I have been trying to adopt the intuitive eating lifestyle. I am a binge eater and also have panic disorder. I tend to get super obsessed about calories/food choices and it sends me into a binge. For the past few days I have been trying intuitive eating and it's not going so well. I have had
More unhealthy food than I care to remember and my anxiety is now out of control. On the verge of panic attacks, body pain and tension. I felt way better when I was eating veggies, fruit, meat and nits but then I felt deprived and ended up binging. But as soon as I binge I feel like crap. How do you all handle the nutritional aspect of anxiety and panic?

I make sure to get lots of protein and carbs, carbs calm your brain. And I exercise hard to burn off the extra adrenaline.

How do you manage anxiety in other parts of your life?

I'm no pro at this, but I've noticed I've developed a no-nonsense attitude towards eating. Like if I eat because I'm bored or I can't stop eating, I just reflect on it even as I'm eating.

It also helps to prepare your food because it takes longer and you can really reflect on what you want to eat at the time.

Sometimes I also confuse thirst with hunger. I kind of silently mock myself because it's so obvious what my problem is and it is relatively stupid to think my attraction to food is a problem I can not solve. Uh self control, free will, hello? I'm in control of my brain...... these are just the things I tell myself though :P my stomach gets really angry when I even try to overeat but maybe that's my vegetarian mind/body thing on high.

Are you by any chance going way too low in calories? (Prior to the binge trigger).

Strangely a high calorie meal bar is something what I need to really hold me over. You have to plan on it because of the calorie load, but they tend to really balance food and flavor and it usually calms me down.

I really like ProBar for this. High calorie and high fat depending on your diet goals. But I used it yesterday when I just couldn't really focus.

I also like the question of what your other tools are for anxiety. It will help to have non-food tools to handle the anxiety.

........medication. Sadly, true. I was agorophobic before I went on medication.

Don't be down on yourself for the medication. You are far from the only one and it is good that you have taken steps to make the anxiety a bit more manageable.

I'm not down on myself about medication. It's literally saved my life, but I just know I need to be more pro-active in my own health and not rely on medication so much. I want my lifestyle to compliment my medication. I have zero regrets going on meds.

Well, it sounds like you have your answer right there. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking medication if it's what you need (I'm on medication right now too), but working on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are giving you problems can make such a difference, even if you remain on the meds. Of course, non-pharmaceutical therapies often take a fair amount of time and mental/emotional effort, but if you're successful you'll gain more control over yourself and your life. If you can, I would recommend seeking out a therapist who specializes in anxiety or mood disorders and whose treatment preferences match what you think will help you.

I think for a lot of us, intuitive eating doesn't work because we've been ignoring, never had, or have reduced abilities for so long in reading clues about our hunger. I'm a calorie-counter but there are other systems out there that are more structured but without the number obsession - maybe south beach.