Chocolate a gateway drug

Dearest Chocoholic,

I’ve just had a seriously long sleep, to recover from a fun-filled 5 hour classathon at my local gym in aid of Breast Cancer! It become more challenging as the night went on, and by the time we arrived at Body Balance, I was stepping out of my body and just going through the motions to the five minute relaxation at the end!! Proudly, I did reach the end of it all and I have no doubt that was due to the power of the group dynamic pulling me through! Without support of others it can be rather too challenging to get through things can’t it!

Back to you! I have been called to write a piece on chocolate being a gateway drug, for quite a while now it seems, so here it is!

To start off, what exactly is a ‘gateway drug,’ well it is something that you reach for first when you feel the need of a ‘pick-me-up,’ usually. This could be food, alcohol,drugs, sex, exercise, the Internet, whatever really. Essentially, it is something that you feel that you cannot live without, as your ‘fix’ helps you to get through your day, your week, month and dare I say, your life!!

Food, has often been described as a ‘gateway drug,’ weirdly, chocolate has rarely been described in such a way?!! Personally, I do feel that chocolate is indeed a ‘gateway drug,’ as so many, women especially are ‘using,’ is as a way of avoiding facing their underlying emotional issues in their lives. Sadly, chocolate is rarely taken seriously as being a ‘gateway drug,’ as it is so available, AND affordable and is brought out on so many occassions be it sad or happy that it can easily get laughed off, and ignored, as crazy as this might sounds. For example: ‘ Oh it’s just a bit of chocolate, nothing really to worry about, oh this is just to celebrate getting my job, making it through to Friday…" I am sure you know exactly what I mean here!!!!

I do, then feel chocolate is a gateway drug and I would love to hear your feelings and thoughts on this! Here on theblog, on twitter( chocolaterehab) or even on facebook, or to me: carrie@chocolaterehab.com !

The most common question to me is: " Carrie are you anti-chocolate?" and I respond: " I am not, I’m rather pro helping chocolate addicts balance out their addiction to chocolate, so that they can address the underlying issues of it, such  feeling better about themselves and their lives and their purpose! " "As, I feel when you do this, you find chocolate easier to resist! I am of course aware of many chocolate addicts admitting that they’re no quitters! I’m not suggesting you quit eating chocolate, just balancing out the addiction, when  and IF it feels right for you!!

Love, giggles & light,

Carriexxx