Addiction-Substitution: Beyond Abstinence and Towards Freedom

Many people beginning recovery from an addiction or compulsive behaviour assume that once they give it up, life will simply fall into place. And while life does often improve, many may also experience an unsettling reality: once the original compulsion fades, another quietly takes its place. Instead of alcohol, it might be sugar. Instead of cocaine, caffeine or sex. Addictive patterns are, at their core, coping strategies—ways of bringing comfort and ease. When that comfort is removed, the underlying need still seeks to be met. This phenomenon I call addiction-substitution.

Understanding it is essential, because recovery is not just about abstaining—it’s about freedom.

What Is Addiction-Substitution?

Addiction-substitution occurs when one compulsive behaviour is replaced by another. For example, a person who stops drinking might begin overeating, or someone who gives up gambling might turn to online shopping. The behaviour changes, but the underlying drive—to soothe distress, fill emptiness, or escape discomfort—remains the same. Understanding why this might happen can help us move from merely avoiding harm to truly healing.

The Psychology and Neuroscience of Compulsion

All compulsive behaviours generally share a common thread: we use them to ease a sense of dis-ease inside. Whether the object is alcohol, nicotine, food, or pornography, the core mechanism is similar—a powerful urge to change how we feel. From a neurological perspective, addictions hijack the brain’s reward system, particularly pathways involving dopamine (2). Dopamine doesn’t directly create pleasure—it generates wanting. It’s what drives us to seek out rewards and repeat behaviours that feel good. Over time, the brain adapts, becoming less responsive to natural sources of pleasure. Everyday joys—like connection, creativity, or rest—can feel dull or empty. This “reward deficiency” leaves people vulnerable to chasing stronger stimulation, even if the original addiction has ended (2, 5).

From Alcohol to Sugar: A Common Example

When someone enters recovery, their craving may fade, but the brain’s wiring remains. It starts to look for new ways to get dopamine hits: shopping, scrolling, food, sugar, sex. These can feel harmless, even healthy—but if they’re used to cope with discomfort, the same cycle of dependency may form. Alcohol, for instance, suppresses appetite and lowers blood sugar. When it’s removed, sugar cravings often appear. Sweet foods can replicate the comfort and ease alcohol once provided. In fact, early AA literature notes that Dr. Bob, one of the movement’s founders, “always kept candy nearby and encouraged newcomers to eat sweets to combat cravings” (1).

Behavioural Addictions: When Dopamine Finds a New Home

Food isn’t the only substitute. Many people in recovery notice an obsessive pull toward other dopamine-rich activities—exercise, sex, social media, caffeine, or work. A 2022 study in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that around 43% of people in recovery were at high risk of multiple addictive behaviours—from gaming and social media to caffeine and exercise (5). These behaviours often serve the same emotional purpose: managing anxiety, boosting mood, or regaining a sense of control. As recovery literature puts it:

“The good thing about recovery is you get your emotions back; the bad thing about recovery is you get your emotions back.”

Emotions once numbed by substances may return—sometimes with force. Desire, connection, and vulnerability can all feel overwhelming. Even caffeine or work—both socially approved forms of stimulation—can become subtle replacements, giving a temporary sense of control or purpose while avoiding deeper emotional work (3, 6).

Why Substitution Happens

Replacing one addiction with another isn’t about weakness or lack of willpower. It reflects real needs—emotional, physical, and psychological—that still require attention. Three key factors explain why substitution occurs:

1. Dopamine and the Neurobiology of Sobriety After long-term addiction, the brain remains sensitive to dopamine cues. Without the familiar highs, life may feel flat or meaningless for a time (2).

2. Emotional Pain Substances may often mask feelings such as anxiety, shame, loneliness, or boredom. When they’re gone, these emotions might resurface. Developing emotional sobriety—the ability to feel and manage emotions safely—is vital (4, 6).

3. Identity and Meaning Addiction may become part of one’s identity. The rituals, relationships, even the chaos, create structure. When that disappears, a void opens up. New compulsions may unconsciously fill that space, offering temporary relief or distraction (4).

The Path to Freedom

If addiction-substitution is part of the challenge, recovery may have to involve more than simply stopping a behaviour. It’s about creating connection, healing, and purpose.

Here are three foundations for that process:

1. Support Systems Groups such as Twelve Step programmes offer community and service. For many, helping others in recovery becomes an essential part of their own healing (1).

2. Therapy Counselling—especially person-centred or trauma-informed therapy—helps address the roots of addiction: pain, loss, shame, and unmet needs. This can be where emotional healing begins (4, 6).

3. Balanced Living Recovery is about building a life that naturally nourishes dopamine and meaning—through exercise, creativity, rest, and spirituality. These help the nervous system reset and re-engage with real life (2, 4).Sobriety is more than abstinence. It’s an investment in the whole person.

True Recovery and Emotional Freedom

If you’ve used a substance or behaviour for years, your body and mind may need time to recalibrate. Seeking substitutes—through food, work, or relationships—can be part of that process. Rather than signs of failure, these patterns can highlight where healing is still needed (4, 6). True recovery is not just freedom from addiction, but freedom within life itself—the ability to sit with desire, tolerate discomfort, and discover what genuine fulfilment feels like. When that happens, the urge to replace one compulsion with another begins to fade. What remains is not freedom from craving, but freedom from its control.

Sources

1. Alcoholics Anonymous (1952). Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.

2. Koob, G. & Volkow, N. (2016). “Neurobiology of addiction: A neurocircuitry analysis.” The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(8), 760–773.

3. Blum, K. et al. (1996). “Reward deficiency syndrome: A biogenetic model for impulsive, addictive, and compulsive behaviors.” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 28(1), 1–12.

4. Maté, G. (2008). In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. Knopf Canada.

5. Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022). “Multiple addictive behaviors in recovery: Risk factors and correlations.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 867456.

6. Twerski, A. J. (1997). Addictive Thinking: Understanding Self-Deception. Hazelden.