My Mental War With Food
I am a teenager and have always been pretty athletic. Over the past few years, I have had increasing anxiety and panic attacks. Whenever I feel panicked or upset, food is always there. I feel so alone all the time because I am constantly sneaking my binges and thinking about when my next binge will me. I don't trust myself to be home alone with food anymore. I am a cross country runner, so I have no problem with exercising, but I honestly eat thousands of calories in one sitting until I feel sick. Then, I feel the need to go on an extreme diet to burn off the calories until my next binge. It's such an unhealthy cycle and I don't know how to find my way out.
@KrisAlex - that is a really hard cycle to break, but I think the most important thing is to remember that just as the binges make you feel the need to restrict, the restricting is often a major trigger for the binges. Next time you binge, instead of trying to make up for it later, could you try forgiving yourself and then eating normally the next day? That might help you avoid the next binge more easily.
It's also good to understand what triggers your binges and how to either avoid those triggers if possible or to deal with the situations in other ways if you can't avoid them. What other coping mechanisms do you have for stressful situations? What are some alternatives to binging that you could try next time you feel the urge?
Take care - it's tough, but you can do it!
