Food Insecurity - Unlinked to Eating Disorders

[Sophie3]

Hi there!

Advice Needed​!
I was seeking some advice from anyone who can relate to my situation. TLDR; I constantly think about what I'm going to eat next, and it affects my life to the degree that I think about food while talking to friends or watching movies. I'm scared the problem will evolve into something more serious when I leave home. I need tips on how to become less anxious that I won't receive my next meal.

Background:
As a young child, I had many intolerances for food and as a result have always craved foods I couldn't get much of, usually sweets and breads. I have had anxiety for my whole life, in varying degrees throughout. I have never had an eating disorder.

The Situation Now:
I'm 17 now and I'm doing pretty okay. However, I struggle with healthy eating, and binge eating. I constantly think about food and always have. Even when involved in a different activity, thoughts of food and what I will eat next greatly distract me from the task at hand. I am currently, and always have been, a healthy weight for my age and do not suffer any weight-related health problems.

[blondguy]

Hi Sophie3

Welcome to the forums and good on you for posting too!

I know you have made it clear that its not Eating Disorder related and we understand.

I am a long term sufferer of depression but have a friend that thinks a lot before she eats anything.....its a huge decision for her and can be a monumental decision to make

I cant answer your detailed (and appreciated) background but I have studied anxiety for a long time so I hope this little bit of info helps until many of the gentle people come back online....

The digestive system is the most sympathetic to anxiety......even Food Insecurity....and well posted by the way

For me it was traffic issues....big time....with my anxiety. Some people vomit or have irritable bowel syndrome...Food Insecurity is another branch off the anxiety tree.

Your thread title is important and please let me get you a better response from people that suffer from the same

my kind thoughts

Paul

[Just Sara]

Hi Sophie;

Just a quick post; there are chemical imbalances in the brain that cause people to not know how to resist temptation and don't have a good sense of appropriate eating times/foods/feelings of fullness.

I've worked with such clients. There are a few diagnosis avenues, which you may or may not suffer from, but the main point I'm making, is that exploration with a Psychiatrist and Neurologist may be able to help. There could also be an OCD symptom to contend with considering your thought processes.

Your GP can do referrals along with blood tests. There are certain areas of the brain that determine fullness for example. If these are over/under active, therapy options could be made available to you.

Thanks for this thread, I'm sure there are others in the same boat.

Best of luck...

Sara

[MissBenthos]

Hi Sophie, I made a post about food addiction in the anxiety section, not long after your post here. I should have checked through other posts first! Sounds like you could be going through something similar... Let me know what you think