No More Eating Disorders: Is There Help For Compulsive Overeating?

Overview

An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. Eating disorders are all encompassing. They affect every part of the person's life. According to the authors of Surviving an Eating Disorder, "feelings about work, school, relationships, day-to-day activities and one's experience of emotional well being are determined by what has or has not been eaten or by a number on a scale." Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders generally recognized by medical classification schemes, with a significant diagnostic overlap between the two. Together, they affect an estimated 5-7% of females in the United States during their lifetimes. There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated and defined - Binge Eating Disorder. This is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual consumes huge amounts of food during a brief period of time and feels totally out of control and unable to stop their eating. It can lead to serious health conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Is There Help For Compulsive Overeating?

If anyone had told me I could go a day without misusing food I would have laughed. After years of using food to not feel my or deal with my emotions I had no idea how to cope with life other than to self medicate. I thought I was alone and that no one else did what I did. I was filled with shame, guilt and remorse. I thought of myself as weak willed unable to stick to my guns. I didn't know that I had an allergy to sugar, wheat and flour.

My food addiction began as a child I turned to food as comfort, as I matured my disease grew with me, I needed to do more in order to not feel and incorporated drugs and alcohol my disease continued. I was blessed to get into recovery from drug and alcohol addiction 15 years ago, a year later when I reached my highest weight of 460lbs. I surrender to my food addiction. My life was so small due to how large I had become, I was unable to work and physically unable to function. I had small children and I was so depressed and unhappy I felt there was no hope.

Then a light bulb went off I was lead into recovery for drug and alcohol why couldn't I recover from the eating disorder of compulsive overeating? I realized that it wasn't the food that was the problem the food was the symptom. I needed help from other individuals who could help me address what happened that lead me to food in the first place. Inpatient treatment worked, it allowed me the opportunity to stop blaming others, and accept responsibility for my behaviors and actions.

I was surrounded by people who knew about the disease of addiction, I was in a safe place everything was confidential and I finally allowed someone else to help to learn how to help myself. I was given the gift of complete desperation from that I was able to re-create a life that is beyond anything I could have imagined. Today I live and I am present, the lights are on and I am home. My wish for anyone reading this article is to let them know help is available with eating disorders just ask!

Autor: Joanna Painton

Joanna works for the Women's Behavioral Program. She has overcome adversities and shares her hope with anyone she comes in contact with. Joanna is a known published author in the Bariatric and Weight Loss Community, she has spent the last 13 years helping to inspire and motivate people on the value of the body, mind and spirit connection.

Please feel free to contact Joanna at http://www.womenstreatmentprogram.com or by e-mail joanna@recoveryconnection.org

Added: June 9, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/