Cross Addiction

I find it interesting that when I stopped drinking, it seemed like alcohol was replaced with other forms of escape.

According to Sober.com, if you used alcohol to cope with mental or emotional struggles—like anxiety or depression—those symptoms can increase or change once you become sober. Some people are even diagnosed with underlying mental health conditions that had been masked by alcohol use, such as ADHD, PTSD, or OCD.

They also discuss something called cross-addiction, which can happen with any substance or compulsive behavior—even behaviors that are generally considered healthy, like exercising or working.

Some common alcohol replacements include:

• Marijuana or other recreational substances
• Prescription or over-the-counter medications
• Nicotine
• Gambling
• Disordered eating behaviors, including bingeing or restricting
• Over-exercising
• Overworking
• Excessive social media or internet use
• Compulsive sexual behavior
• Unhealthy relationship patterns
• Shopping
• Risk-taking or adrenaline-seeking behaviors

I can honestly say I’m struggling with a few of these.

Weed is a good example. In my state, they make every imaginable flavor of THC and CBD drinks, and I find myself reaching for them whenever there’s a holiday or a “special occasion.” Unfortunately, those occasions seem to come around more often than not.

I think I have a better handle on the THC drinks than I used to, but when I do indulge, it often turns into a three- or four-day binge. That then leads to bingeing and purging with food, and I don’t want my bulimia to make its way back into my life.

It’s almost like I have this fear that I’m missing out on fun when everyone else is drinking and I’m not. If everyone around me is partying, I feel like I need to do something to reach that same level and feel included.

The truth is, I don’t even like it.

I hate how the THC drinks make me feel. I zone out. I don’t feel present as a mother. It fuels the version of myself I never want to become—the “housewife with an eating disorder”—and it pulls me further away from my long-term health goals.

To be fair, when I quit drinking, I also started restricting calories while dramatically increasing my running and workout routine. Part of that may simply be because I’m trying to lose weight and get back into shape. But I also have to wonder if it’s another example of cross-addiction. If alcohol was how I coped with difficult emotions, maybe now I’m just finding different outlets instead of actually learning how to process them.

That raises a question I’ve been thinking about:

Is it okay to use things like weed, running, or food to cope? Or are they simply new addictions hiding beneath the surface that become exposed once alcohol is gone?

I know there are evidence-based therapies that help address exactly this.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people recognize the thoughts, emotions, and situations that trigger drinking and develop healthier coping strategies.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can also be incredibly helpful, especially when cross-addiction is involved. It focuses on mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and building behaviors that align with your values instead of your impulses. It also acknowledges that complicated emotions can exist without needing to numb them.

I’m no therapist, but I do think understanding why we drank in the first place is just as important as quitting alcohol itself. Knowing that resources exist—and finding a therapist who can help unpack your specific experiences, trauma, and coping patterns—can make a huge difference.

For me, I think the goal isn’t to replace one addiction with another. It’s to replace addiction with purpose.

New passions. New routines. New ways of coping that actually move us toward the life we want instead of away from it.

More to come on that.