How do you manage binge or comfort eating?

thisaquarian · ‎06-07-2015

Hi everyone... I've tried to look through the topics and couldn't find a thread so thought I'd start one... I have had a very abusive childhood and life has been tough for me... how I dealt with this was emotional/binge eating. Now as an adult, things are different for me but I still emotionally/binge eat. As a result I am extremely overweight which is causing several other health issues...

For instance this morning I was so anxious at going back to work that I ate enough for 4 people for breakfast. The thought of going into work to deal with other people's problems when I am so overwhelmed with my own was too much for me this morning. After I'd finished eating I pulled myself together and thought logically. I'm stressed out at the moment, about many issues, and I'm not dealing with any of them. So I called in sick, torn between feeling guilty and my feeling of being overwhelmed. The latter won obviously... I phoned the work EAP and had a phone session and I'm seeing my GP soon.. and made myself a little list for the day of things to achieve. Earlier though I was feeling guilty about missing work so I binged a little, but have managed to pull myself together to come to the forums...

I'm 34 now, and have been emotionally/binge eating for most of the years I have been alive. It seems like a viscious cycle - food was always my comfort and reassurance.

I'm trying really hard to come up with a list to turn to instead of food...

1. Coming to the BB forums to chat, and actually interact with others going through a similar thing.
2. I have started a social fitness group - I organised something last weekend then couldn't actually go cos of a family thing! This weekend it's all systems go though!
3. I want to learn how to crochet so I was thinking of joining a group for that. I've tried to learn online but it's getting nowhere.
4. Letter writing
5. Going for a walk even if it's for 10 minutes

Also there's an awesome thread to "resist the urge" sorry I can't remember the name, which had some awesome strategies... but I wanted something specifically for food related issues...

anotherPeter · ‎09-07-2015

Hi MissKerri,I have always been a workaholic and for a very long time now have been addicted to stress. Stress is in its way like drugs and leaves me feeling elated at the end of yet another monstrous day. Anyway because of my total absorption in work I don't even know what a hobby is. I have started growing chili plants from seeds, I suppose it is a kind of a hobby but it takes a long time of nothing happening and just waiting. At the moment I am off work, three weeks now. Something to do with a new manager who is a sarcastic bully and enjoys humiliating and ridiculing his underlings. So I have suddenly found that I am no longer a highly ambitious overachiever but now more of a nervous wreck. My wife and sons are away at the moment so I currently spend the day sitting in a cold quiet room with the curtains drawn waititing for enough time to go by so I can have my one huge meal for the day and go to bed. Booze helps the time pass but I am trying (with some success) to not go to extremes on that. I do have a lot of projects that I could/should be working on, my wife left me a long list. But the sedatives I am taking just leaves me feeling miserable and depressed and unable to build up the enthusiasm to even look outside the window. I haven't even wanted to look in a mirror for two weeks now. I am having regular panic attacks since I started taking the sedatives and think I am growing paranoid because of it. Sorry to dump on you like this, it wasn't my intention. I really just meant to congratulate you on developing your list of hobbies and wishing you all the best.Peter

thisaquarian · ‎09-07-2015

Hi Peter,

I wish that there was something I could say to make you feel better, but I have been there. I totally understand where you're coming from. Sometimes you really do need to hibernate, and rest and sleep. And be kind to yourself. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

When you're ready you will find the strength - at the moment you seem to be putting pressure on yourself to do or be something, but I could be wrong.

I just have to drive home, will talk to you soon.

thisaquarian · ‎09-07-2015

Hi Peter,

No need to apologise - thank you for opening up and sharing your story. I remember a few years ago I was living in an awful situation in a share house. I hibernated for 3 weeks, without the other housemates seeing me. I created an excuse for work so that I didn't have to be there. I would wait for them to leave the house before I would come out of my room. I was just a bucket of anxiety.

No one could have told me anything to get me out of that slump. The thought that it was unhealthy (for me) did not even enter my mind. I was too busy protecting myself. I am definitely not a trained professional, but having felt what I understand you're feeling right now, I totally understand. What I learned afterwards is that it was the actual anxiety talking, not the truth. I feared that my housemates were going to be nasty or horrible to me - not true. They were honestly concerned about me but I pretended that I was just tired all the time and surprisingly they never bothered me. I wasn't in a logical place at the time to think things through, but afterwards I could...

So try not to put too much pressure on yourself.