Help my son is addicted to cola!

figspowart · May 2020

Hi everyone, I was hoping for some tips or strategies for managing my 25 year old intellectually disabled son;t coke consumption. He is so focussed on it, when he's getting his next one, whether there'll be any at Gran and Pop's house, etc. He's only just opened a bottle when he asks 'more shopping?' He's an adult now with his own money so I can;t really stop him going for the big bottle when we're at the shops, I couldn't stop him anyway as he is stronger than me (not that I'd try to physically restrain him). I have tried explaining about his health, too much will make him sick, the dentist says he musn't etc. I'm not seeking to eliminate, just strategies for lowering his consumption. It really is an addiction, but it is his main pleasure in life bless him.

Redstar3 · May 2020

Hello, Some tips :Excersize can Burn or help so they can be Calories or do not give them sugary thing for a few months and it can help or it can get worst to Diabetes less sugar or control dieting might help and less chocolates and sweets could help. or colouring pages that they can do something help them to keep busy.

janer1967 · May 2020

Hi does yuour sone have full sugar cola, maybe if he does at least try and get him to have the sugar and caffeine free type this may reduce his addiction or if not at least it would be a bit better for him

figspowart · May 2020

Thanks for the suggestions. He is not diabetic, we do offer the caffeine and sugar free version at home but when he is out he always chooses the regular cola. He is difficult to redirect and becomes agitated and throws things sometimes. Sometimes I feel that moving to a desert island for 3 months might be the only way!!

Disability_Diva · May 2020

My brother is also 25. He doesn’t have any disabilities though and he too is addicted to cola. If there’s none in the fridge, he won’t drink

April2018mom · May 2020

Hello @figspowart!

What about getting him interested in arts and crafts? There are tutorial videos on YouTube worth looking at. Additionally you can find art project instructions online.
And you can buy art supplies online.

You could always get him to do some exercise as a extra additional incentive as well. Get him interested in gardening too. Make a written note of how much of the drink he drinks each week. Keep a record in a notebook as a means of reference. Jot down a list of strategies on paper to try out in the future with him as that would help distract him. Laminate it and keep it in a accessible place where he can see it. Pin it up a copy onto a fridge or wall.
Perhaps even try to hide the coke bottles from him too. Try talking about his coke addiction with him gently and see if that makes a difference. You could also play some board and card games with him. Divert his attention with healthy drinks like water and get him to help you to cook some healthy meals with you. Praise him for helping you. There are plenty of easy starter recipes on bbc good food site. Educate him about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle especially in this lockdown.
Does he have a volunteering job or not? It may be time to start finding a job for him as he may feel quite bored constantly being at home with this lockdown going on.
How much coke does he currently drink? Add up the cost of buying it repeatedly. Write down the total on a sheet of paper. Show it to him. Discuss other ways of spending that money. Teach him about the value of saving money. Start a saving jar with him. Every week look at it.

Chloe_Alumni · May 2020

Hi @figspowart, if you drew out a chart that showed how much he is allowed a day, would that help?

If he see's the bottle being crossed out, it potentially could help. If not then please do let us know and I'm sure we can think of other ways.

figspowart · May 2020

This is a really great suggestion, I will discuss with his carers. Thanks for the great idea!

Kerry_Scope · May 2020

Hi figspowart,
Following on from @Chloe_Scope's great idea.
Depending on your sons understanding, you could agree how many cola's he can have each day, give him that amount of (tokens) he then exchanges these tokens for one of the daily allowance drinks.
e.g. if he is allowed 3 in one day, he could hand 3 in within one hour but then no more allocated for the rest of the day. Then depending on your sons understanding he may learn to space requesting the drinks through the day if he has a daily allowance, but also you or his carers would be limiting the amount he can have.

Thanks
Kerry_Scope

Kev2020 · May 2020

I used to work with children who had addictions with sugary drinks.
We then decided to make our own so got lots of fizzy water and corrdial and syrups .. it meant that we all ended up drinking less and could put less mix into the fizzy water.. We eventually went really posh and got a sodastreem .. You'll find all sorts of flavours online and at larger supermarkets Highly recommend...

mia97 · May 2020

@figspowart

Hey! Hope you are well and having a good day so far!

In response to your original post, I used to have an addiction to Lucozade Sport when I was at uni, it is the drink I would drink most and helped me get through the long nights of completing assignments. (I did drink other drinks too, mainly water or apple juice and therefore does not sound as severe as your situation) but unfortunately, it began to take a toll on my health (which was not good as I am naturally a very sporty person - so fitness is important to me), I ended up having to have medicine for a short while as my body was not coping with the amount of sugar I was having. Luckily I only went through this for a month or so, but the damage which the sugar intake took on my body in such a short time was shocking hence I would not want your son to have to go through this! - especially if he has been drinking Cola for extended periods of time. I too am autistic and completely understand the difficulty with breaking repetitive/addictive behaviours.

Perhaps your son to focus his 'addiction' frame of mind to new hobbies - such as running or art. For example, in order to get me to remember to drink more juice or water; I would go for more runs, exercise and encourage my body to need more fluid, resulting in me drinking alternative drinks to sports energy drinks. Another suggestion, all be it perhaps harsh, but if you do not/refuse to purchase cola, and just give him water or pure juice - he will eventually give in a drink it because as humans, there will be a point where our bodies reach dehydration - so naturally, we will drink it.

I hope my suggestions help and I apologise in advance, if anything I have said comes across impolite - just wanted to help you as I know the impacts of addictive tendencies, related to food and drinks.

Take care and if you would like to talk more, do not hesitate to message me??

figspowart · May 2020

Hi Mia97,

Thanks so much, it so great to have the perspective of someone with lived experience. I am worried about the sugar load on his body, and it is much easier to police at home where we can just not buy it at all, or buy sugar free. It's when we are out and about that the issue tends to arise.

Exercise and distraction are great suggestions though, so I will certainly be filling his weekends up with those things! He does like to drink water and juice so that is a plus also.

Thanks again and hope you are sell!

figspowart · May 2020

I mean well!

Chloe_Alumni · May 2020

figspowart said:

This is a really great suggestion, I will discuss with his carers. Thanks for the great idea!

@figspowart, I'm glad others have been able to help too.

Just wanted to see how it was going and how are you doing?

mia97 · May 2020

figspowart said:

Hi Mia97,

Thanks so much, it so great to have the perspective of someone with lived experience. I am worried about the sugar load on his body, and it is much easier to police at home where we can just not buy it at all, or buy sugar free. It's when we are out and about that the issue tends to arise.
Exercise and distraction are great suggestions though, so I will certainly be filling his weekends up with those things! He does like to drink water and juice so that is a plus also.

Thanks again and hope you are sell!

Hi @fi@figspowart

I am pleased that my advice has proved to be helpful, I just wanted to pass on advice based on my own experience. I understand the worries, my mum was worried about the amount of sugar I was intaking from all the sports drinks too! Ahh yes, I had this issue too, we would not have lucozade at home and therefore I did no drink it for the majority of the day (when at home) but when I was away at uni, I was free to buy as much of it as I wanted?other tip, every time I went out, I took a water bottle with me, and when in lectures, or just sat in my flat, I always had a flask of water/juice nearby - this encouraged me to keep drinking (as I tended to forget in general to stay hydrated).

Exercise is a great way of keeping physically and mental well, hopefully will encourage your son to drink more water/juice too!

No problem at all and yes thanks, I am well - enjoying this amazing weather we have been having?

Kev2020 · May 2020

How's everything going .. Great to see so many suggestions ..?

figspowart · June 2020

Hi everyone, and thanks for your support and great ideas.

I'm thinking of using the suggestion of having a visual chart representing how many drinks he can have. He responds to visuals quite well. He will come to me with his drink and say 'last one' and 'water now' so I think that is a good sign.

It will be a matter of getting his dad and his care team on the same page. Technically it's a restrictive practice but they can waive it when it's something so obviously no good for his health.

Thanks again I will let you know how we go

Help my son is addicted to cola!

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