| Low estrogen and even testosterone set men and women up for addictions.Why? When both hormones are low – you have low energy. Sugar is a quick pick me up – and it also boosts dopamine. Two things most people over 40 are searching for – energy and to feel good!Perfect storm for addiction. Add compounding emotional pain from life’s experiences you weren’t taught how to deal with and boom breeding ground for addiction. The longer I’ve been in practice the more I’ve seen addictions develop mid-life. Not just alcohol. Not just drugs. But sugar. Shopping.Chips.Popcorn. Clothes. Shoes. Porn.Gambling. Even hoarding or scrolling…They’re all forms of “process addictions” — the ways we try to cope with unresolved emotional pain.And as we get older, these patterns don’t just go away. In fact, they often intensify. Midlife throws a lot at us:Divorce or relationship changesKids leaving the homeHormonal chaosBody changesShifts in mental health and energy It’s no surprise that many people over 40 find themselves reaching for things that offer even a moment of relief.I know, because it happened to me. I found myself driving out of my way to get chocolate. I had to ban chips from my house because I couldn’t stop at “just one”—or even one bag. As a doctor who teaches nutrition, I was embarrassed. I kept thinking, “What is wrong with me? I know better.”But it wasn’t about willpower. It was about pain – and in my case fueled by lot of back pain from a disc injury and emotional frustration about the health care system along the way. And hormones.When estradiol drops in women (and testosterone in men), sugar cravings can spike. Our neurotransmitters crash, willpower goes out the window, and we’re left feeling like we’re spiraling. The snacks, the wine, the shopping… they’re not the problem. They’re just trying to fill the hole.You’re not alone if you’ve been feeling this way. 🎧 In this week’s episode of The Health Fix Podcast (Episode 565), I sat down with Heather Graham from Healing Springs Ranch in Tioga, TX to dive deep into this topic. We’re talking:What process addictions really areWhy midlife is often the flashpointHow family involvement in treatment changes everythingWhy the root cause of addiction is emotional pain, not weaknessThe most powerful tools for healing that go beyond “just stopping”Heather and I discuss how most treatment programs fail to integrate the family and fail to treat the whole person. And how real healing starts when you get to know yourself—and have the tools to sit with what’s uncomfortable, instead of running from it. So if you’ve been leaning on sugar, wine, food, or anything else to get through the day, please know: 👉 You’re not broken. 👉 You’re not weak. 👉 You’re coping the best you can. But there is another way.🔗 Tune into Episode 565 of The Health Fix Podcast now – click the orange link below.With love, Dr. J |
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