From One Addiction to Another: Understanding and Managing Addiction Transfer Following Bariatric Surgery
Tracks
Marquis Room - In-Person Only
| Thursday, May 28, 2026 |
| 10:40 AM - 11:00 AM |
Overview
Loretta Woodford, QLD Health
Details
Three Key Learnings
1. Addiction Transfer After Bariatric Surgery: Bariatric surgery, especially Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, alters the body’s metabolism and brain reward pathways, leading some patients to transition from food addiction to alcohol dependence. This phenomenon, known as addiction transfer, is driven by biological changes such as faster alcohol absorption and heightened brain sensitivity, combined with psychological factors like unresolved trauma and poor emotional coping.
2. The Role of Psychological and Emotional Factors: Food addiction and Binge Eating Disorder are closely linked with mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma. Emotional stress, adverse childhood experiences, and psychological vulnerabilities significantly contribute to the risk of both obesity and substance use disorders. Recovery from addiction and post-surgery adjustment require comprehensive psychological support and trauma-informed care.
3. Importance of Multidisciplinary Screening and Care: Preventing and managing addiction transfer demands early and ongoing screening for substance use, eating disorders, and mental health conditions before and after surgery. Utilizing validated tools and integrating coordinated care from surgeons, mental health professionals, addiction specialists, and dietitians is critical to support patients' physical and psychological well-being and improve long-term outcomes.
1. Addiction Transfer After Bariatric Surgery: Bariatric surgery, especially Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, alters the body’s metabolism and brain reward pathways, leading some patients to transition from food addiction to alcohol dependence. This phenomenon, known as addiction transfer, is driven by biological changes such as faster alcohol absorption and heightened brain sensitivity, combined with psychological factors like unresolved trauma and poor emotional coping.
2. The Role of Psychological and Emotional Factors: Food addiction and Binge Eating Disorder are closely linked with mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma. Emotional stress, adverse childhood experiences, and psychological vulnerabilities significantly contribute to the risk of both obesity and substance use disorders. Recovery from addiction and post-surgery adjustment require comprehensive psychological support and trauma-informed care.
3. Importance of Multidisciplinary Screening and Care: Preventing and managing addiction transfer demands early and ongoing screening for substance use, eating disorders, and mental health conditions before and after surgery. Utilizing validated tools and integrating coordinated care from surgeons, mental health professionals, addiction specialists, and dietitians is critical to support patients' physical and psychological well-being and improve long-term outcomes.
Speaker
Loretta Woodford
Clinical Nurse ATODS
Qld Health
From One Addiction to Another: Understanding and Managing Addiction Transfer Following Bariatric Surgery
Abstract
Bariatric surgery offers life-changing benefits for individuals living with severe obesity, yet an unintended consequence is becoming increasingly evident: the phenomenon of addiction transfer, where patients shift from food addiction to alcohol dependence. This presentation explores the biological, psychological, and clinical dimensions of addiction transfer in post-bariatric populations, drawing on case studies, recent research, and frontline psychiatric experience.
Through the lens of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and Addictions, we examine how neurobiological changes, such as alterations to the gut-brain axis, dopamine pathways, and alcohol metabolism, interact with unresolved trauma, emotional vulnerability, and pre-existing psychiatric conditions. Using the poignant story of Lisa, a woman whose post-surgical journey was marked by escalating alcohol misuse and profound psychosocial deterioration, we underscore the complexity of this issue and the urgent need for integrated, trauma-informed care.
The presentation highlights evidence-based strategies for prevention and management, including comprehensive pre-operative screening for substance use, eating disorders, and trauma; post-operative monitoring with validated screening tools like AUDIT and ASSIST; and multidisciplinary interventions spanning psychology, psychiatry, dietetics, and peer support. Special attention is given to gender differences in addiction vulnerability and the critical role of trauma-informed, compassionate care models.
By deepening awareness of addiction transfer and reinforcing the importance of coordinated mental health support, this session aims to equip clinicians with the knowledge and tools to better support patients navigating the physical and emotional complexities of life after bariatric surgery.
Through the lens of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and Addictions, we examine how neurobiological changes, such as alterations to the gut-brain axis, dopamine pathways, and alcohol metabolism, interact with unresolved trauma, emotional vulnerability, and pre-existing psychiatric conditions. Using the poignant story of Lisa, a woman whose post-surgical journey was marked by escalating alcohol misuse and profound psychosocial deterioration, we underscore the complexity of this issue and the urgent need for integrated, trauma-informed care.
The presentation highlights evidence-based strategies for prevention and management, including comprehensive pre-operative screening for substance use, eating disorders, and trauma; post-operative monitoring with validated screening tools like AUDIT and ASSIST; and multidisciplinary interventions spanning psychology, psychiatry, dietetics, and peer support. Special attention is given to gender differences in addiction vulnerability and the critical role of trauma-informed, compassionate care models.
By deepening awareness of addiction transfer and reinforcing the importance of coordinated mental health support, this session aims to equip clinicians with the knowledge and tools to better support patients navigating the physical and emotional complexities of life after bariatric surgery.
Biography
Loretta Woodford has been a registered nurse for over a decade, graduating as a mature-age student from James Cook University in 2015. She spent six and a half years in Emergency Short Stay where she grew an interest to Addictions.
Loretta transitioned to the Drug and Alcohol Brief Intervention Team (DABIT), where she provided interventions to individuals struggling with substance use. This further led her to a role in the Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and Addictions Team as a Clinical Nurse ATODS.
Loretta thrives on the challenges of working with patients facing addiction on the wards at Townsville University Hospital.
