Friday Q&A– I can’t stop binge eating at college and I need help.

Question– submitted by Anita via comments section

Hi, i am a twenty year old girl who has developed a binge eating habit. this is going on for about two years now and i have put on 9kilos. i feel disgusted with myself none of my clothes fit me and i can’t even concentrate on my work i am a student and have so much work to be getting on with but when i binge eat i can’t concentrate on anything. it all starts when i have something which is against my diet plan and from there onwards i will purposely eat wrong foods and my calorie intake can go up to 4000! please can you help me stop binge eating its having such a bad impact on my life i don’t even feel like stepping out of the house anymore. please can you help me get out of this

Answer:

Hi Anita,

I’m sorry, it sounds like you’re having a really rough time right now up at school. It’s truly not uncommon for an eating disorder to begin when women head off to college. It’s a stressful time and food can feel like it helps to alleviate that stress. However, of course it’s temporary.

1.) First off, it’s important for you to get the support you need. Find a therapist to discuss what’s going on with you with food, work level, stress, anxiety, and everything else. Often there are people available through student health services to talk to. You can also look here to find an eating disorder professional in the U.K.

2.)Find a peer support group so that you don’t have to go through this alone. Overeaters Anonymous has meetings all over the world.

3.)You say that you are on a diet. Cut out the diet and go toward eating healthy and being healthy. You might visit a nutritionist who can help you learn more about healthful eating.

4.)Learn how to manage your stress without food. When you feel anxious, take deep breaths, tap on parts of your body (like your chest) to relieve stress. Check out the Thymus Tap.

5.)Stop counting calories. Eat slowly and mindfully. Eat what you want when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. Know that you will be able to eat again in a few hours when you are hungry again.

6.)Read through this blog which has many hints and tools on how to stop binge eating. Start with the first article and go on from there. I think that you will find some useful information in here.

Do you have a question about binge eating, bulimia, anorexia, or anything associated with eating disorders? Send an email to bingeeatingtherapy  at gmail dot com. All questions will be kept confidential. Include your first name or the name you want to be referred to as and your location.

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