food is my heroin

~love life~

~love life~

New member
I'm truely addicted to food. I'm sure people would say that's not the same as being addicted to drugs or alcohol but they have no idea what I go through everyday. I sneak food when nobody is around. I've even told my son he couldn't have something because I knew I would want it later. I feel guilty more than I feel hungry that's for sure. I never eat because I'm hungry. I never get the chance to get hungry. I don't eat because of emotions or anything like that. I just eat to eat. Even if I'm keeping myself busy I'm still thinking about what I'm going to eat later. Ok, that's my little rant, thank you and good night.....
 
Hi
I totally believe people can be addicted to ANYTHING, including food. Ironically, I do doubt one could be addicted to veggies, though :biggrinjester: How old were you, or what was going on in your life, when you started? Have you done any reading on this topic? I urge you to dig deeper.

Best wishes
ABBA
 
Thanks, I will look up that book. I'll try anything. I'm not sure when it started really. But it's gotten worse since my son was born. When I was a kid I would come home and go straight to the fridge. I bet I just staired into it 20 times a night. I was never super skinny but I didn't start really putting on the pounds till high school. Come to think about it, I never had to hide my eating as a teenager because nobody was there to see me. So the hiding thing must have started in my adult life. I've had the kind of life people write books about, which I will one day, so there are alot of things that could have triggered my weight issues.
 
I'm really sorry you're having this problem. :( Do take it seriously. Do some introspection. Also - it wouldn't be a bad idea to speak with a psychologist to get some grasp on what is happening here. Nothing wrong with asking for help - it is a sign of strength to ask for help. There was a tv special on one of the night-time news type shows, and they interviewed and followed a young woman who literally could NOT curb her desire to put food in her mouth. It got so bad that her parents made her leave their house, and her grandmother took her in. This was not like you - I assure you - because this woman was beyond the extremes of anything I've ever heard of before. I only mention it to let you know that there are others who will have struggled with this - and maybe worse - and they have found help. That woman was able to be helped. So some way, if you want it bad enough, you can find your answers, too. Keep trying, please. You're worth the effort!
 
I am in the EXACT same boat as you!! I feel like I just cannot stop eating and that I too am never hungry because I never allow myself to feel hunger pangs. I have 'researched' this a bit and found a name to classify it, 'Binge Eating Disorder' whether I have it or not, it sure feels like it! =/
 
I've read into it a little and I don't deny that I'm definately suffering from some type of "disorder" I guess you can call it. I just don't know how to fix it. I would love to talk to a professional about it but I don't think my husbands insurance covers that type of thing.
 
I googled the words free mental health, on your behalf. Found this:



It let's you put in your location to see what is available locally.
 
~love life~ said:
I'm truely addicted to food. I'm sure people would say that's not the same as being addicted to drugs or alcohol but they have no idea what I go through everyday. I sneak food when nobody is around. I've even told my son he couldn't have something because I knew I would want it later. I feel guilty more than I feel hungry that's for sure. I never eat because I'm hungry. I never get the chance to get hungry. I don't eat because of emotions or anything like that. I just eat to eat. Even if I'm keeping myself busy I'm still thinking about what I'm going to eat later. Ok, that's my little rant, thank you and good night.....
Click to expand...

Every addiction takes will power in order to beat it. Try going to a support group for people that are in your exact situation. Talk, share stories and get advice from people who are exactly like you. I don't know if it would be Overeaters Anonymous, but you can always do a search online for local support groups in your area that can help you.

Also, when you get the urge to eat, just try and eat something healthy and snack on that. Easier said than done, I know. But, like I said, it all boils down to will power and how bad you want to beat your addiction.

ABBAgirl said:
Hi
I totally believe people can be addicted to ANYTHING, including food. Ironically, I do doubt one could be addicted to veggies, though :biggrinjester: How old were you, or what was going on in your life, when you started? Have you done any reading on this topic? I urge you to dig deeper.

Best wishes
ABBA
Click to expand...

Can you be addicted to not being addicted to things? Oooooh, the irony...:willy_nilly:
 
Chirp, I checked that link but they don'thave what I need in my area. The only thing I could find was addiction counseling for druga, alcohol, and gambeling. I'll find something though...sigh
 
Hi,

I suffer from Binge Eating Disorder (professionally diagnosed) and your description sounds just like me.

It's such a hard thing to deal with because unlike alcohol or drugs, we can't just cut food out of our lives completely! It's always there. Every day. Several times a day.

You really need to find some support. I am lucky enough to be in the UK where I can see a therapist for free. It's been really suprising to find out exactly what is the cause of my eating. I assumed it was a big traumatic event, when in reality that just accelerated it....the real issue was in my relationships with other people and how I valued myself against them.

I know it's really difficult if you aren't able to see a therapist who can guide your thinking. But I do recommend you do some serious soul searching. Keep a journal of the foods you eat every day - but most importantly, write down what you were thinking, feeling, doing, were you alone? Had someone just annoyed you? Were you bored? Anxious? Write details of the 30 minutes before you started to eat. It may seem like you don't eat because of emotions, but I found that because I was using eating as a way of escaping my emotions I was so disconnected from them that I didn't recognise that they were even there. Keeping a really thorough journal (though it can be a chore sometimes!) will help you over time recognise the underlying issues.

I visit on a regular basis to talk to people who are going through exactly the same thing, people who are in therapy, even people who have recovered and want to help others. It's so good to recognise the same behaviour in other people and to know that you're not alone. It's amazing how much you can learn from others as well.

There are many books that can help, most programs begin by focussing on the journal keeping. The book that I use as a practical tool of overcoming the behaviours of the eating disorder is Overcoming Binge Eating by Christopher Fairburn.

Hope i've helped! It seems such a hard thing to break out of, but it can be done. You just need the right support and some motivation and you can get there!

Good luck xox
 
Sorry that link didn't help, LoveLife. You might be able to call the local social services office and ask if they know of any group or agency that offers mental health services in your region. If they don't know, then you can call your hospitals and ask if they know the phone number for free clinics - when talking with the free clinic sometimes they offer free (minimal) counseling like one day a week with a professional. I know my local one offers such a thing one day a month. We all have something we're trying to beat. Mine is an abusive family. Somehow you will find the help to get you over this hurdle.

HappyandHealthy - that's a GREAT post!
 
Personally, I think laziness is a far more powerful addiction than food.
This is why diets are far more popular than exercise routines. People are far more willing to just go on a diet rather than go on diet and exercise regularly.
 
ChefChiTown said:
Every addiction takes will power in order to beat it. Try going to a support group for people that are in your exact situation. Talk, share stories and get advice from people who are exactly like you. I don't know if it would be Overeaters Anonymous, but you can always do a search online for local support groups in your area that can help you.

Also, when you get the urge to eat, just try and eat something healthy and snack on that. Easier said than done, I know. But, like I said, it all boils down to will power and how bad you want to beat your addiction.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have put it better myself, it REALLY does take WillPower to beat this. I had the same problem, but the urge to break the cycle and not always be "the dude lookin for food" was extremely powerful. Because thats what I was, I was ALWAYS looking for food where ever I went, my friend's Parents started calling me "Cruton" because every time I went over I ate all their Crutons! Luckily they didn't care because they were cool, but at my house I was 10x worse! I wouldn't even THINK about it, my brain would just navigate my body to the fridge or the pantry, even if I wasn't hungry! And I'd just sit there and eat, eat, eat, and not even think "hey I'm eating this entire box of cheeze-itz", I'd get to the bottom of the box before I even realized how much I ate and be like, "damn, I can't believe I just did that".

Its been 3 weeks since I started my life-style change, and I get full quicker, I don't eat as much, and I've stopped thinking about food all the time! In fact...yesterday was a monumental day for me, because I went to eat with a friend, and I ended up leaving food on my plate because I got full, and I didn't even think twice about it! For many people that isn't a big deal at all, but to people like us its HUGE!

So Chef is seriously spot on when he says you REALLY need willpower to beat ANY addiction, the power seriously comes from within, to believe you can do it, because YOU CAN! It obviously helps to have the moral support of others, but again, it all boils down to the motivation, drive, and desire to beat these bad habits.

In the words of Thomas Edison, "If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves."

You can do it, there is no doubt in my mind, take it step by step and day by day.
 
First, happy and healthy, thank you so much. That really was an awesome post. I'm going to look for that book. I do keep a journal, but mostly I just write my dreams in it. I guess I'll have to start writing everything down...Second, Stancel, I do exercise. I actually work at a gym. My problem is that even when I'm working out i'm thinking about food. I do need to make an effort to stay out of the house more though. My son is in the 92 percentile for his height and weight and I'm getting worried about him. I don't want him like me.
 
I hope that you can battle this addiction. I can really relate with being addicted, though it was to certain foods and condiments. The taste would give me fulfillment, but then I would just feel guilty that I was making myself gain more weight.

It's all about changing your foods to more healthier ones. I love eating too. You just have to not overeat and cut down some.
 
Thanks to everyone who has replied to my post. It really helps having somebody to talk to that understands what I'm going through. I feel like it's getting harder because my sister is losing alot of weight really fast right now and it's making me feel crappy about myself. She had lap-band surgery in October.
 
Don't pay attention to your sister. She took the easy way out with her lap band, and as soon as it comes out, she is likely to put the weight back on and then some.

I'm sorry that you have all these problems, and I can only agree with what the others said, it takes a lot of willpower to get through it, but I'm sure you can do it. You already made the first steps into the right direction, you came out here looking for help and you're willing to listen to advice. That's some of the most important steps made already! You can do it!
 
Hang in there, sweetie! You are wise to be a part of this forum where there is so much knowledge and compassion (and of course the occasional well-needed kick in the butt!:Angel_anim:).

It's great that you exercise! keep it up! And also very important that you are mindful of your son and his eating habits, as he will learn from you.

Don't give up!
ABBA
 
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