Food is my anxiety "medicine". I don't want it to be that way anymore.

Hi @JulyStorm It can be tough to handle a coping mechanism that becomes unhealthy. However, I'm glad to see you want change, that's a strong first step towards change itself. Have you ever done any research or found other coping mechanisms that could help you wean off over-eating?

@JulyStorm

Listening to mindfulness recordings in path menu here calms me down quite a bit. Lack of food makes me feel anxious too but it's usually only when I haven't eaten for 6+ hours or not had enough to tide me over to next meal because blood sugar dropping too low will cause anxious feelings in most if not all people. Some people call it getting "hangry" instead of just "hungry" cause their mood changes. Grazing is okay as long as it's healtful food like veggies. Maybe veggies or chewing something else like gum would help substitute for grabbing unhealthy snacks?

@JulyStorm

It sounds like you are probably under a lot of stress! While understanding the causes of compulsive eating and/or overeating is definitely complicated, there are two things that might be able to help. It sounds like you are eating out stress. If that is right, you might want to consider finding ways to reduce stress in your life. Maybe your job or household responsibilities might have room for cutting back. If you are less stressed, you might be able to eat less and/or less frequently. The other side of the issue is dealing with stress in a healthier way. Can you replace the overeating with another activity that is not harmful to your health? Like a walk or reading a chaper in a book? If you pick a new behavior to "swap" with, you might have some success with at least reducing your calorie intake and not having negative physical aspects of over-eating contributing to negative feelings. I hope over time you will be able to gain some insight into what is causing you anxiety, and how to reduce it over time. All the best to you!