binge eating

[regina1]

since I stopped drinking I cant stop my self from constant snacking. I also have major severe depression , from what is in my records

[Svenetc]

Hi, what is causing that depression though ? You said " stopped drinking" - well that is good ! Now you eat instead ....you got one thing taken care of. So there is obviously strength within you to fight that binge eating too. Maybe you just need to find the root cause and then the right help. ( I read your other post too - it does not has to be therapy I believe. Maybe the right friends be supportive rather then medications or sessions in therapy. I don't k now )

[regina1]

like i said i do have gender issues but i have been reading if this is from a chemical imbalance like low vit D. many different opinions on the issue. as I said I dont want to go to therapy because i am afraid of getting committed again because of the cutting and hair pulling. thats why I want others opinions. thxs for your reply and I dont want to take drugs because of all the side effects

[Oscar K]

Welcome new member to our forum family.

I would just point out one insight that might help.

We all have a vast depression abyss within.

Trying to fill that emptiness only creates a hole somewhere else.

My approach is to metaphorically "anchor" myself outside my deep, dark dangerous depression "cave".

Old Man Depression plays havoc with our psyches so my thought is that we should play some clever tricks right back.

Please make yourself at home here and check out some other posts for meaningful insights.

We are all here for each other.

Oscar

[regina1]

thank you I will

[Svenetc]

58 minutes ago, regina1 said:

like i said i do have gender issues

Well , I think YOU don't have gender issues. It is the opposite- somebody might or does. But I understand. Well hair pulling and cutting yourself is no good for sure. I do not know how to help but still like to . I read a lot, I care too much - so I just throw my thoughts out. Same reason I am here for myself... I need input. And I get some. 

[sober4life]

This is pretty normal when you quit drinking.  I had a whole dresser drawer full of snacks at all times to get me through the first year.  Does it last forever?  No it slowly gets better and you will begin to get better.  How?  You quit drinking be proud of yourself for that.  You're tough enough to do anything in this life.

[regina1]

Svenetc. oh I do have gender issues been that way since my early teens. have wanted a sex change for a long time and now I want it more than ever thats why I cut my self twice . used to take hormones , have breasts and used to cross dress regularly. Thats all I think about is being trans. I am also Bi. when I was committed the Dr asked me if I wanted to be a woman and I lied and said no, but I am sure he could tell. when I was taken to the hospital I told them I wanted a change and to remove it

[regina1]

I wonder if my depression is a medical issue from the drugs I take or food I eat, I have issues with my last blood work see Dr next week for followup

[Atra]

When I binge eat (which I've been doing a lot more since Covid) it is a temporary way to numb uncomfortable or intolerable feelings I'm experiencing. Also, when I feel physically full it then masks that emptiness feeling, which is a symptom of my depressive disorder. 

Binge eating is just the best way I know how to cope with feelings I don’t think I can tolerate. 

What I'm working on to replace binging is teaching myself that whatever I'm feeling will pass in time, whether I binge or I don't. Sitting with those feelings is excruciatingly difficult, I'm slowly expanding my window of tolerance. Therapy and support groups are supporting my efforts. 

Wishing for you the same success with avoiding binges as you're having with sobriety. 

[Nightjar]

I've gained every day this week A combination of stress eating and being out of my normal eating routine has really messed me up food wise. I hate it. I've definitely felt like it's been out of my control this week.

[sober4life]

I do binge after stressful things.  Today when I got home from my doctor's appointment I ate a pound and a half of chicken, 4 coffee cakes and a cinnamon roll.  I enjoyed every second of it.  I refuse to feel bad about it.

[Atra]

It began with a call to my mom, she had texted me that her best friend died. She's heartbroken, I got anxious and worried about her mood. 

That's when I grabbed a bag of cheese-flavored popcorn and promptly ate half the bag. Then I craved something sweet and completely devoured a fruit scone. After that, I ate about 1/4 pint of hummus with a handful of sugar snap peas and several handfuls of pita chips. This lasted less than 1 hour and I felt sick, bloated and ashamed afterwards. 

Binge harm-reduction for me means having on hand snacking foods which don't carry an extremely high sugar and fat payload and offer a little nutrition.

After-care is noticing (but not indulging or encouraging) my abusive self-talk which follows a setback. 

I feel a little better after writing this because I traced the chain of events back to an emotional situation, when I first began to feel out of control. And I'll I try to remember next time I can try two different skills to click-down my distress before stuffing carbs into my face.