Any other 'addictions'

Are there any members who are dealing with trying to stop smoking, over-eatting, etc? I am sure there are other 'addictions', also. If so, let's hear from you!

'Cat'

Oh yeah!! The only thing I have left is cigarettes and coffee and I do it up right. I still reach for 4 advil and not 2. A venti coffee instead of a regular. Some days I don't eat and then somedays it is all I want to do. There are so many ways to look for control or something to adjunct how I am feeling at baseline. I keep all these things in moderation, well except the cigs and coffee that is. I wish I could get addicted to exercise, but that has yet to happen. I might actually have to do something and go to the gym instead of thinking about it. We all know how that works. Hang in there, you are not alone. progress not perfection. I will tell you , what I am doing now is 10000000 better then what I was doing before in active addiction. xoxo

I think most of us who are in recovery would admit that we struggle with addictions everyday. Addiction being an allergy of the body, addiction of th mind and a spiritual malady surfaces in all of us. After nearly 4 years of sobriety and a very stressful day last friday - I found myself smoking a cig after quitting nearly 25 years ago. Lucky for me I nearly choked on the thing - no urge for another. I do love my coffee to but allow myself only two cups a day. Moderation helps me to keep life on perspective.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

Hppy, it is good to know that, after your one lapse, you felt no urge to repeat.

I do hope that others who 'over-do' things will use this Forum, also.


'Cat'

I agree that it would be great if those who struggle came to this forum for support - I thinks it's important for others to see what the results of addictive behavior can be with regard to our nursing careers.With one in 10 nurses nationwide in some type of recovery program it behooves us all to help eachother.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

Hi Cat and everyone~~ My clean date from mood-altering drugs is 12-13-05 and my last cigarette was on May 14th, 2007 at 7:06. (I actually looked at the clock in my car and prayed it would be my last.) :) I can't stay clean from either without the help from God and my 12-step program. I firmly believe that if I take 1 drag off a cigarette I would be "off and running"....and would probably smoke til I die. Yes, I think about smoking but I call other people in my program (NA) who have quit smoking, share it at a meeting, pray/pray/pray and sometimes cry and feel frustrated. I can only do it one day at a time and knowing that, so far I have been able to make it. I also forgot to mention that I did take Chantix but only took it for about 10 days because I thought I'd get mentally addicted to that drug. For anyone who wants to quit amoking cigarettes never give up! When I stop and ponder that I don't use drugs or cigarettes just for today I never fail to get tears in my eyes and feel the miracle in my heart.

I am pretty much addicted to EVERYTHING in my life..food,sex,coffee,work,computer,shopping,caregiving,isolating and substances(legal and illegal) and alcohol. I have always been the excessive person I still am today. When I began studying Psych. nursing I thought I might be Bipolar because I do everything in a manic way..but now I realize that I use these addictive behaviors so I don't have to think about the negative feelings inside. Since beginning my recovery 1/31/08 I have been especially struggling with my food compulsion which in the past caused me to be bulemic..I am trying to moderate it but I am still eating something about every 30 mins. If anyone has any suggestions for coping skills for this I would love to hear them
lp

Just hang in there. Once we stop doing drugs, all the other pulls to do external stuff start of with a fury. There r going to be alot of swings back and forth as to which external addictive substance or behavior comes to mind as we r starting to get clean from drugs/etoh etc. Just the awareness is first, acceptance is next, and then change is last. This is a daily stuggle however. Just for today, just dont use dope and slow down and pray. I know that sounds lame, but it really does help. just stay in today, right now, and you r going to still feel your feelings that will be very magnified right now. The differnce is that u have the choice today to act on them or not. just try to let go and not try and control **** today. xojl

I think I am also addicted to my husband. We don't have anything in common,nothing really to talk about except bills and kids. The only time we spend together that is not boring,tense,or emotional is when we have sex. We have been seperated before but it was alot worse for me emotionally..can anyone identify with this?

Welcome! Congratulations on your sobriety time that is quite an accomplishment. I know we are stereo typed when we are addicts, but remember you have no control over what other people think. You do have control over what you think. I am proud that I have the courage to admit my problem and ask for help in recovery. Stop and think about the positive changes you have made in your life in the past 9 months and give yourself credit. If they choose not to hire you for a position you are well qualified for that is their loss..keep trying because there are employers out there who will understand and want to help. There is a thread here with someone who helps nurses in recovery find jobs..see if she can help you.

I quit smoking 12/07, gained 25 pounds, I started working out to stem the weight gain but to no avail. 3 months later no weight loss. started smoking 7/08, kept the 25 pounds, quit smoking 1/09, no more weight gain. I have been going to the gym and have actually started losing a little weight finally. I just keep telling myself that even with 20 extra pounds i'm healthier, family is supportive, they want to run a family 5 k gives me a goal to work towards. So keep up the non-smoking, it feels good to be free. Yay chantix.

Hello, I am an RN from PA who recently had to surrender my license due to substance abuse addiction. I faced felony charges for diversion of medication and I know have 8mths clean. I went to jail for 3mths in Nov and rehab in Feb(part of the condition to get released from jail) I went to court and received 21mths probation which I currently am doing now. My license is still active in PA, I'm told by my D&A counselor that all is not lost and with time and recovery I can get back my license. I am keeping an open mind about this and staying optimistic, yes I made a horrible mistake but I am not a bad person. I worked very hard to graduate with honors from nursing school, and noone can take my education away from me, I refuse to believe that the rest of my life will consist of working at minimum wage jobs, or as a waitress (which I currently do right now) because of one mistake. I am going to do whatever it takes to turn this situation into something positive, yes it will be hard and believe me sometimes I feel like giving up. However, this disease took away my family, my children, and my career, my livelihood and I absolutely will not allow it to take away anything else. Every day I go to work is a humbling experience, none knows I used to be a nurse because obviously they would wonder why I am working as a waitress, so basically I now take orders from people who are a lot less intelligent than myself, and I have to pretend to not be as smart as I really am. Needless to say this is why I refuse to allow this to be my reality for the rest of my life. This disease is a disability just as cancer and diabetes are a disease, we don't treat people as freaks if they have cancer or question why someone with heart disease had a fatal MI, why treat the disease of addiction any differnt. I started to put out my resume for positions I believe I could do that pay more than my waitressing job, I'm going to be honest about my addiction and recovery because I am not ashamed of it, I am proud to be in recovery. I am looking into going back to school for D&A counseling or perhaps to work in a rehab with D&A patients. Whoever out there that is in a similar situation I would love to hear from you, and please do not give up those in this world who shun us away because of this disease are close minded, God did not bring us this far in life to fail.

Yes, nurses have addictions like everyone else. Perhaps more so due to the stressful environment we put up with as part of our jobs.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursefriendly.com/addiction

Will you be able to go back into a nursing career? I was just caught with the diversion and terminated from my position. I have not been in front of the board of nurses yet and don't know what to expect. Jail and my license being terminated are some of my biggest fears.

Neiman Marcus, mainly Gucci and Armani. I am also addicted to tattoo's, and
Blu Ray movies.

selfish wrote:Will you be able to go back into a nursing career? I was just caught with the diversion and terminated from my position. I have not been in front of the board of nurses yet and don't know what to expect. Jail and my license being terminated are some of my biggest fears.

You can be a nurse again! I am living proof of that - but first you must accept your disease and focus on your recovery - everything else will come to you in the fullness of time. you can always leave a message here for me if you need someone to talk to to we can use the chat room of PM as well.
I don't cme in every day as my job keeps me pretty busy and I am on-call for 104 home care patients this weekend - pray for me! Anyway - this a scarey time but use it to become a better nurse or what ever else you want to be.

Peace and Namste

Hppy

Sadly, I am addicted to nursing forums. Even have my own. It really is screwing up my work toward my PhD. This is a real and serious issue for me.

(I should mention that my other past addictions included every mind altering prescription medication I could get my hands on...plus alcohol.)