Tag: binge eating disorder recovery

What Can Lockdown Teach Us About Binge Eating?

A "Sorry, we're closed" sign in a shop window.
~ Julie de Rohan, eatonomy® ~ 26 Comments

I want to start by expressing my gratitude to all the medical professionals (both frontline and behind the scenes) currently working, at great personal risk, to care for the sick. I’d also like to thank all those carrying out essential services – collecting our rubbish, stacking the shelves, delivering our orders – for their hard work and dedication at such a difficult time.

Thank you. All of you.

The rest of us are playing our part by staying at home in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease. And it seems that some of us are struggling with the lockdown, while others are enjoying it.

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Expert Insight: A Gentler Way of Dealing with Yourself

Several pink heart-shaped flowers on a branch.
~ Julie de Rohan, eatonomy® ~ 25 Comments

“Change happens the way a plant grows: slowly, without force, and with the essential nutrients of love and patience and a willingness to remain constant through periods of stasis.

If change is what you want, you need to find a gentler way of dealing with yourself and others.” – Geneen Roth, “Breaking Free from Emotional Eating”

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Why is Change Such a Challenge?

A misty mountain at sunset.
~ Julie de Rohan, eatonomy® ~ 22 Comments

While the process of change never runs smoothly, sometimes it feels like an endless battle with yourself which can wear you down and make you feel like giving up.

So let’s examine some of the reasons why change might feel like such a challenge.

It’s not coming from a helpful place within you
Often the attempt to change is motivated by your Inner Bully who says you’re unacceptable and have to improve to earn your place in this world. Trying to change yourself to please others isn’t healthy motivation and doesn’t work. The only motivation for lasting change comes from an authentic place within that is concerned for your wellbeing and wants the very best for you.

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Food for Thought: Step Forward into Growth

~ Julie de Rohan, eatonomy® ~ 26 Comments

“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” – Abraham Maslow

How often have you found yourself at that difficult crossroads?

A part of you urges you to step back, insisting you stay in your comfort zone where it’s familiar and safe. “Keep to your usual way of thinking. Continue your old patterns of behaviour. You know where you are then”, it says.

But, like a persistent child tugging at your sleeve, another part wants your attention.

Rather than stay safe, it compels you to move forward. “There’s more for you than this. You know there is”, it whispers, as it hints at an exciting future you’ve yet to discover.

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Expert Insight: Soothing with Words and Compassion, not Substances

A heart shape outlined by white powder on a dark wooden surface.
~ Julie de Rohan, eatonomy® ~ 25 Comments

“The fundamental problem is that if we have not been appropriately soothed and have not had carers who have sufficiently helped us to manage our feelings, we are likely to have great difficulty managing them as we grow up and in adult life*. We badly need the skills of emotional regulation because otherwise we are at the mercy of our feelings…

Many people, of whom you may be one, self-soothe not with words and compassion but with substances and activities. The compulsive exerciser is making himself feel better by his exertion; the drug addict or problem drinker is using substances to escape from feelings he can’t manage; the person with disordered eating is using her preoccupation with food, weight, shape and size to deal with feelings that she doesn’t know how to manage in any other way.”

Julie Buckroyd, “Understanding Your Eating”

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How Do You Soothe Yourself Without Food?

~ Julie de Rohan, eatonomy® ~ 24 Comments

Trigger warning: binge eating.

Back in my binge eating days, I’d often hear a soothing little voice in my ear.

If I was having a tough day at work, the voice would whisper: “it’s OK, pick up some food on your way home”. Like co-conspirators, the little voice and I would plan the binge I’d have later.

Planning was part of the bingeing ritual and looking forward to it helped me get through the day. I’d feel excited as I imagined all the food I was going to eat. All those “bad” and “naughty” things I felt I wasn’t allowed because I was firmly entrenched in a diet mindset.

But the little voice gave me permission. After all, it told me I was having a difficult day and food would make me feel better.

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