Looking for Understanding
Hi there, first time logging in to this, had a friend recommend it. I have been binge eating on a weekly basis for the last 4 years. I've finally gotten my life more in order, have a job, going to school, moved out of my parent's house. But the binge eating I haven't been able to kick. In the beginning, I was binge eating to deal with the stress of starting college and general anxiety/depression/social self-consciousness. But now it's become a problem in its own right. And, as I make new friends and build new connections, it creates this wall between myself and new people, because I can't fully be myself and relax, without telling them. But I don't want to freak people out or be treated like a victim.
I'm not a huge fan of online community, but I live in a small town in Arizona, so there aren't any in-person support groups nearby. Not really sure what this group can do, I don't really want advice or anything, really just other people who understand how frustrating it can be to have your "drug of choice" around all the time, and impossible to get away from. And understand what it's like to lose your sense of how to eat normally, so meals are struggles even when they aren't binges.
Anyway, dropping this message in a bottle out into the ocean, ready to see if anything comes back.
-I
@onadesertisland42 - Hi there lovely, I'm so sorry to hear that you are struggling with this and that it feels really isolated where you are. You can use this community in a lot of ways to find support, including these forums, the eating disorder help guide, group support, or 1-1 support by messaging any listener here (including me). Hope that you find what you're looking for!
@onadesertisland42
When you are feeling stressed about projects, deadlines or social pressure I want you to first focus on gratitude. What am I truly grateful for? Gratitude derails binge eating and emotional eating; when we drop into our bodies and focus on all the things we have in our lives that we feel blessed about we are about to access more joy, more ease, more bliss…
Practise self care – so often as women we put ourselves last. We do everything else in life first, then leave a little bit of time (if we are lucky) to nurture ourselves. This needs to be flipped on its head. Focus on YOU first. Focus on honouring your needs and doing what feels good for you. For instance, having a morning ritual.
This is mine…
-20 minutes of meditation
-20 minutes of writing out my goals and visualizing
-20 minutes of movement (yoga, stretching, running etc)
When I start my day first with honouring my body and mind, life comes at me with so much more ease.
Your time is now.
Massive Love + Huge Hugs,
Samantha