One in ten of us will be...

YW. 

(I had no idea you spoke FOUR languages, BTW (I only knew of two)!  Can I ask which ones?)

Lora

Polish English Russian and Greek... (I learn Polish and Russian in school - 8 years... , Greek - I lived there for 2 years - with Greek people -  total immersions)  I have very little practice now in the last 2 - but I still understand and my last conversation in Russian was maybe 3 months ago.. we were telling jokes... and talk politic - and culture.. Greek is more rusty - but I can read it... (not much writing but most Greeks can't write it well either..- difficult language)
I do not count German - learned that in school for 4 years.. Or French -  (from Canada) - in both of those I can say fluently that I do not speak or understand... lol. (I do some - but not admit to..)

Beside that - The Slovenian - spoken in Slovenia - is so similar to Polish that we can have conversion back and forth.... They will understand me and I will them... And Ukrainian is somewhere between Russian and Polish... But - I do not count that...

Mainly now I do operate - rather fluently in 2... Polish and English...

Wow!  I wanted to take Russian when i was in High School, but you had to be a Sophomore and the summer before my Sophomore year, one of the German teachers quit unexpectedly and they needed the Russian teacher to teach all German classes. :(

I college (both undergrad and grad school the first time), I took Latin (no longer spoken, of course) and Ancient Greek (again, written only, but at least I can read the words for modern Greek even if I don't know what the majority of them mean!), and in grad school I had to pass a reading comprehension exam in either French or German (I chose French).  So the only language other than English that I can speak is Italian, and I only speak that well BARELY enough to travel (basic greetings and phrases, ask and understand where the bathroom is, order food or buy tickets, ask how much something costs, basic directions, etc.)

I would still like to speak Italian better and to learn Russian, but finishing my dissertation takes priority!  Perhaps once that is done...

Lora

 The definition I provided was not just for pills... It is for ALL types of physical substance addictions including food addiction.  Behavioral addictions have the same GENERAL criteria but slightly differences in the details since there is no physical aspect, etc.

Lora

Every time I read the actual clinical definition of addiction, I am relieved to know that (other than tolerance, which I'd be a fool to argue against) I am not even close to the clinical definition of addiction (for my pain meds, not food, I don't meet ANY of the criteria for food). Addiction is one of my largest phobias.

My PCP agrees on the tolerance thing, but he also doesn't think I have addiction issues. He says if I stop, I'll hurt. He is right. When I stop, I hurt. While it wasn't pleasant to go 48 hours without the pain meds prior to my recent medial branch block, I wasn't exhibiting any of the signs of withdrawal (other than the pain which is the reason for them)

If I had demonstrated signs of addiction, true physical addiction, I might have decided not to start taking the pills again, as pain is preferable to addiction.

And on the topic of this entire gargantuan thread, I know that alcohol addiction is real. Iv'e know individuals who didn't care for alcohol pre-op, who didn't think it would matter to have alcohol a little postop since it wasn't an issue pre-op. And yet that one drink was all it took to lead to a pattern of behavior that literally ruined their universe. (and their body, their family relationships, and in some cases their freedom or life) I'm not a hypocrite, I've had alcohol postop, but I dump on anything more than wine, and any more than 2 oz of wine and I'm drop-dead-drunk. Perhaps my knowlege of my own non-addictive-personality made me brave, but so many think they're immune and then wham, they're addicted. I find that alcohol doesn't do much for me, exacerbates my RH, and makes me feel awful.

Yes, I know a number of people who were not even really drinkers before surgery but who have found themselves drinking more than they woud like post-op. There is only one that I worry about being/becoming an alcoholic, but that is because the others recognized fairly early on what was happening and have taken steps to put the brakes on.  

I have to admit that after my PTSD skyrocketed when I had the triggering, "nose" breaking incident in the ER, I was having a shot of bourbon almost every night for a couple of weeks once I got out of the hospital (my anxiety level increased significantly at dusk).  It takes so little alcohol to get the buzz and to relieve the anxiety...  When I realized that I was doing it almost every night, I realized how easy it would be to get into trouble and I quit immediately.  I just took the Ativan that the doctor prescribed (which I was reluctant to take twice a day every day because of fears of addiction).  I have seen enough clients who are hooked on various "benzo"s, and how incredibly difficult it is to get someone off of them, that I am extra careful about the Ativan.

Lora

The most essential part of anyone's life journey is self-awareness and self-knowlege. I've always tried to understand myself. I always examine my actions and try to source out the reason for my being upset, because I like to understand my own motives, and we are self-delusional, us human beings. But I like to understand and change if necessary, or if I realize something isn't really in a category that feels capable of change, then I try to understand how my own personality quirks color my world.

I think that is why this particular post was so offensive... to have someone else give out willy-nilly armchair diagnoses and discount any self-knowlege that successful postops have is the height of arrogance, and very presumptuous.

I think you are right about why it was so offensive, or at least part of the reason why.  Really, do you think I never considered the idea that I might be addicted to food?  I thought about it.  I wanted to understand why I overate.  I talked to my therapist about it.  I talked to my psychiatrist about it.  Even if I was in denial (and I am not), does it seem likely that both experienced mental health care professionals would be fooled by my denial and agree that I am not addicted to food?  I think it's very arrogant for someone that has never even met me to assume she knows better than two licensed mental health care professionals who have been treating for for some time.

 I never considered myself a food addict either -- but I can see the real possibilty of addicting to other behaviors if they were available.  I don't know if I would become ........ truly addicted to any of them.  Who knows?  I will never say never.

I thought the Adamant Food Addict deactivated? I feel like the issue is really more about someone making a blanket statement pertaining to hundreds of people that are on this board. None of which are known personally to the postee ( I have no degree in English so quite possibly that was NOT a word!)The assumption that you "know" more about me than I do is offensive. But if you want to know the truth.. I was fat because I liked to eat, I really liked to eat. I didn't hide it, I didn't sneak it I didn't have compulsions or rituals. I cooked it, it tasted good, so I ate it.
I'm just sorry that Melting Mama/Beth's very relevant posting was hijacked.