Have you ever overcome one addiction only to find yourself struggling with another compulsive behavior?

Welcome to another episode of the BariNation Podcast! We know that after bariatric surgery, many of us experience profound changes—not just in our bodies, but in our relationships with food, alcohol, shopping, and other behaviors. That’s why we’re diving into the topic of process/transfer addiction with addiction therapist Sarah Smith. Together, we explore how addiction can evolve after surgery, the triggers to watch for, and why seeking support from your surgeon or a therapist can be a game-changer. Sarah also shares the bottom line on early prevention, giving us the tools to recognize and address these patterns before they take control. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• (00:00) Introduction
• (00:32) The process of addiction after bariatric surgery
• (03:04) What is transfer addiction?
• (05:26) What triggers should you look for
• (10:32) Seek the help of your surgeon or a therapist
• (13:33) Sarah leaves listeners with the bottom line of early prevention

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• After surgery, some individuals unconsciously replace food addiction with other compulsive behaviors, such as excessive shopping, alcohol, drug use, or even exercise. This shift happens because their primary coping mechanism (food) is no longer an option, leading them to seek alternatives.
• Key red flags include increased reliance on substances or activities for emotional regulation (e.g., suddenly drinking more alcohol, excessive online shopping, or compulsive exercise). People may also notice escalating negative consequences, such as financial strain, guilt, or stress when unable to engage in the behavior.
• If someone notices these behaviors in themselves, they should reach out to their surgeon, a therapist specializing in addiction, or supportive communities like BariNation. Talking about concerns in a shame-free environment can lead to healthier coping strategies and support for managing post-surgical challenges.

RESOURCES:

• BariNation Website 
• Join the BariNation Membership community meetups to support you on your journey with obesity treatment. https://barination.com/pages/join-our-community
• Want to see bonus content? Head over to https://www.patreon.com/BariNationPodcast to get more and support the podcast for as low as $5 per month!    

OTHER RESOURCES: 

Alcohol Use Disorder can impact anyone on a bariatric journey. We can help in BariNation in private and confidential ways.. Connect and learn with Sarah in the BariNation Membership Community, where she leads an Addiction Transfer Support Group every Monday at 4 pm PST / 7 pm EST and General Support every other Friday at 6 pm PST/ 9 pm EST

Learn more at https://barination.mn.co

GUEST RESOURCES:

Changes in Alcohol Use after Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: Predictors and Mechanisms https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7057935/

Why Drinking Problems Develop After Gastric Bypass Surgery

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-drinking-problems-develop-after-weight-loss-surgery

Increased Admission for Alcohol Dependence After Gastric Bypass Surgery Compared With Restrictive Bariatric Surgery https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/1679649

BIOGRAPHY: 

Throughout her career, Sarah Smith, MHR, MSW, LADC, ICAADC, RCSWI, MCAP, CBHCMS-A/C, CRPS,  has been dedicated to advocating for individuals in recovery, advancing behavioral health initiatives, and promoting harm reduction strategies. Her passion for this work is rooted in both professional expertise and lived experience, driving her commitment to creating accessible, evidence-based solutions that empower individuals and communities. She believes in the power of collaboration, education, and policy development to break down barriers and foster lasting change. Whether through program development, advocacy, or direct service, she strives to contribute to a system that prioritizes dignity, equity, and compassionate care for all.

ABOUT:

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty.

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Jason Smith: [00:00:00] Hi, welcome to BariNation, where we support the bariatric community with humor, humility, and honesty.

Natalie Tierney: Our goal is you leave us today feeling hopeful, inspired, and ready to live your best bariatric life.

So, before we [00:01:00] dive into this conversation, Sarah, will you take a moment and introduce yourself to the people that maybe haven't met you before?

I am now I'm in Florida and I'm working on getting my LCSW because the states don't play nice with each other. I'm I have been, uh, doing this work for quite some time and, uh, [00:01:30] I'm also a bariatric patient and so when I was going through my journey, I started noticing the people in the support groups that I was attending through my surgical center sounded a lot like my client.

After surgery.

But, we're The research is showing that depending on surgery, you have up to a 30 percent increased risk of transfer addiction, process addiction after [00:02:45] bariatric surgery. So if you are experiencing that, you are not alone. There's no shame in it. We are here to, to help you understand what those kind of red flags could be.

Sarah Smith: Sure. Um, well, process addiction is really just another way, uh, uh, to describe what you hear mostly in the community is call it transfer addiction, uh, but it is really when [00:03:15] someone is substituting one addiction.

So whether that is [00:03:45] excessive alcohol and drug use, excessive shopping, gambling, it can really just be any. Compulsive behavior that is filling that void that you're losing with food. You know, one of the things that is just mind blowing to people is like, it can be working out. [00:04:00] And so when we think about, you know, really getting pushed into the gym and pushing ourselves into the gym post surgery, but when you realize that that's starting to take over things and you're [00:04:15] starting to have a lot of guilt related to not being in the gym when you had a valid reason like an injury, you know, you're working out on top of injuries and things like that.

April Williams: So when you're talking about these process addictions, it's not necessarily kind of those vices that we're thinking about. It can even be things that are healthy to a point that we take to excess and it becomes unhealthy.

April Williams: So what are [00:05:15] those things that people can be on the lookout for if they're listening to this and they're going, Oh, I wonder if I'm kind of stepping in the direction of, of this process addiction.

To me, that's saying, okay, now you think you are. Um, so, you know, why, how has your consumption changed? What's [00:05:45] going on with your, you know, with your alcohol consumption? Uh, the same thing with, you know, medical marijuana is huge across the country, so it was kind of the same thing. I never really smoked before, or people would say they'd never taken an edible before, [00:06:00] uh, things like that.

That it was probably a [00:06:30] favorite meal a favorite drink stopping at Starbucks Like I remember Starbucks being a huge reward for me Like if I was having a crappy day at work, I was like, oh I deserve this Starbucks And so we're, but we're losing the ability to do a lot of that. [00:06:45] So we're adding other things in there.

A lot of people will say like. My credit cards are for large purchases, and the next thing you know, you're [00:07:15] charging shoes, you're charging a dress, you're charging makeup, and things that, you know, you'd always made yourself, like, wait until you could afford to purchase. Uh, and then it is also going to be tied to that, you know, I deserve it.

April Williams: Jason, Nat, have you guys experienced this along your bariatric journey? Have you seen this escalation of certain behaviors?

So I'm just saying, I'm just throwing it out there. I think mine may be more travel. [00:08:00] I'm so excited, like, I'm just so jazzy, like, to go places now that I never cared to do, like, before, that I will, I will try to find ways to justify traveling to places, even when it would put a strain [00:08:15] on what we're, like, Sarah and I are trying to do.

So,

There can be negative consequences for doing good, fun [00:09:00] things. It's just okay. Now what about you?

I feel like [00:09:30] my routine is off. Those types of things. Um, and I, I've since gotten a lot better with that. Um, and, and retrained nicely, but there was definitely a period of time post surgery where [00:09:45] I was like. More reliant on that because I couldn't, um, because I couldn't be in the way that I did before, for sure.

And we're not met with shame and guilt. We're met with. [00:10:15] Curiosity and with help and with the safe place to kind of talk it through. So Sarah, what, what do you recommend people do if they're thinking, Oh, I might be traveling in this direction. What, what would be the next steps?

Sarah Smith: You can really start there.

But, you know, starting at your surgeon's office, if you're familiar with a therapist in your area, of course, you could, you know, Seek out a therapist and start therapy to have [00:11:00] the conversation. I would try to find somebody that is familiar with addiction, uh, because they are going to be looking for things that are a little bit different than a therapist that really specializes in mental health.

So, can't believe I figured that out, but.

Sober opportunities, so you're not [00:12:15] going to see people engaging in any type of drinking activities drug. Like, no, we, we want to make sure that everybody feels welcome because we know the struggle can really be real. And Sarah, you have even worked on some on demand educational content, right? That our [00:12:30] members can tap and tap into anytime they need or want it.

Sarah Smith: Yeah,

April Williams: I think that's the most important part, right? When you're experiencing something new and you're really worried because you know that it feels so [00:13:00] different for you and you just don't know where to turn. You want to get that basic understanding of what is this is, could this be transfer addiction? Could this be process addiction?

[00:13:30] Sarah, what's the one thing you're hoping people are leaving this conversation with today?

April Williams: Sarah, thank you so much for joining us today, and thank you for sharing your expertise in this. I mean, we know [00:14:00] how challenging it is, and we're just so thankful that not only do you offer, right, your help and support from the patient perspective, but from that professional perspective. It's just amazing.

That wraps up another empowering episode of the BariNation podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, keep the conversation going by joining the BariNation membership community, where you can attend live support events, access. On demand [00:14:30] resources and find a caring community.

Natalie Tierney: Join us at barination.mn.co. If you found this podcast valuable, help us produce it by becoming a 5 monthly supporter at barinationpodcast.com.