Is Sugar Addiction Real?

 

When I tell people what I do for a living the responses I get are really a mixed bag.

Ones I get all the time are:

“Oh, I’m sugar addict for sure.” That one is usually said with a smile and in a joking tone.

“Where are the cupcakes?” (candy or ice cream etc) At that point, I know that I’m being made fun of and I just smile and nod.

“Oh, you have to talk to my wife.” (or husband, mother, father etc.) It’s always someone else.

Then the kicker: “Is that a real thing?”

So let’s look at that question.

Is sugar addiction a real disorder?

According to the DSM 5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition the DSM serves as a universal authority for psychiatric diagnoses – sugar addiction is not recognized as an official disorder – yet.

It seems like there has been controversy recently about addictive behaviors and the folks who compile the manual. Sex addiction was not named as a real disorder in the most recent version while gambling disorder was.

Binge Eating Disorder was named to the manual most recently as well. We could all speculate that binge eating disorder was just sugar addiction in the binge phase.

We must remember that there have to be tons of peer reviewed studies done on each diagnosis for it to be included in the DSM.

Sugar addiction is still a relatively new concept as far as psychiatric diagnosis go.

While lots of folks, both recovering and not yet recovering from excess sugar use, seem to swear that they are sugar addicts and must abstain from all sugars in order to feel sane and get huge health benefits like weight loss – it may be a while before we are blessed with the official diagnosis.

So where does that leave you?

I think a lot about this question.

It seems we have a time gap.

That gap being when we are able to have doctors and drug companies working on this issue and our current reality.

Our current reality being that on a macro level that we have a worldwide pandemic that is draining resources and harming people and then we have our own personal reality.

We chose to focus on our own personal reality – YOUR personal reality.

It could be years before this idea is accepted as a mainstream concept. Most of us don’t have “years.”

We want results and change today.

I’ve said many times that our most successful clients are pioneers in some way. In their families, in their careers or just in their lives.

You are not afraid to be first. You are the definition of an early adopter.

You are not afraid of what others might say.

And you most definitely are not going to wait for a doctor to bless your issue with sugar and give you a pill.

Yes, Virginia, in my humble opinion sugar addiction is real.

If you’ve tried to quit and failed, maybe multiple times, you have intimate, first-hand knowledge that may be enough for you to plant your flag and finally ask for a bit of help in your journey.

If you’re ready we’re here.