Can excessive behavior toward one substance increase the probability of excessive behavior toward another?  Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine say yes, pointing to their recent study of binge eating. Not only does it lead to excessive food intake and obesity, but they now believe that individuals with a record of binge eating are more susceptible to other addictive behaviors, specifically cocaine addiction. Laboratory experiments found a link between bingeing on fat and the development of cocaine-seeking and risk-taking behaviors in rats.

The idea of substituting one addictive substance for another is nothing new to us. We see it often when students who no longer have access to drugs or alcohol begin to “use” food. A big part of our job is to convince them that until they can identify and deal with the emotional, mental and spiritual source of their substance abuse problem, they will continue to struggle physically with their addictive behavior.

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