is this normal

Susie1010 · ‎19-09-2017

I used to control everything and now i can't freaks me out sometimes i just ate a whole block of chocolate ;-( and didn't even really realise. I do heaps of exercise so I know it won't matter in the long run but I feel so guilty about it now. It happens like a binge session a bit I get is this even normal?

startingnew · ‎19-09-2017

hello Susie

it sounds like anxiety has made you eat more than you would like. its really common that when your anxious or stressed your sugar craving increase and therefore make you eat sugary and sweet things?

im wondering if you have been diagnosed with a mental illness and if you have any supports you could talk to about this such as family or friends?

if your in uni/school maybe the counsellor they have avaliable there?

MsPurple · ‎19-09-2017

Hi Susie and welcome to the forums

SN has asked some really good questions as well as acknowledging that stress, anxiety and depression can lead to stress eating as well as increased/decreased appetite.

I can understand the stress of mindless finishing a whole block of chocolate, especially if you are one that feels comfortable being in control. You also say you exercise a lot. Do you exercise to reduce your guilt of what you have eating or because you enjoy it or want to stay fit? I am not sure if I understand your last sentance properly, you are asking is this common for a binge session or is it common to have a binge session (when stressed)? I think it is common for some of us to over eat, sometimes we just enjoy the food so much we are not mindful of how much we are actually consuming. This is normal. To quote mayo health binge eating is when you "consume unusually large amounts of food and feel unable to stop eating". They also add "Almost everyone overeats on occasion, such as having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal" (so eating too much cake on your birthday is normal, but eating a whole cake in your room plus a packet of lollies is binge eating). So if you are worried that this is occurring more often and you are worried about it, I think what SN suggested going to uni/school counselor would be a good idea. If you are under 25 you could also consider the youth mental health service headspace or see your gp and get a referral to a psychologist. They can help you deal with the stress. When I was younger (considered now in recovery) I was diagnosed with an ED. I am not saying you have one, but I am mentioning it because for me it was caused by anxiety and me not knowing how to deal with it. I felt a lack of control over myself and my stress so it manifested into me over/under eating and me exercising more. I found talking to someone and learning to manage my anxiety was the thing that was the most helpful for me.

Hope some of this has helped. Please get back to us so we can see how you are going. If you have any questions please feel free to ask

MP