When I am depressed, I eat more!
 

Due to a lot things in my life right now, I am feeling very depressed and when Im feeling low, I tend to hate myself and eat more just to stop feeling bad! At that moment, I dont care if I am fat or I am on a diet or that this is not good for me. Its just not something I think about.

I enquired about counselling and psychotherapy which is 160/50 min session in my area which I seriously cant afford at this time (makes me more tensed). I have moved here recently and have noone to talk to about this.

Once I am feeling better, I regret why I ate so much or slept through the entire day. but next time it happens..its the same story.

Does this happen to anyone else? any advice on how to deal with this would be highly appreciated.

:?:

I seek comfort in food when I'm depressed or stressed or angry or anxious or...well, you get the picture. I don't have any answers, or I wouldn't be where I am now.

What I know I *should* do to cope is exercise, journal, or refocus my energies on something else. I haven't accomplished this yet.

I guess the hard part is not being able to focus anywhere else at that time. If I could go exercise, do something else...then I would also be able to stop binging!

But I guess you are right, We must try harder.

I also tend to just shove food into my mouth when I get emotional about anything. Lately I have been thinking about everything I put into my mouth. I know that a few days ago I was depressed and put off eating until I was sure it was hunger and not depression that was sending me the I have to eat signals. When my stomach started growling I knew it was hunger hehe :lol:
I also agree with above that exersise and journaling probably do the best. I would suggest just evaluating to see if you are eating to get at the emotions or if you are really hungry. I hope this helps a little.

Trish

Try drinking a big glass of water. Before you eat anything.

Also, sit out in the backyard in the sun.
Or get in your car and drive to the water's edge somewhere. Or a park.
Just get out of the house.
Seems to help perk up my mood.

Call someone and just chat..........
Or get on line and chat -IM.......

xoxox

I recently started the exercise thing. I have been blessed to have a friend who joined a gym with me. Been a real moivator. I really do feel less stressed after a work out, less likely to "bite" the family members heads off. Because I "graze" when it comes to food, eat any quick thing I can find, I have found the exercise somewhat slows me down... I will have to work so much harder to work that cookie off. It's only been a couple of weeks, and I usally go "all out" when I start something. But it's a start... Have you looked into a "Weight Watchers" group, or some sort of support in your new area. It's support that works for me... You will make it.:cp:

i completely know how you feel. i have a lot of stuff that's just weighing on my mind and unfortunatly i turn to food, even when i'm not hungry at times. and then i do get that attitude like, 'i don't care if i'm over eating, this is good and i'm going to enjoy it!'

i've taken to starting a weight journal to help me sort out my feelings seperate from my regular journal. & it helps to talk with someone that's going through the same thing that's why i really like these support type groups online.

I started exercising and I find it helpful. I still hate it, but I like the feeling I have after I'm done with it! I also journal and think 'positive thoughts'. The problem is that when I'm feeling extra emotional or low, I seem unable to stop myself from binging. I know I should go for a walk, have some water, read...but I just want to eat and nothing else matters. And after I eat I feel mad for not trying to do anything to prevent my binge. I need to learn to slow myself down, to delay the binge. I need to learn to do something else to divert my attention. Oh, It's tough!

Hi willmakeit,

Do you have insurance?????

I see a counselor every other week, and all i pay is my $30.00 copay for a specialist, with out insurance it is $155.00
Usually what you need to do is go to a psychiatrist, and they recommend you to go to counseling, and then insurance covers that

Or just call your ins. company and talk to the mental health department, they can tell you how your ins works etc...

God bless you,

you aren't alone,

I just started Jenny Craig Saturday, i'm an emotional eater not a hungry eater, and i've been more anxious this week because i haven't been able to stuff away my emotions.

It's strange... when I was younger & depressed, I ate LESS. Lost about 12 pounds during that time.

When I was older & depressed, I gained weight (I was on Paxil, and that drug is well known for making you gain weight! - increased appetite, etc.)

Right now, I'm not sure I'm "depressed" or just going thru the motions of perimenapause or just being exorcisty with the PMS every month...

Ah, the joys of being a woman. :sp: :bomb: :tantrum: :) :D :cry: :( :?:

Hey ladies, Hope it's been a better week for us all. Willmakeit, thought about you a few times this week.. Any chance to get out and meet someone in your new home this week?
I just spent 50 minutes on line checking into lab band surgery, I have this weird idea that if I lose this 50 pounds I going to be a "happier" person. Like the weight is my only issue. Then I headed for the cookies, had 4 and felt like crap... Thought I say hey to you guys, shake it off and start again. I did exercise 3 times this week, did a yoga class that about kicked my butt... Know what I really hated about the class, the mirrors, man hard to focus when your looking right at your big butt... Got though and will do it again...
Got to because losing weight will make me happy, right?
Sherunsfree, love the journal idea, saw a thread here where you can do that, maybe I sould give it a try... sort out this being thin, being happy thing...
You guys and your post are really great support, I hope you know that. Hope your day's are better, will be thinking of you all.

It's a terrible cycle. There are a lot of reasons why i binge but no matter what I feel depressed after. I feel gross cause i ate so much and swear up and down that I will never do that again but it's not long until it happens again. When you eat a lot of food you get sort of high. It doesn't last that long and when it fades you crash, causing major depression. I go through it too much. :hug:

Your right, it is sort of a "quick high" only for me half the time I don't even realize I've eaten what I have. I mean I some times don't even taste it. Kind of a mindless thing and before you know it, yuck... then the feeling of hating yourself, knowing everything would be better if only
Congrats on your 16 lbs lost angiepants, I'm pulling for ya!

Hi.. I surely know what you mean. I get depressed I eat alot. I want to sleep and eat and the two combo's are not good for sure!!

also, if you have an employee assitance plan at work...you *should* be able to call and ask thru the EAP for a doc. I have access to the EAP at my workplace....as well as a friend of mine who had to deal with a husband who'd been cheating for 6 months. Thru her workplace she got 3 free sessions with a marriage counselor.....maybe your EAP can help you :) Just my input :)

And yes, I do the same thing. Emotional eater/bored eater here.

I have the same problem, or did for a long time, that only helped me gain a lot of weight. It takes time and even when u realize that it's bad u may still eat bad. Keep battling though cause now I don't attack the fridge when I'm really pissed or frustrated. It doesn't help that my mother is living with me right now, cause she is (in real truth) an instigator of my frustration. I just have learned to deal with my own problems, cause I know I can't deal with hers. Drama lover and problem creator, I hate admitting it in type but that is what she does for attention. I never have gotten why, but at this age I can't use any more time finding out why, when I got significant problems in my own life. It might not help that I'm one of four and she's an only child. Anyway, sorry for the rant, but identifying what really gets u crazy will help. Then deal with it from your end cause that is the most you can control Most of the time, if not all.

Unfortunately, I can relate to using food to treat emotional pain. I gained 20lbs in ONE MONTH after having my 3rd miscarriage.

Is there a public mental health clinic in your area? They have MUCH lower rates from what I've been told. A friend of mine used to go and they also got her free medication (some antidepressants can be very expensive).

Usually the public mental health clinics are operated and funded through whatever state/city/county you live in. If you don't know of any public mental health clinics in your area you can post your location (city, county, state) and someone may have the information for you.

Good luck and many :hug:

Check in your area to see if there is free or low cost services in your area. I know here in my area we have something like that for all the people who fall thru the insurance "crack". Dont be too proud to use a facility like this because once you get feeling better you can help someone else. I suffer from serious mood swings and apparently right now insomnia which is throwing my whole life off track. Its easy for someone that doesnt understand depression to tell you to just get out and do something but we all know its not that simple. Somedays I can hardly get out of the house but when I do I seem to feel better. Im a stay at home mom so it makes it easy for me to hull up in the house and not go out. I am currently looking for a job so I will have to get up and get moving and out of the house. If you can make plans with someone or volunteer a couple of times a week. If you make a commitment you will feel like you must keep it and it may bring you some happieness to see that you have helped someone else. Also try to be around positive people. Good luck. Kimberly

I do too!
 

Willmakeit - I have that happen all the time! I know lots of people do. I get excited when I am going to go get food or go to lunch at work. It's like eating makes me so happy and if I am down, I will most likely eat to feel better. But I know the story, you go to bed that night so mad that you just keep doing it over and over. Then, you'd think you'd learn next time, but no. I actually came to this site though because of the way I mindlessly eat. Just eating even when I am already kind of full. Just a few minutes ago a coworker who wanted a sweet, went and got some nutter butters and gave one to me. Of course, I ate it all right away. The point is, I was stuffed from lunch and wasn't even particularly wanting sweets (for once), but I jsut inhaled it anyway! I mean ughh it is so bad. I know how you feel though, and I guess it takes serious trying and willpower. Try to distract yourself byt getting out of the house maybe, or sometimes if I just lie down when I get the cravings they pass and I realize I don't have to eat right then.

Holyteror - Omigosh don't get me started on bored eating! That's probably my number one problem w/ food!

Hi all, I can relate too. First when I was younger I was like BeachPatrol, lost weight because I was deeply depressed and couldn't eat. Wish in a way it was like that now. But I think I switched somewhere.

I am trying to change my behaviors to something else when I'm down.

:hug:

I'm the same way. When I get depressed (which is far too often) I eat everything in sight even when I am full. I was doing really well for the last few months but this month was harder. Sometimes I do the opposite though. I know starving myself will make me feel better about myself so I tend to do that too. Being depressed sucks.

I eat when I am bored and lonely.....it has been so long since I have been on track I wonder if I ever will be again.

L

P.S
I was recently at a work related conference....there were only two in the group that were over weight......guess what we were the only two drinking diet soda........does that even make sense?

Me Too!
 

Emotional/Bored Eater Here!!! So happy to know I'm not alone!!
I also like to shop when I'm bored or depressed (ie:spend money). Do you think the two go hand in hand? I think I see a pattern here.....

the key to depression and stress is to find something to alleviate it. Using things like shopping and eating, only get you further stressed when you look at the scale or your wallet. Although, using these things in extreme moderation and along with other things to help relive stress can be okay. When I am stressing and I immediately start craving chocolate, I try to find something else to do that's appropriate to distract me. I often play video games or watch TV, but this is another one of those things that should be used in moderation. As others have mentioned, journaling and exercise are really good coping skills. One day I had an *extremely* stressful day at work and I saw a girl eating chocolate ice cream and i started craving it really hard. Luckily, I had something I had to do and didn't have access to ice cream. I went on about my day and was able to relax through the course of the day. Several hours later, I still wanted Ice cream, but the craving had probably been reduced down to 1/3 what it was. In the end i had 3/4 of a cup of healthy choice ice cream instead of the huge triple chocolate waffle cone that I had been craving earlier.
Distraction really works, but it's very difficult to make yourself do.
Anytime I'm stressed and want ice cream, I just think about how far I've come and how much I'd hate to ruin it. Then i go do something else--soemtimes if I have the willpower, i'll have a small indulgence like diet ice cream or weight watcher's cake.