As a teenager, I struggled with bulimia. Not only did I eat to manage my emotional states, but I also binged and then tried to compensate for my dietary transgressions. This never-ending cycle was so draining that I could not think of anything else but food.
Stopping binge eating required a shift in my beliefs about my worthiness and my ability to cope with stressful situations. I used food to suppress three negative emotions in particular: powerlessness, anxiety, and emptiness. Fortunately, with the assistance of a psychiatrist who helped me change some aspects of my negative and restrictive mindset, I beat bulimia. This was a turning point in my life.
I made remarkable improvements. But emotions such as loneliness, boredom, unhappiness and even excitement still triggered my appetite. I still made bad choices for my mental and physical wellbeing and was prone to emotional overeating. I still used food to avoid unpleasant emotions.
[For more on this story by Stefy Uotani, go to https://betterhumans.coach.me/...-eating-aa95003cfe64]
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