I've been working in the field of addictions for about 8 years, as a counselor and (currently) as a case manager. So I work with people whose lives have been destroyed by alcohol and drugs every day. You name it, I've seen it-- and it's NOT always the "town drunk" who has the problem. Ordinary, GOOD people are affected by this disease-- it's not a morality contest; it can-- and does-- affect every type of person out there.
I would argue that 99% of us who have WLS surgery have issues with addiction, most notably with food-- pretty obvious, right? The problem with addiction, though, is that it doesn't just go away when our main "drug of choice" (in our cases, food) is taken away-- THE TENDENCY TOWARDS ADDICTION IS STILL THERE. Which means we are ALL prone to develop problems with other addictions after surgery... whether it's alcohol, pain meds, gambling, sex, shopping, you name it.
Does it mean that addiction transfer is guaranteed to happen? No, but we have to be constantly vigilant to make sure that it doesn't-- attend support groups, be involved with forums like this, be honest with ourselves and those around us with the ups AND downs of our recovery, see a therapist, whatever it takes.
We all know the "HOW" of how we became obese-- we ate too much, simple as that. But we all have to figure out the "WHY" if we have any hope for long-term success-- otherwise, something else is going to come along to replace what food did for us before surgery. That's why alcohol is so very, very dangerous for WLS patients-- not only is it physically dangerous, but it's extremely emotionally dangerous as well... and the only way to assure you won't become addicted to alcohol is to JUST NOT DRINK. Plain and simple.
Trust me though, I'm certainly not painting myself as a fault-less person. I only drank alcohol maybe twice a year before surgery-- and I didn't really enjoy it then, either, so I'm fine with never drinking again for the rest of my life. MY problem substance I KNOW is going to be cigarettes... I smoked for many, many years pre-op, as of tomorrow I will be 1 month smoke-free, but I don't feel like I quit-- I just feel like I STOPPED for a while and I'm practically counting the days until I can have another cigarette. So clearly, I'm not practicing my own advice very well, either... but it's still good advice!!
