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Living with a food addiction
There are many people who remain sceptical about whether addictions to food or sex really exist. Through my work as an online counsellor I am left with absolutely no doubt. In the early days of addiction, it is feasible that many people would regard their activities as indulgence in a pleasurable experience. However as the addiction progresses, it will ultimately lead them to what many clients describe as a ‘living hell’.
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As a student nurse, I recall working on a ward full of patients suffering from alcoholic liver disease. I simply could not understand why on earth these patients continued to drink alcohol knowing that they were killing themselves. Today I understand the nature of alcoholism and know that addiction drove them to the bottle. Although alcoholism is recognised among the medical community now, we still don’t recognise food addiction (binge eating disorder / compulsive overeating) if it is staring us in the face.
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| Perhaps you think that you have never seen anyone with a food addiction. But I can assure you that every day we come across people who are addicted to food. Rarely will anyone admit that they just can’t stop eating but you will watch them gain pounds and pounds, making excuse after excuse. How many times have friends told you that they are starting another diet, but just can’t seem to stick at it. Do they describe themselves as a comfort eater, or perhaps they actually inform you about calories of almost every food found in the supermarket! Perhaps they too are addicted to food?
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What a food addict fails to reveal is what their life is really like. They live behind a set of masks that tells the world that they are fine and life is great. They are survivors, using food to cope with life. As they begin to trust you, they will open up and allow you into their secret and devious ways. Their behaviours around food will be planned with military precision. Binges will become bigger and bigger over time, with the frequency increasing too. Ultimately food addicts will binge all day long, day and night. Every waking moment is consumed with thoughts of food: - either where they will get their next fix from; or guilt from what they have just eaten. Isolation is a big factor as the disease progresses. The food addict prefers bingeing to being sociable. Relationships suffer tremendously as the food addict knows how to keep people away so they can indulge in their addiction. Ultimately life becomes unbearable as the devastation of this disease sends their lives in to chaos. Many become suicidal as they feel so hopeless and worthless, believing that there is no hope of recovery. |
But the great news is that people do recover from food addiction. There is so much hope out there if only someone could identify this eating disorder and then send them in the right direction for treatment. Denial is a major problem so only the very desperate food addict will seek help.
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But you can be aware of the following signs to watch out for:-
• Sudden weight gain
• Eating in secret
• Obsession with food and weight
• Bingeing on food – often high in sugar or fat
• Eating when feeling any type of emotion
• Constant snacking on food
• Always dieting but never losing weight
• Medical conditions such as obesity related complications, depression, and insomnia.
• Wanting weight loss surgery or appetite suppressants
• A food history that does not match their clinical picture (e.g. eats perfect diet but obese and not losing weight)
• Family history of eating disorders or addiction.
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Behind the food addiction lies an emotional struggle, so it is essential to address this problem in a very supportive and caring way. To admit to food addiction is one of the hardest things. Recovery involves addressing the underlying issues through counselling, support groups or treatment centres. Overeaters Anonymous (http://www.oa.org) is a worldwide fellowship that supports recovery from food addiction.
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I’ve never heard anyone with a food addiction describe their problem as indulging in a bit of pleasure, so perhaps we should start listening to the people who suffer from the problem, before casting it off as something that doesn’t exist.
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