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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    I think I have an eating disorder. What should I do?

    Related Topics
    Eating Disorders Mental Health
    I think I eat because I'm bored. How can I control this? I've seen physiologist, which didn't help. I also have a number of chronic diseases so eating sweets or overindulgence is not good for me. What are some ideas to get me to stop doing this.
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  • Dr Simon Easterbrook-Smith

    Health Professional

    My research interests include immunology and the mechanisms of amyloid formation. The latter has implications for people who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease … View Profile

    The Butterfly Foundation is a great local resource for people who may have an ED.

    http://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/

     

     

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    Kristen Ross

    Counsellor, Kinesiologist

    Kristen Ross is a qualified Kinesiologist, Counsellor and Sports Therapist.Affinity Wellness is her holistic wellness practice offering a holistic wellness experience by focusing on all … View Profile

    Disordered eating can be a manifestation of a number of different emotional or spiritual concerns such as self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence.  I would encourage you to look to practices that can help you acheive a more balanced sense of self. These include mindfulness practice (meditation), yoga, art therapy.
    Or work with a therapist such as a kinesiologist or counsellor to investigate some of the underlying causes for your current concerns. I would also suggest seeing a naturopath to work through your dietary concerns and address your addiction to sugar on a biochemical level.
    Best wishes.
    ~Kristen

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    Alysha Coleman

    Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor, Psychologist

    Alysha is the Primary Clinical Psychologist and Director of The Institute for Healthy Living, a clinical psychology practice in Bondi Junction. Alysha has worked with … View Profile

    Many people eat because they’re bored (or anxious, or stressed, and so on) when they aren’t really hungry. This is usually because they haven’t learned effective tools for managing the unpleasant emotions they’re experiencing. This is true of most people – we all turn to different sources to try to get rid of unpleasant emotions!

    Something to do when you first feel like snacking is to have a glass of water. Many of the physiological mechanisms that tell us we are hungry are the same ones that tell us we are thirsty, and many people confuse the different messages. You can eat and eat and not be satisfied, because what your body is really calling out for is a drink!

    There are also many useful psychological tools for dealing with the issue you’ve reported, but a good one to start with is called the 'Delay, Distract, Decide’ technique. This simple procedure will help you manage your urge and realise if you are really hungry or not. It is important to note that urges to eat as well as emotions, are temporary experiences that will pass if we are able to ride them out. Read on for the steps.

    1. Delay: Don’t give in to the urge to eat the moment you feel it. To start with, you want to delay this urge for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

    2. Distract: You avoid the urge by distracting yourself with a task that is incompatible with snacking. So don’t watch TV or read a book, which many people associate with snacking. Go for a walk, tidy the kitchen, call a friend: anything that can help you focus your attention away from the urge to eat. The key is to choose activities (mental or behavioural) that will help you move your attention away from the craving.

    3. Decide: Hopefully, at least 5 to 10 minutes have now passed. Decide for yourself: am I really hungry? Or was I just bored? Spend some time identifying the advantages and disadvantages of eating right now. If you really are hungry, by all means have a snack. Try to prepare for these instances by always having healthy snacks on hand: veggie sticks, rice cakes, nuts, and so on.

    A clinical psychologist with experience in eating behaviours is a good call for helping you develop skills like this, and change your long-term patterns of eating.

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    Elizabeth Newsham-West

    Dietitian

    If you think you have an eating disorder you need to seek the help of you GP first, especially when you have indicated you have some other medical conditions (and possibly some medications) which may very well be affecting your food choices, eating and eating habits.

    Disordered eating needs to be treated by a multi disciplinary team being GP, Psychologist/ Psychiatrist/ Dietitian.

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