Anyone else use addictive behaviors to cope with anxiety?

I’ve been running from my social anxiety and depression for about 20 years.

At first, I used drugs from age 14-19 to cope with my issues. I then got sober and have stayed drug and alcohol free for 13 years.

I have since been using other techniques to run from the anxiety. The addictive stuff has been porn and food. About 2 years ago I started watching porn every single day for hours and hours. Then when I couldn’t continue anymore for the day I would eat really really fatty sugary foods, such as full boxes of Oreos or 10 bear claws followed by a bag of chips, rinse and repeat.

About 6 months ago my wife couldn’t take my issues anymore and she left. (Long story). And since then it gave me the energy to try and change my life. So I was sober from all porn and unhealthy sexual behavior and also changed my eating habits. I started going to therapy and other healthy changes.

I started to feel better and had a positive outlook on life

The past 2 weeks though everything has fallen apart in my mind. I have had insane social anxiety l, the inability to have decent conversation at work, and have been so so sooo insecure. It’s eating my brain! True Or not, I felt the pain, and I literally felt like I had only a few options. 1) quit my job 2) kill myself 3) relapse in the addictive behaviors because at least I would have some momentary espesor from the self imposed stress.

And it did the job of escape, but of course when the addictive behaviors are over, it all floods back and the problems aren’t gone.

Has anyone else experienced using addictive stuff to escape the anxiety stress?

triceps said:

H Master. I became an alcoholic while trying to ease the effects of my constant anxiety. I've been sober now for 9 years which helps my anxiety as it would go through the roof when I was hungover.
Just my opinion, I think the eating addiction is much more dangerous than your porn addiction. Sounds like you need to find a healthier addition and distraction from all of that negative thinking. How about exercise or writing an autobiography as it sounds like you've had an eventful life? Hope things settle down for you at work.

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Thanks. Have you noticed that you switch to other coping mechanisms like I have?

To be honest, I would say the porn/sex addiction is worse than food for me. I go pretty deep into the non-vanilla categories, and let’s just say four or more hours a day, 10+ times per day. Also, one of the main categories I viewed is BDSM submissive stuff because the degradation aspect and how extreme it is sends me to a Nother “realm “ also, one of the main categories I viewed his BDSM submissive stuff because the degradation aspect and how extreme it is sends me to a Nother “Rome “ and the deeper I go into that escaped, the more I can ignore and not feel the depression and anxiety

Does this make sense to you or anyone else? The intense need to escape this reality by doing addictive behaviors, which takes the mind out of the real world and into Fantasy?