Re: Food/Sex/Excercise to self medicate

[Anonymous]

Alid,

Just want to tell you that you are not alone AT ALL! I am 48 years old and got diagnosed with ADHD 5 months ago. This occurred after a relapse into alcohol addiction in June 2012. I have come to realize that I have been self medicating for the past 30 years with the use of Alcohol and cocaine. When I first decided to get help with my addiction 4 years ago I was diagnosed with depression and Bipolar! For 3 1/2 years I was being treated for these conditions medically with no success. This greatly hindered my recovery with alcohol and drug dependance. Needless to say that I am thankful that is in the past! Since being diagnosed and treated for my ADHD my life has changed dramatically. All the meds that I was on were discontinued in detox and they began treating my ADHD. The medication was a gift from GOD! For the first time in my life I felt normal! Happy to say that my recovery from alcohol and drug addiction seems to now be effortless. Although I do go to AA daily, life is a joy!

I too during my 30 years of drug and alcohol addiction engaged in extremely dangerous sexual encounters to say the least! Although that behavior ended when I met my partner 15 years ago. I also dealt with major food and exercise issues during my 30 years of “being in the FOG”. Bulimia was part of my life for a period with excessive over eating. I would go through phases in my life of GYM addiction and work out 4 hours a day. I actually did this for a 4 year period and then just stopped only to start again then stop again! Everything in my life I would begin whole hardidly only to fail at the end….during my life my weight has fluctuated over 100lbs 4 time over. I attribute all of these periods in my life to my untreated ADHD. Not only have I been successful in my drug and alcohol addiction but I have also begun to eat healthy and exercise. I have lost thus far 40 lbs in a healthy way. Since my treatment began I have also begun to read books in there entirety, which is something I have never been able to do. The only thing I did manage to do in my life with the help of drugs and alcohol was to hold a steady job for a period of 26 years which I have since retired from with my full pension. However, this is something I probably never would have never done if my ADHD was being treated, but what is done is done. I am now pursuing a new career, starting school next spring. Finishing my college years was also something I never succeeded in completing….dropping out of college 3 times in my life. I can go on and on with all of this but I will spare you. Only know that things will get better for you especially with proper treatment! Hang in there!

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