The Most Difficult Addiction: Food Overconsumption

It is a shocking statistic: sugar is considered more addictive than cocaine, and it is the most damaging chemical we consume. This dark reality challenges the notion that we can choose what we put into our bodies. Consider this: 42% of the U.S. population is obese, and 30% is overweight. Behind these numbers lies a complex issue that ties together mental health, societal stigma, and individual choices. In this article, we explore why food addiction, specifically sugar addiction, is considered the most difficult addiction to overcome.

From Trauma to Addiction

Reaching for that extra slice of cake or another cookie is often portrayed as a willpower issue, but it stems far deeper. The seeds of food addiction are often sown in childhood, where a child undergoes stressors even before birth due to the mother's lifestyle. Picture needing alcohol, heroin, or meth to make it through daily life. Now picture them being told to ration it and use it properly, or else. For a food addict, the situation is no different. The steady overuse of sugar can lead to severe health issues, just as alcohol can over time. And the worst part? Being overweight is often shamed, while alcoholism can be glamorous in some circles. This paradox is a clear indicator of a deeply flawed societal structure.

A Medically Difficult Predicament

But what makes food addiction especially challenging? Unlike drug or alcohol addiction, food is a basic necessity. Heroin and alcoholics don't have to ingest these substances to survive. Gambling and sex addicts don't have to engage in their behavior to stay alive. However, a recovered food addict once shared with me, "Imagine recovering from alcoholism, but you have to have a beer at 8 am, another at 12 pm, and another at 6 pm, but you never get out of control or relapse. That’s what recovering from food addiction is like. I have to ingest what I’m addicted to but never get out of control. We call it petting the tiger three times a day." This analogy captures the essence of a food addict's struggle.

The Complexity of Withdrawal and Rehabilitation

While the complexities of drug and alcohol addiction are well-documented, food addiction presents a different set of challenges. Opium addiction, for instance, can be brutal once it takes root. It not only poisons your mind into taking ever-increasing doses of the drug as you become more tolerant, but the withdrawals and physical cravings for the drug are even more tormenting when you don't have it. Benzodiazepines when abused have a similar devastating effect but more in the mind. The fear of not taking the drug or not having it can be a terrible torment for the user. Both are tremendously hard to quit because you have to go through all this extreme discomfort in order to get back to a baseline level of wellness. Alcohol, socially acceptable though it may be, can be extremely destructive on both a person's mind and body, leaving them in shambles trying to deal with the aftermath. It all depends on the individual: their trauma, their self-medication, their genetics, and their beliefs and values towards recovery.

Compassion and Support as Healing Imperatives

Recovery from any addiction, whether it's food, drugs, or alcohol, is a long and painful journey. Addicts are often self-punishing by nature. They don't need more punishment or cold shoulders. People in addiction are sick. They often feel like no one cares or could possibly understand them. They are often used to and expect to be abused, mistreated, or pushed aside by society. Showing compassion and care and providing them with options for treatment as soon as they are ready can truly make a difference. Ultimately, love is a powerful motivator.