Overeating and anxiety

[Naturegirl22]

Hi, I wanted to see if anyone else had the same problem and how they cope with it. I find myself constantly overeating throughout the day and at night even if I am not hungry. I become very anxious and panicky when I don't eat and I am not sure why. Does anyone else have this problem? I have put on so much weight because of it but I can't seem to stop. Does anyone else have this problem? I am not sure if it is an eating disorder or not.

[dizzychar]

I used to do this all the time, not eating proper meals and I would just eat rubbish all the time.some people lose weight due to anxiety, others put it on, I put it on.

I have just started healthy eating though, 3 meals a day and healthy snacks. I found that eating bananas, grapes or whatever took away my sweet craving, not as good as chocolate I no 😊

[Naturegirl22 in reply to dizzychar]

Thank you but I just become panicky if I don't eat. It doesn't feel as simple as just eating healthily as I have tried to do this so many times and I am never able to stick to it. I have just made a doctor's appointment for next Tuesday.

[dizzychar in reply to Naturegirl22]

Yes good idea to see a doctor.

I no its not easy, I have tried many times too

[OakTreeBlossom]

I struggle with over eating when I'm anxious. I will force multiple foods quickly into my mouth so I don't have time to think about it and it litterally seems to fill up the holes in my body where stress is lurking. To the point where I'm sick sometimes.

It's not an uncommon coping mechanism for stress but needs to be addressed. The fact that you feel panicky if you DON'T eat however is something seperate you have to look at. I also have a hormonal condition that means my body retains insulin and can't cope with it - in essence my body is in starvation mode so I am under a consultant to manage my hormones so that I my body doesn't need to eat as often as it thinks. Maybe you should talk to your GP about your overeating.

Don't deny yourself food however, it's a dangerous game. Make sure your overeating is 'good food' and don't ignore it. Address the panic and the anxiety.

Good luck x

[Naturegirl22 in reply to OakTreeBlossom]

Hi thank you so much hun, I have made an appointment with my doctor for next Tuesday, hopefully they will listen to me.

So your hormonal condition is linked to your eating? I eat too many bad foods. I don't know why I feel panicky, I just do. I have Borderline personality disorder, depression and anxiety. x

[OakTreeBlossom in reply to Naturegirl22]

Yes some of my over eating is linked to my condition but I have to admit to being an emotional eater anyway.

It's not surprising you eat too many bad foods, do you know what's in them. Sugar. Sugar is addictive and your body produces insulin to cope with it. If your body is struggling because of your over active insulin it might get panicky when it doesn't have sugar. Maybe try a detox too? You can buy detox kits from your local pharmacy. I've reduced my sugar intake dramatically and actually find that I eat a LOT more but don't snack at all. My advice is to avoid added sugar for 2 weeks and you'll see a difference!

Do you exercise? Exercise will help you cope with so much, including high sugar diet and anxiety.

[Naturegirl22 in reply to OakTreeBlossom]

Hi, yes it might be linked to sugar.

Do I just ask for a detox kit at my local pharmacy? What does that have in it and what does it do?

I am trying to start exercising, I walk most days and am just starting to use my exercise bike I have at home.

[allnew2me in reply to Naturegirl22]

Hi, not a great deal of use here but I was intrigued when I saw what you just wrote (no idea why) so I googled detox kits. It seems to vary what's in it depending on what kit, where you get it from etc may be worth googling so you can see what's available xx

[Naturegirl22 in reply to allnew2me]

Thank you x

[OakTreeBlossom in reply to Naturegirl22]

Yes you can buy all sorts or even make your own. I've done ones where you make a detox drink up and drink that every day for a certain period whilst cutting out certain food groups that produce toxins in your body (caffeine, red meat for example) there's a guide for you to follow in each kit. And I've also just followed online guides. Sometimes I just pick a food group and go cold turkey for 6 weeks (did that with dairy). However you do it it's meant to cleanse your system a bit and cos it's only for a short period it's not necessarily hard to stick to.

[Naturegirl22 in reply to OakTreeBlossom]

Okay, thank you