Post by Admin-MaryK on Dec 29, 2017 13:38:33 GMT -5
My ex-husband is thin, and he is one of those people, when he gets upset, he does not want to eat. Now I, on the other hand, am the opposite, when I feel anxious or sad, I just want to reach for chocolate or cookies. Why were we created this way? Is this some comic view of our Creator? Let's see if he or she can overcome this tendency to eat when unhappy?
Anxiety, or worry, which is essentially boiled down to fear, drives us to eat, especially if we have the slow metabolism and extra pounds of a Russian peasant. We are hard wired in our brains for storing fat in the face of our ancient fears (which used to be starvation and being eaten/killed). So our instinct, which probably served us so well millions of years ago, so we could store fat for famine times, is now killing us...because there are no famine times...
How can we just feel these feelings and not try to "fix them" with food? As a mental health counselor, it is my job to understand and help others with these questions everyday...how to cope without turning to substances like food, alcohol, drugs, even video games. We need to find better ways to help our brains understand we are not really in a fight or flight situation....we are just worried, afraid.
The key to it is mindfulness,or learning how to stay in the here and now in our minds. It isn't easy, but it does work. When you find yourself worrying about the past or future, try to catch yourself. Do a breathing exercise like counting your breaths (count a number for each exhale, up to five, then start over). This focuses your mind and attention on the healing nature of your breath, and the moment, away from the stressful thought you were trying to have.
How do you cope with your anxiety and depression without eating?
Thanks,
Mary K.
Anxiety, or worry, which is essentially boiled down to fear, drives us to eat, especially if we have the slow metabolism and extra pounds of a Russian peasant. We are hard wired in our brains for storing fat in the face of our ancient fears (which used to be starvation and being eaten/killed). So our instinct, which probably served us so well millions of years ago, so we could store fat for famine times, is now killing us...because there are no famine times...
How can we just feel these feelings and not try to "fix them" with food? As a mental health counselor, it is my job to understand and help others with these questions everyday...how to cope without turning to substances like food, alcohol, drugs, even video games. We need to find better ways to help our brains understand we are not really in a fight or flight situation....we are just worried, afraid.
The key to it is mindfulness,or learning how to stay in the here and now in our minds. It isn't easy, but it does work. When you find yourself worrying about the past or future, try to catch yourself. Do a breathing exercise like counting your breaths (count a number for each exhale, up to five, then start over). This focuses your mind and attention on the healing nature of your breath, and the moment, away from the stressful thought you were trying to have.
How do you cope with your anxiety and depression without eating?
Thanks,
Mary K.
