Member- Jacqui90
- 6 years ago
- Wedding: April 2019
My family, on my dad’s side, has a history of obesity, particularly related to food consumption (type and amount). Both sides have a history of addiction – some smokers, one or two alcohol, and it is possible some addiction to food (on my dad’s side) as well, although that I am less certain.
From both sides I have inherited an addictive personality. I have never smoked, haven’t done drugs, rarely touch alcohol (especially for fear of it interfering with my medications). My addiction (that all my doctors and my dietitian agree with as a likelihood) is junk food. We (my dietitian and I) have tried going cold turkey, substitution (of slightly healthier options), to no avail. Now we are trying a ‘rehab’ approach, slowly reducing the amounts each week to wean me off.
So I have been weighing and measuring my foods that I like to have, and leaving the leftovers in the kitchen and not touching them. Red bull is my favourite drink and I usually have 1-2 473ml cans a day. So I pour the amount I can have into a measuring jug and then into a glass. I pour the rest into the sink and throw the can in the recycling. I posted on Facebook about how different red bull tastes in a glass as opposed to in the can. Two of my aunts (both my dad’s sisters) posted a comment about shock about me drinking ‘that stuff’, how it is bad for you, telling me not to drink it.
I have come across comments like that here, but from my own family members, both of whom have struggled with their own addictions, I did not expect it at all! When my immediate family (parents and my sister) were not understanding at all of what I was going through, why I wasn’t able to get out of bed all day, why I couldn’t just “snap out of it”, they understood. Both of them (and my dad’s other sister) went through periods of depression. So they understood how I felt, and we often email about what’s happening, either with me or them or anything.
So reading what they said just broke me. I haven’t cried in a fair while, except for watching The Help last night, and reading that just made me cry. My response was something like ‘telling me that red bull’s bad for me and I shouldn’t drink it is like telling someone addicted to cigarettes that cigarettes are bad for them and they shouldn’t smoke them.’
Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation, where someone you thought would understand and be supportive, wasn’t? If so, how did you deal with it?
