Emotionally Eat: Help/Suggestions

 I have noticed this past week that I have been doing some emotional eating. I think the first step to working on this was realizing that I am doing it. I talked to my therapist today some about this and he asked why he thought I was doing it. My answer was that I think I am eating to fill a void and to cope with negative feelings.

Recently I have been suffering from back pain which has caused me to be more isolated than I already am. I don't drive and am on Disability. I have been starting to learn to drive but that has been postponed due to my back pain because of all the medications I am on. With my back pain being so bad, I don't go out with friends too much because my back pain is too bad to be out for too long. I worked under the table as a part time nanny and can't work because I can't carry/lift the babies/toddlers. The money I recieve from disability barly gets me by so I am struggeling finacaially. I have no money as I lose the weight to buy new clothes (even from goodwill or a thrift store). Its challenging. I mostly sit/lay at home all day unless I'm at a doctors appointment. I suffer from depression and post traumatic stress disorder. I have been trying cymbalta out (due the advertising of helping with back pain), but I think it may be time to switch to a medication that I know works. I have been feeling irritable, anxious, and depressed latly, with it getting more and more each day. 

My therapist told me to journal more about this so we can talk more at our next session. He said what void am I filling? And also to think of alternatives.

I have many coping skills for when I am upset to calm down. I know how to dial down feelings and I know how to put memories/flashbacks away until there is a better and safer time to talk about them. I have learned to not be impulisive and self-harm. But I haven't learned to handle the impulsitivy around food. I won't eat what makes me sick because I hate that sick feeling. And until recently I didn't have those emotions to cause me to emotionally eat. I was numb for a long while. But now that I am over a year out and can eat more things and more volumn, I can see the emotional eating happening at times.

I know I am doing well to working on this by realizing that I am doing this and trying to evalute this. 

I want to know what coping skills you use to not emotionally eat? Remember I have back pain, so getting out of the house and exercising is kind of not the best options right now. Until I am evaluated by a physical therapist again, I don't want to go to the gym and injure myself further. 

For those who are further out, what helped you with the emotional eating once you were able to eat more than in the first few months. 

I hate to have RH, but I think it helps me at times to stay on target with what is best for me to eat. But still, at times, I eat more often than I should.

Any help is appriciated and of course I will be working on this in therapy, and when I get food to really think if I am actually hungry or if I am just eating to eat?

I have 4 meals a day and 2 protein drinks.  Between that, I have to get my fluids in.  If I am doing everything right, that doesn't leave much time for anything else.  When I think I am hungry at a different time and it isn't time for a meal, I have a cup of warm herb tea.  That seems to help me not eat.

Glad you are seeing someone to help.  Hopefully your back will improve and that will help also.

What I think works best for me - and I don't always do it, I am definitely a work in progress - is to figure out what need I am trying to fill by eating and then asking myself if I can think of a better way to meet that need.  Like, I eat when I'm bored.  Munching on crackers does give me something to do but it's not really a very interesting, fun thing to do.  A better way to meet that need would be to get dressed and go some where.  Get out of the house.  I also eat when I'm lonely and food does make me feel a little better but calling up a friend and making plans to get together would fill that need better.

So you're really isolated and you want to eat.  Because food has always been there for you, right?  But you are still pretty isolated when you're sitting at home eating all by yourself.  What else can you do that would actually do a better job of decreasing your isolation?  Can you make plans to go out with friends for short periods of time?  Do you have friends that understand your back hurts too much to to walk all over the mall to shop but you could make a quick trip to Walmart?  Can you invite friends over instead of going out?  Spend more time talking to friends on the phone?  Email some friends?  Keep in touch with some friends on forums like OH?

I have one other idea.  This has been really helpful to me.  Several years ago, I came across some information about the Christian ministry that was matching up people that were willing to write letters to people in prison.  I thought that sounded interesting.  There are five women I write to now regularly.  Two of them write more often and longer letters than the others.  One of them draws really, really well and for Christmas sent me this beautiful drawing of a cat because she knows I like cats.  The main reason I started doing this is because I am kinda isolated myself and don't get to interact with people very much.  Anyway, if you might be interested, PM me.  

That's so nice Kelly. It's a lesson in humaninty, that everyone has value and something to give. Good for you and for them... :)