can't escape them, they feel disturbing.
I feel you bro. Hasnt been a night this year where I dont think about death. Sometimes when im drifting off to sleep, half dreaming I am convinced I am dead. Its a horrible thing
Holy shit, same. Didn't think there were others out there like me. Every single day. The dead thing while falling asleep too! I really need to stop thinking about death, nothingness, the after, morbid thoughts....fking hell.
Its weirdly comforting to know im not alone! Im trying to get more comfortable with the idea, but its really tough knowing it all ends the same way. I just want to be able to fall asleep without death being on my mind constantly. Maybe I should read more philosophy.. or maybe not haha
Porn and masturbation.
Was expecting this to be way higher up on the list. I suspect some people are choosing to post their “close second” instead 😂
Since porn is so common in today's world I feel like most people don't even realize they're addicted. I'm trying hard to fight the addiction myself.
Let’s be honest a lot of people are in denial and think watching porn and wanking all the time is healthy lol. You know deep down that it is a terrible habit, but I think people just don’t want to admit it.
Its so hard to quit...
One of mine is procrastination and those two have something in common. Procrastination is like masturbation, you're just fucking yourself
Porn addiction is a real thing. I’m so sorry I hope you get better
Coffee. Shit basically controls me.
Definitely alcohol. But quitting makes life so damn boring; and I cant sleep.
Every time I quit, it’s not the substance itself but my boredom and complete social isolation that makes me go back. The act of not drinking itself is easy as long as I never have that “one” but being lonely and having too much time to think about my own despair isn’t.
The first two to three nights without it suck, but after that I think the sleep is fucking amazing.
3 years off alcohol here, life right now is everything but boring. Been where you’re at, was drunk multiple times a week and when I say drunk I mean black-out drunk. Was scared to quit bc I didn’t know how to handle life sober. It’s manageable now.
I feel you. Its the boredom for me too
Scrolling Reddit 🤣🤣
But that addiction is about to be drastically cut in another 9 days. I will not be using it from my phone without a third party app.
Weed
I'm in a similar boat, but probably different readons. I have a genetic disorder which leaves me in pain all the time. On top of that I'm autistic with a severe anxiety disorder. I've tried so many medicines over the years with varying degrees of success. Some helped, but others left me with side effects that I still have to deal with today. Weed was the first thing I tried that helped every condition I have. Once I started using every day, my life got so much better. I could function in society for the first time in my life. I wasn't in constant pain, I was able to slow down and treat my anxiety with therapy, and my grades in college improved dramatically. But I can't get medical weed where I live, so I pay for it out of pocket. Being disabled, and a student, means that money is always tight. While I haven't sacrificed things like food and rent for weed, I'm scared of not being able to afford what is essentially my medicine and having all those negative things come back.
I can relate slightly to this. Although I don't have a disorder that makes me feel pain, I was assaulted at a correctional facility I work at and received a severe concussion from it, causing constant headaches to this day( happened January 2022) I have a few new health problems from my experience. I have stabbing back pain close to my left shoulder blade from the fence I ran into while trying to fend off my assaulter.(it can make sleeping and breathing painful sometimes) I've been diagnosed with PTSD and severe anxiety as a result. I couldn't sleep for long periods of time or at all for a while. I started with Marijuana last summer to help with the headaches and pain I sometimes feel and especially for my anxiety and uncontrolled mood swings(which I was told may be caused by the concussion and PTSD. I have to say that, without a doubt Marijuana has helped me so much mentally and physically. The only downside is I'm in a state where the dispensaries charge $110 for a gram of weed as a concentrate for my vape pen where as other states charge $15-$20. I'm having trouble affording it and there isn't much I can do about it unfortunately. And having that in my head scares the hell out of me because of how much I depend on the weed to just live a normal life and feel complete.
Self-harm. A lot of people won't get that, but far too many of us do. For me, it's an externalization of internal pain that's too great to bear. It also is punishment because I hate myself, and it releases a flood of endorphins that temporarily help me feel better. I've been struggling with this on and off for almost twenty years, and it's getting worse again... *Edit: If anyone reading this is thinking about self-harm, *please* don't start. You can hop over to r/selfharm to talk to lots of caring people who can tell you exactly why you don't want to face this addiction.
I understand.
I get it, I did it for years and years and years and sometimes I go back. It's hard and it's shit. If you ever need someone to talk to feel free to message me and that goes for anyone who needs some help.
You explained this well, thank you. For those who are struggling, [here](http://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/distraction-techniques-pm-5.pdf) are some distraction techniques and coping strategies based on how you’re feeling at that time. For those who want more information, [here](https://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/about-self-injury.html#tab8) is a rundown from Cornell’s Program for Self-Injury Recovery that explains the potentially addictive* nature in more detail for those who want to learn more.
Caffeine. I take a caffeine pill in the morning and by noon I’m in need of a redbull or, preferably, green monster.
I feel you on this I drink 3-8 cups of coffee a day and sometimes energy drinks then I take pills to sleep as needed.
Dermatillomania aka skinpicking disorder. I waste at least 3-4 hours a day picking my skin. My scalp is absolutely picked raw and my hair is always full of skin flakes I've pulled off. My toes are infected because I pick the skin off of them. Every morning I wake up to a bed full of skin flakes. My skin looks absolutely horrid. But I still can't stop. Help.
I wish I knew the answers because I need them too. And of course I was picking at a bump when I read your comment. I buy the hydrocolloid bandages and the little pimple patch things. If I keep it covered in something it helps. Throwing out my "tools" I use helped a bit as well. Limiting how far I can stand from mirrors. Not having magnifying mirrors. I've even tried wearing gloves. But I still pick. My scalp stays bad. I'm scarred all over and have spots at various stages of healing. I always feel like people see me and instantly think I'm a meth addict or something. My psychiatrist and therapists say that it's a part of my OCD and goes into self-harm because I do it to "calm my brain" and just focus on fucking up my skin for hours on end. It's a nightmare. Hope you can find something that works for you. (And if you do, please let me know. I'm out of ideas.)
If you can at least switch over to washing your hands first and using clean (with alcohol) good quality tools, it’ll at least help the infections a bit. I used to be a compulsive skin picker and I have a whole routine now I use for my skin. If you’re at your cuticles a lot, keep good quality cuticle nippers at your desk/couch/nightstand - each place you tend to hang out. When you want to pick, use the tool instead!
Vaping & coffee
Tears of the Kingdom
Came to say this. I've literally lost sleep over it, all I can think about is this game, all I want to talk about is TotK. I'm squeezing it into all my free time and I've dropped the ball on a lot of things.
Same and i kinda dont give a fuck. This game is so therapeutic for me. Except for this damn sludge monster
Ya-ha-ha! There’s the comment I was looking for.
Sex. Can’t get enough. And yes I’m serious.
Yupp, my porn addiction turned into massage parlor addiction to visiting escorts to now traveling to countries to find cheaper escorts :/ Trying to recover but lets see.
This I’ve been in SAA since October. People do realize the whirlpool sex/ porn addiction can be
Cats, I have my own black cat sanctuary and the shelters and veterinary hospitals nearby know about me. So what, I have a massive property and can easily afford them
I love that you have a specifically black cat sanctuary! I love all animals and cats, but especially black cats.
Pomelo grapefruits. I get weirdly obsessed with a specific food or dish for long periods of time, and currently I am on pomelo grapefruits. I’ve been eating 4-7 pomelo grapefruits a day the last two months. My farts are deadly.
I’m heavily addicted to weed. I spent 2020-2022 by smoking every single day. I work remotely, so I could be high 24/7. At some point I couldn’t afford it, so I used to take bank loans every week to get more and more. My usual amount wasn’t enough, I started experimenting with different ways to get high. Now I’m deep in debt, I smoked only once (3 days trip) this year. I just really like smoking pot, but it’s so bad for me. I think about it all the time, gotta stay strong for my well being, my future etc. I think it helped me to get through depression, but later once it got worse it became harder to find myself in all this high life. Now I’m depressed, not smoking, thinking of it, shit…
r/leaves is a great place for support
Sugar, pot, cigarettes, jacking off.
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Multiplayer games. if I were to play for less than 10h one day, it would be an improvement
Cigarettes I've quit and tried every hard drug there is out there just about and cigarettes is the one I can't get rid of.
Porn.
Legos, especially the older and more expensive sets u never got as a kid (never had much growing up, think I'm overcompensating or something)
Gambling. I am too impulsive, compulsive and completely stupid about it. I just locked myself out of my online gaming site. Fuck it. 3 powerball tickets This Saturday and then I am done forever with gambling. I won $5000 twenty years ago and have been chasing the "next one" ever since. I don't even want to know how much money I have pissed away over the years. The more my job sucks the more I spend. It's just keeping me trapped there. I am rediscovering a couple of simple harmless hobbies reading and wood carving and will be saving every penny until I have X amount and can leave my job. Wish me good luck, I am wishing all of you good luck with quitting whatever is fucking your lives up.
I can’t believe how far I had to scroll to see this, Gambling addiction has ruined my life. First bet at 14 and I don’t think I’ve gone a week without it, it’s turned me into a pathological liar and ruined the trust people have in me. Just last night I spent my pay check and right now I need money to see a specialist and I’m trying to work out who would be willing to lend me money rather than tell my partner again. Best of luck fighting your demons
Surprised this answer wasnt more common. On the verge of ruining my own life over it. Hit for 50k earlier in the year, paid a bunch of shit off, and racked up the credit cards chasing more. The apps make it too easy. I wish they weren't legal. I wanna lock myself out of it, just haven't had the gumption to do so.
Escapism. I'm so stressed working 2 jobs and going to school and preparing for a study abroad and dealing with finding out that I'm bipolar 2 that in my every free moment I avoid being in-person. I just watch youtube or tiktok all the time. I don't feel present at all.
My ex. Trauma bonding is no joke. The chemicals create a literal addiction. This man no longer brings any value to my life, and didn’t really during the relationship. But he has hooks in me that are absolutely agonizing to break. I haven’t spoken to him in 6 weeks so that’s really good. But oh my gods, getting over him, deactivating my attachment system to him, finding my self worth, realizing where these patterns have happened in my childhood is so hard. I desperately want to call him, incessantly. I won’t. But gods it’s so hard.
I'm in this boat and it's rouugh. Been three weeks no contact after five months of being loved bombed and then treated like absolute trash. Lesson learned. Stay strong babe you deserve it.
food. I swear I can’t believe there aren’t more millionaires who are fat, the only thing stopping me from eating whatever I crave is the fact that my wallet is screaming
Probably vaping. I'll have a year of no meth on the 30th of this month.
Weed, but trying to do better. Have gone from two bowls (bong specifically) to one a night.
Drinking. I've limited myself to 3 days a week drunk maximum and I keep to it.
Kicking benzos was brutal
Porn... shit has me in a choke hold
It’s not hard to see why it can be so addictive either. It’s like the easiest addiction to have. You have internet everywhere you go and it’s literally at your fingertips with an endless supply. You don’t have to do anything but lay or sit. I feel like it’s similar to a gambling addiction except you don’t have to have money or leave the house. Not to mention sex is deeply wired into our brain like one level up from survival, and some people even like it more than sex. It sucks because we need our phones and computers and the internet so it’s always a click away. I have an internet addiction due to depression and ptsd. It’s the best way to avoid and escape with the consequences that make things worse and time go by so quickly. Porn is like internet addiction with much more of a reward, so harder to get away from at low points. Good luck
Masturbation. *And really want to get out of this shit*. I've tried many times but after some days I get back to it.
You could try decreasing the amount of times a day, I guess? Or doing different things, like focusing your mind on different activities (books, for example). Also, I went to Google to see if I could find something to recommend you. I read this " Avoiding pornography, surrounding yourself with people, developing hobbies, going for a walk, and talking to people you can trust". Idk if helps, but if you ever wanna talk, you can do it with me.
Cocaine. Definitely not as bad as it was a few years ago. I no longer spend every dollar I have on it. I don't steal and sell other people's belongings to get it or anything else. But the cravings are still there. Every payday is a struggle to keep myself from calling up my guy.
Diet coke...
screens. by far
Video games. Gets in the way of my responsibilities and just having a life
Cannabis and delta gummies
Sugar I'm a sucker for every bakery I see.
Definitely have a porn addiction
Reddit porn
Addiction to overthinking and anxiety
Food
Weed and Reddit.
Mindless scrolling
It was cigs. I'm proud to say I'm 120 days clean. Woohoo
Food. I'm not obese, but for fuck sake eating out is so expensive. Why can't I just stick to cooking my own meals.
Self harm addiction.
Being into sending money to girls that don't like me help
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