Many people use food to cope with their emotions. We often refer to this as Stress Eating or Emotional Eating. For example, a person who has a stressful day at work may binge on cookies or chips to get some “relief” when they get home. Of course, this relief is temporary and often followed by regret around overeating. For most people, these moments of overeating are temporary. Others, however, begin to use overeating as a primary coping strategy and begin to compulsively overeat. Wondering if you are a compulsive overeater?
Common behaviors and characteristics associated with compulsive overeating:
- Tend to use food as the primary coping strategy to manage the stressors of life.
- Tend to binge in secret – Compulsive Overeaters tend to binge in private. They may turn down food while with others, but then binge later when they are alone.
- Tend to have difficulty identifying feelings – Compulsive Overeaters tend to identify feelings as hunger.
- Tend to eat very quickly when binging
- Tend to consume large amounts of “mood foods”
- Tend to use food to change how they feel
- Tend to have “all or nothing” thinking
- Tend to have body image issues
- Tend to have difficulty with own sexuality
- Tend to struggle with self-esteem
- Tend to be passive in social relationships, but aggressive in their approach to eating
- Tend to struggle with guilt and shame around eating
New Dimensions Can Help!
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms or problems, New Dimensions can help. Our team of experienced therapists and psychiatrists can help you overcome these challenges and help you develop the skills you need to thrive. To schedule a complementary assessment or to find out more about our programs, contact us at 1-800-685-9796.
Our affiliate, MHThrive, provides Individual Therapy, Couples and Marriage Counseling, and Family Therapy at our locations in Katy, The Woodlands, and the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. We also provide telehealth therapy for anyone who resides within the State of Texas. To schedule an appointment with one of the MHThrive therapists, contact us at 713-477-0333 or visit www.mhthrive.com to learn more.