My Cereal Story

Hello. My name is Ashley...and I'm a Cerealholic. Phew. There, I said it. I'm addicted to cereal. I didn't really see it coming...being that I've been a cereal eater my entire life. It started with just breakfast when I was young. Just a bowl or two in the morning. Corn chex, Cheerios, Wheaties. The basics. A healthy way to start the day.

In college I rebelled and realized that cereal wasn't just for breakfast anymore. When I lived in the sorority house, cereal was the only "pantry food" readily available since we had a cook for most meals. That's when I learned that cereal tastes really good at about 2am after a night out. My roommates laughed at me in the mornings when my alarm went off, because I would slam it off so fast, jump out of bed and still be half awake walking down to the kitchen to get my cereal. It was the first thing I would think about in the morning...hardly giving myself a chance to wipe the sleep out of my eyes before I poured milk into that sweet crunchy cereal.

After college, it got a little better. I had to learn how to live in Manhattan on my entry level salary, which meant buying the generic cereal. At $7 a pop for a measly small box of Cheerios, I had no choice but to go with Toasted Os. It wasn't the same, but still did the trick. And I limited myself to one bowl and sometimes even substituted my cereal with peanut butter toast. But my addiction was too strong. After 6 months of no pay raise and much of my cereal money going to pay rent, I had to make a lifestyle change to feed my habit. I moved back to Minnesota where the cereal was more affordable and I could buy General Mills and Kelloggs products.

I kept it under control for a few years. I think I even hid my addiction from my sister while I lived with her for 6 months...blaming her daughter or husband for why the box of Total Raisin Bran was finished so fast. I would sneak a second or third bowl when her back was turned to me. She didn't have a clue.

It wasn't until I lived by myself, that I became aware of my problem. I'm just glad I've been lucid enough to see my cereal habit spin out of control. I was aware that every trip to the grocery store meant buying several boxes of cereal and a couple gallons of milk. But at certain points, there would be six or seven boxes of cereal in my cupboard...for me. Just me. And then they'd all be gone. Just like that. And there were so many kinds---Basic 4, MultiGrain Cheerios, Honey Bunches of Oats, Total with Strawberries...I could never decide which kind looked better. I felt like Brian Regan in the Donut shop when I was in the cereal aisle at the grocery store! All the regular flavors now have yogurt or strawberries or honey or peaches added! In the entire time I have lived in my condo, I've never had a morning where I have run out of milk or had less that two boxes of cereal in my cupboard.

I'd be sitting at home at night and I'd start thinking about all the yummy cereals in my cupboard just calling out my name. And I'd tell myself, "Just one little bowl, Ashley, just one bowl." But, then I'd open the cupboard and couldn't decide if I wanted Corn Chex or Grape Nuts...so that one bowl would turn into two. My will power was gone. It got to be that I couldn't go to bed without my stomach grumbling wondering when it was going to get its Cheerios fix. And if I ignored it, I'd be up at 3am pouring myself a bowl.

Things started happening to my body too...my nails grew long...longer than I have ever had my nails and my hair grew fast. I noticed I was going through two gallons of milk just for myself in about 10 days. When I lived with two roommates, we went through about a half gallon of milk in one week. That's when I knew I had a problem.

With no one else aware of my addiction, I had to intervene on myself and put myself in cereal rehab. My cereal cupboard has been emptied and replaced with oatmeal. I figured if it wasn't there taunting me, I might be able to go back to a normal life with a healthy mental state of mind. One where I'm not wondering when I'll be able to get my next hit of cereal. I had to go cold turkey. At least for now...but I'm hoping that someday, I'll be able to go back to having a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

I hope my story will help others become aware of the signs of Cerealism. If one of your loved ones is suffering from this disease, you can help them come clean and kick the "cereal not just for breakfast anymore" habit.