Community Chat

[Mom2Dogs]

@FrostyBabe1, thanks.  I will forward the article to her.

[Leiloni]

It is very normal to crave sweets when one stops drinking alcohol. She should get into a 12 step program asap, she has a much better chance of staying sober & she will meet people like herself that she'll be able to relate to. I wish your DIL the very best!

[Mom2Dogs]

@Leiloni She has gone thru rehab, went to a sober living house for several months then moved back to the area...and we HOPE she is attending AA meetings near her home.

[sidsmom]

First & foremost, I suggest she goes to an Alcoholics Anonymous

meeting immediately.  There she will be able to share the same

experiences of people going through the same

emotional/physical feelings.

Addictions are rewarded by release of Dopamine.

Doesn’t matter what the addiction...food, smoking, alcohol, sex,

shopping, etc...once you act upon your addiction, the brain gets

the pleasure hit of dopamine. That’s the biggest reason how

one addiction is replaced with another.  

Since food is the most common denominator for us all, Salt-Oil-Sugar

are the common items giving us that pleasure hit.  So to have a

recovering alcoholic replace alcohol with sugar is not only

physical craving, due to the high sugar content of alcohol,

but also pleasurable craving, as well.   Eliminating Salt-Oil-Sugar

will even out those ups/downs...’quiet the mental monkey chatter’,

so to speak. Altering the food will also decrease the inflammation

in the body, as well.

At the end of the day, she needs to have support...

and an A.A. meeting would provide her with a safe place.  

Even consider a family meeting, as well, to help understand.

HTH. 🌼

[lkat]

My husband has been sober for 29 years and he definitely seemed to develop a sweet tooth after he quit drinking and he still has one.  I don't remember that he ate many sweets before he stopped drinking, though he didn't really eat much of anything back then.  I seem to remember that it's not uncommon for former drinkers to crave more sweets and caffeine.  

It is wonderful that she's gone through rehab.  I know how difficult that is after living through it with my husband but I also know that it's possible to remain sober, especially if she has loved ones like you by her side.    I wish all of you the best of luck.

[ValentinaBon]

I would think all of these things would have been shared with her during rehab and, hopefully, in the meetings or counseling sessions she should be attending after rehab...things she needs to keep in mind during and after recovery...cravings she may have, any potential changes to her body, things to be aware of  in terms of triggers that may cause a setback in her recory and, most importantly, how to deal with those things in a healthy way. 

[Mom2Dogs]

@lkat...she has a lot of remorse....especially when it comes to her kids...

Her drinking was a big surprise to us..I posted last year about cleaning out her apartment while she went to rehab...with only a few days notice.  At least she admitted her self, she was ready for help, thank God.

RIght now she has left a job that was not great but had beneifts to another job with less hours and no beneifts...the place whe was living in was toxic so she had to leave....so now she is cleaning the upstairs of a house to make it liveable....if there is a decision to be made, generally she makes the wrong decision.

He has spent a considerable amount of money over the years, helping her out, he is growing weary.....it is hard to know what to do, although she has not asked for money lately.  He just wants her to find a stable job, and a decent place to live, and most of all be happy.  If we could fix it for her we would, but of course we know that is not our job....we love her.....don't know if age has anything to do with it but at 77 years old this is not something he wants to worry about.

edited to add: Congrats to your husband!!!

[Kachina624]

Yes, it is true.  My ex-husband was an alcoholic who was totally disinterested in sweets but when he went "on the wagon" he got a terrible craving for ice cream.  I always figured it had to do with needing/craving carbohydrates.

[Leiloni]

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@Mom2Dogswrote:

@Leiloni She has gone thru rehab, went to a sober living house for several months then moved back to the area...and we HOPE she is attending AA meetings near her home.

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Dear@momtodogs, That's great she is attending AA, or hopefully attending AA, fingers crossed. There is a support group for her husband, yourself (if you want to) & any other family members to attend called Al-Anon, it is there to help the non-alcoholic understand the sober/practicing alcoholic.  Wishing ALL of you the very best.  

[GCR18]

My sister is an alcoholic.  We had no idea she had a serious drinking problem until it was too late.  She lost her job, marriage, kids and future.  She likes sweet things.  Since quitting drinking, she's gained alot of weight.

I'm surprised the rehab didn't suggest next steps or follow up with your step daughter.  She can't do this on her own, she needs support that counseling and AA provides.  Is she open to talking about the topic?