Episode Details

Epi 205: Transfer Addictions After Bariatric Surgery | Alcohol, Gambling, Shopping & More

After bariatric surgery, food might no longer be the go-to coping mechanism... but what replaces it?

🎙️ In this powerful follow-up episode, licensed bariatric therapist Ashlyn Douglass-Barnes, LCSW, returns to dive deeper into transfer addictions after weight loss surgery. From alcohol misuse to compulsive shopping, gambling, sex, and even workaholism—this conversation is real, raw, and essential for anyone in the post-op phase.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

🍷 The #1 Transfer Addiction: Alcohol
Why alcohol misuse is so common after bariatric surgery—and how your body metabolizes alcohol differently post-op.

🛑 Hidden Behaviors to Watch For
Ashlyn unpacks dangerous patterns like rage, shoplifting, overworking, gambling, and emotional spending (aka “debiting”)—and why these behaviors often take root post-op.

🔍 Therapeutic Tools & Red Flags
Learn how to spot the signs of a transfer addiction and explore resources like the AUDIT screening test to evaluate alcohol dependency.

🧠 Root-Cause Healing
Why trauma, shame, and identity shifts post-surgery fuel transfer addictions—and how therapy and self-awareness can break the cycle.

“You haven’t failed. You’re learning. And the more aware you become, the more empowered you are to heal.”
– Ashlyn Douglass-Barnes, LCSW 💙

🔔 Don’t Miss Out:

Subscribe to Our Sleeved Life Podcast for more expert interviews, mental health support, and real conversations about life after WLS

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