“Food is my unconditional friend”…Amy, age 26
“With all the food around during the holidays, it feels impossible to stop myself from over eating”…Jane, age 48
“Food is the only thing that makes me feel safe and secure. It rids me of my anxiety and calms me during the dark times”…Darla, age 33
“When I feel bad and overwhelmed with emotions, food has been the only thing that has been constant in my life and makes me feel instantly better. I know on some level turning to food is wrong and I do want to stop – I think – I just feel like I can’t. It feels so powerful in my life.” Mike, age 42
These are just a few of the statements I have heard over the years while working with people who are emotional eaters. Emotional eaters are people who turn to food to quell their emotions often present in the form of anxiety, depression, and hostility. Hearing people share their stories of unsuccessful attempts at quieting the voices in their head that tell them to stop eating serves as a reminder that overcoming emotional eating is a daunting task.
For some people, turning to food because of a bad day, is not a usual response and after a short period of time they quickly return to a better state of mind. Food does not become a permanent solution to quiet negative feelings. For others however, food has become an unhealthy coping mechanism which is the result of a conditioned response to unpleasant stimuli and emotions, especially during the holiday times.
Emotional eaters most often would give anything to not turn to food and to find other ways to cope with life’s challenges. Unfortunately, the majority of emotional eaters have a long and complicated relationship with food. Thus, turning away from food and setting limits feels that much more impossible.
To overcome this, takes courage, perseverance, and a strong desire to fight the ever present critical voices that keep them stuck. Working through the issues, though challenging, are manageable.
Do you know anyone who is an emotional eater? Are you an emotional eater and are feeling overwhelmed by the upcoming holidays and worry that controlling your eating will be a problem? Do you wish that people responded differently to you or were more open to listening to how you are feeling?
Stay tuned for my next blog that offers steps to overcoming emotional eating especially during the holidays.
