What Is Transfer Addiction and How to Avoid It?

Recovering from an addiction can be a long, challenging, and expensive process. What many people do not realize is that the recovery process does not end once they complete treatment at one of the addiction solutions in Florida. Aside from the danger of relapse, people who complete treatment can develop a transfer addiction, swapping their old substance for a new substance or behavior. So what is transfer addiction, and how do you avoid it?

What Is Transfer Addiction?

In a nutshell, transfer addiction is when you substitute one addiction for another. It usually happens shortly after the initial recovery process, when a person does not know how to live their life without the substance they previously abused. A prime example of transfer addiction is a person who quits opioids and starts drinking heavily. Or someone who stops drinking and starts gambling. In both cases, the old addiction has simply been replaced with a new one. Another way of looking at transfer addiction is that a person is trying to fill the void left by the original addiction.

There are two components to transfer addictions: behavioral and physical. From a behavioral standpoint, transfer addiction provides the person in recovery with something to do. They used to rely on their substance of choice to cope with boredom and stress. As a result, they need a replacement now that they are sober, which is why boredom in early recovery is such a common trigger. On a physical note, transfer addiction is there because the brain’s reward system has adapted to the substance, so after quitting, ordinary pleasures can feel flat, and anything that offers a quick reward becomes more tempting.

A person who is fresh out of a partial hospitalization program in Boynton Beach may start relying on any of these substances and/or activities to get through each day. While none of these substances and activities are dangerous if used in moderation, leaning on them too heavily can turn into a transfer addiction. Furthermore, some activities (such as gambling) have the potential to ruin your life as quickly and surely as your original addiction.

How Does Transfer Addiction “Work”?

People fall into transfer addiction because their brains are still searching for the same positive feedback they got from their substance of choice. Making big changes to old habits and routines is uncomfortable, and that discomfort makes a quick substitute even more appealing.

Another reason why you may develop a transfer addiction is that it is rather easy to “talk yourself into it”. Since you are not going back to your old substance, it can feel like it doesn’t count as a relapse, and even like an easy way of managing your recovery. It isn’t. A transfer addiction creates many more problems than it solves. Therefore, a transfer addiction is not a solution to the problem; it is simply transferring a habit from one substance to another substance or activity.

Why Is It a Problem?

Transfer addiction is a huge problem because it can undermine the whole. Not only will the transfer addiction bring its own downsides to the proverbial table, but it can also create a feeling that no matter what you do, you are always going to be addicted to something. This has significant potential to feed depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Furthermore, a new addiction keeps you from building the coping skills that recovery depends on, which can make a return to your original substance more likely.

What Causes Transfer Addiction?

Most commonly, transfer addiction occurs when the root cause of the addiction is not properly addressed. During the initial addiction process, your brain becomes wired in such a way that you will do almost anything to acquire your substance of choice. You may disregard any negative consequences of your actions, just to get that next dopamine hit. Unless the addiction is properly treated, for example, at a drug rehab in Florida, it is easy to fall into the same behavior again. In addition, you may also develop transfer addiction because you need something to help you stay sober.

Life throws all sorts of curveballs at us every single day. We are supposed to handle stress, pain, and anxiety on a daily level. Most people who develop an addiction use various substances to help them deal with their lives. Transfer addiction works the same way, except that it can involve a range of activities, instead of just one:

• Gambling
• Sex
• Shopping
• Overworking
• Binge eating
• Gaming
• Nicotine
• Pornography
• Benzodiazepines
• Compulsive exercising

As you can see, many of these activities are not inherently unhealthy if taken in moderation. The problem with transfer addiction is that all of these activities and substances are not taken in moderation, but in excess. The risk is real, but it is lower than many people assume. A national study of U.S. adults found that 13.1% of people who recovered from a substance use disorder developed a new one within three years, compared with 27.2% of people whose first disorder continued. Recovery lowers the risk of a new addiction; it just does not remove it.

Is Transfer Addiction Treatable?

Yes, transfer addiction is treatable. However, there are a couple of issues that may make the treatment quite challenging. First, there is the issue of recognizing it. A transfer addiction can be hard to spot in yourself or in someone else, especially if that addiction involves normally healthy activities such as working out. Second, even thinking about undergoing another recovery process might be too much for many people. While some people may realize that their transfer addiction indicates that they have unresolved issues, many people will simply feel defeated, frustrated, or embarrassed. After going through heroin rehab in Florida, for example, it can be very difficult to “force” yourself into yet another treatment program.

Still, getting professional treatment is always in your best interest. Going back does not have to mean starting over: an intensive outpatient program in Boynton Beach can fit around work and family, and if cost is a worry, start by checking what your plan covers, such as Cigna coverage for rehab. The best thing to do is consider transfer addiction as a sign that your recovery process is not yet complete. Instead of focusing on how you failed (you haven’t), you now have clear proof that your underlying issues are not yet resolved.

How to Identify Transfer Addiction

Transfer addiction can be difficult to identify at first. Chances are that you will not even realize what is going on until someone else points it out to you. The signs are similar to those of any addiction. Here are some of the most common signs you may be able to spot:

• Constantly thinking about the new substance and/or activity
• Feeling stressed out, anxious, or even suicidal if you can’t partake in the new activity or lose access to the new substance
• Neglecting to take care of yourself
• Choosing to prioritize the new activity/substance over anything else
• Having trouble at school or work due to spending too much time and effort on a new activity and/or substance

If you don’t see these signs but still suspect that you might be developing transfer addiction, you may also want to ask yourself a few questions. First, ask yourself about the level of compulsion that you feel about the new activity/substance. If you are doing it automatically, without really choosing to, it may already be turning into a transfer addiction. Second, consider whether your new behavior is impacting your life in a negative way. If you find yourself constantly feeling bad about yourself after partaking in a certain activity or using a certain substance, treat that as a strong warning sign.

How to Avoid Transfer Addiction?

Approach transfer addiction the same way you would any other addiction. That means that you need to be aware that any addictive behavior has the potential to ruin your life. An addiction to gambling, for example, may have serious negative consequences, while an addiction to sugar can lead to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. With that in mind, let’s see what you can do to avoid transfer addiction and not have to deal with any negative repercussions.

Staying Vigilant

Transfer addiction can be extremely “sneaky”. It can creep up on you without you even noticing its onset. This is especially true if you are replacing your former addiction with something that is seemingly benign, such as simple indulgences. While simple indulgences may help you overcome the initial period after your treatment, they have the potential to grow into transfer addiction if you are not careful.

To start with, try to notice any signs of avoidant behavior. This means that you pay attention to what you are doing in stressful situations, especially if your behavior is becoming (or already is) a habit. A recovery journal makes these patterns easier to see. The earlier you are able to figure out that you are exhibiting the symptoms of transfer addiction, the better.

Seeing a Professional Therapist

As mentioned previously, the most common cause of transfer addiction is when the underlying cause of your addiction is not fully treated. The best way to treat the underlying cause is to see a professional therapist and work on your issues. A professional therapist can help you identify what is really going on and can help you take control of your life. There are many co-existing factors that may contribute to your addictive behavior (trauma, avoidant behavior, mental health issues, etc.), all of which can be treated with the help of a professional therapist.

Using What You’ve Already Learned

Regardless of how you’ve managed to recover from your addiction, the fact of the matter is that you did. Whether you have gone through alcohol addiction treatment, a 12-step program, or powered through recovery on your own, you definitely learned a lot during that process. These lessons can help you overcome it and transfer your addiction with a bit more effort. The first step is to consider your transfer addiction as a “real” addiction. This is something that most people have problems with, as being addicted to shopping is quite different than being addicted to cocaine, for example.

However, the two have more in common than it seems. Both serve the same purpose, and both keep you from the life you worked to build in recovery. By indulging in any one of them, you are preventing yourself from developing healthy behaviors and coping mechanisms. Once you realize that your transfer addiction is as dangerous as your former addiction, you will be able to apply everything that you have learned so far. Most of the skills that help with one addiction, from recognizing triggers to calling someone before acting on an urge, work for others too.

Developing New Habits

Another way of dealing with transfer addiction is to adopt new habits. Of course, this is never simple and may require quite a bit of effort on your part. Transfer addiction is tempting partly because it offers a way to live your life in a similar way as before. However, if you do put some time and effort into creating new habits, you may be able to stave off transfer addiction completely. What you want to do is create a completely new routine for yourself, one that will have a positive contribution to your life.

For example, let’s say that you’re used to indulging in a substance at a specific time of day. Instead of replacing the substance with another substance, try changing the habit to something else, such as hanging out with a friend. While it may feel weird and unnatural at first, you will soon form a brand new, healthier, habit if you keep at it long enough. In one well-known study, it took participants a median of 66 days for a new daily habit to feel automatic, with a range of 18 to 254 days, so give a new routine a couple of months before judging whether it is working.

Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is one of the most useful tools for preventing transfer addiction. Being mindful means being fully present in the moment and having the ability to observe your thoughts, motivations, behaviors, and feelings in a conscious manner. Aside from helping you avoid or overcome your transfer addiction, mindfulness training will help you increase your self-awareness. It will also allow you to recognize your addictive triggers and help you realize what your personal strengths are.

Mindfulness practice is something that is often used in numerous addiction treatment programs. It is also one of the core components of DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). In a randomized trial, people who completed an eight-week mindfulness-based relapse prevention program had fewer days of drug use and heavy drinking a year later than people in standard relapse prevention or usual care. There are many mindfulness exercises that you can practice, including body scan meditation, living in the moment, walking meditation, and focusing on your breathing. There is a chance that you might find a certain exercise to be too difficult for you, but that does not mean that you should skip practicing mindfulness altogether. The more you keep at it, the easier it will be.

One of the best aspects of mindfulness practice is that you can do it virtually anywhere. You can perform simple mindfulness exercises while you are traveling, while you are waiting in line, or in any other situation. That said, some of the more structured exercises (sitting meditation, body scan meditation, etc.) might require setting aside some time and space.

How long should you practice mindfulness?

To get the most benefit from mindfulness exercises, practice a little every day rather than a lot once in a while. Structured programs, like the eight-week one in that trial, build in daily practice at home, and many people keep it up long after the program ends. While it may be awkward at first, you will soon realize that you are getting better at it. Over time, noticing an urge before you act on it becomes second nature.

Prevent your transfer addiction with the help of Bright Futures Treatment Center

One of the most effective ways to deal with any sort of addiction, transfer addiction included, is to get in touch with a specialized treatment center. At Bright Futures Treatment Center, we have specialized knowledge of what transfer addiction is and how to avoid it. We are focused on helping anyone struggling with addiction to find a sense of purpose and a meaningful life in recovery. Our professional medical staff has the necessary training to create an individualized recovery plan that takes every factor of your situation into account. We treat a wide range of addictions, with programs from prescription drug addiction treatment to alcohol addiction treatment.

Every client is paired with a licensed, master’s-level therapist who can help with every part of a substance addiction. Furthermore, we offer a wide variety of treatment modalities and therapies, including:

• Outpatient treatment
• Partial hospitalization treatment
• Virtual IOP
• Couples rehab
• Medically assisted treatment
• Aftercare
• Alumni programs
• Various therapeutic activities
• Group sessions
• Dual diagnosis
• Holistic treatment
• Trauma-informed treatment

Through our personalized treatment programs, you can learn all the skills you need to live a fully sober life and improve your overall wellness and quality of life.

Structure and a Caring Environment Are Our Core Principles

At Bright Futures Treatment Center, our philosophy is to meet the client exactly where they are. We develop a personalized recovery program and identify the treatment options that will benefit our clients the most. Furthermore, our clinicians are highly trained to modify treatment options as the situation progresses and the needs of our clients change. We firmly believe in keeping the structure of the recovery process, as well as its environment, intimate and caring. If you have any other questions about what transfer addiction is and how to avoid it, call our team at (844) 207-7772 or send a message through our contact page.

References

Blanco, C., Okuda, M., Wang, S., Liu, S.-M., & Olfson, M. (2014). Testing the drug substitution switching-addictions hypothesis: A prospective study in a nationally representative sample. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(11), 1246–1253. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1206

Bowen, S., Witkiewitz, K., Clifasefi, S. L., Grow, J., Chawla, N., Hsu, S. H., Carroll, H. A., Harrop, E., Collins, S. E., Lustyk, M. K., & Larimer, M. E. (2014). Relative efficacy of mindfulness-based relapse prevention, standard relapse prevention, and treatment as usual for substance use disorders: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(5), 547–556. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.4546

King, W. C., Chen, J.-Y., Mitchell, J. E., Kalarchian, M. A., Steffen, K. J., Engel, S. G., Courcoulas, A. P., Pories, W. J., & Yanovski, S. Z. (2012). Prevalence of alcohol use disorders before and after bariatric surgery. JAMA, 307(23), 2516–2525. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.6147

Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674

FAQs

Is transfer addiction the same as cross-addiction?

The terms are often used interchangeably. Some clinicians use cross-addiction more broadly, for having two addictions at the same time, while transfer addiction describes replacing one addiction with another, usually during recovery.

Is it safe to drink alcohol if you were addicted to a different drug?

Most addiction specialists advise against it, especially in early recovery. Alcohol lowers inhibitions, which makes cravings for the original drug harder to resist, and drinking can become a new addiction on its own.

Is medication-assisted treatment a transfer addiction?

No. Medications such as buprenorphine and methadone, taken as prescribed under medical supervision, treat opioid use disorder by stabilizing brain chemistry and reducing cravings. Physical dependence on a prescribed medication is not the same as addiction, which means compulsive use despite harm.

Can weight-loss surgery lead to transfer addiction?

It can. In a large U.S. study, the share of bariatric surgery patients with an alcohol use disorder rose from 7.6% before surgery to 9.6% in the second year after it, with most of the increase among people who had gastric bypass. People who have had weight-loss surgery should talk to their doctor about alcohol.