Compulsive Overeating & Bulimia

Eating disorders are on the increase in the UK and food addiction is one of the hardest addictions to recover from affecting both men and women in different ways. It’s hidden as many people cannot see how food can be used in the same way as an alcoholic uses alcohol. When we first assess someone with a possible food addiction to see how we can help, we look for behaviours such as secret eating, binging, binging followed by purging (bulimia), periods of food restriction, start / stop diets, compulsive exercising and body building, avoiding social events, obsession with body weight and image.

Food addiction causes shame and guilt, depression and isolation. This becomes a vicious cycle triggering the food addiction to continue. Does this sound familiar? Dieting leads to false and temporary confidence. Overeating contributes to self-hatred and depression.

Some of the causes of eating disorders are stress, anxiety and even boredom of everyday living and the food addiction provides an escape. This addictive behaviour can also replace the natural need for relationships of all sorts, which may be missing in the person’s life.

Food addiction is very draining physically, emotionally and mentally.

Addiction Care specialising in help with problems such as food addiction. We start with enabling people to look at their own denial and therefore own the reality of their situation and at the same time remove their shame and guilt. The most helpful start is to create a food plan – this is and needs to be healthy and nutritional and fast becomes a positive influence to the person. The sufferer starts to see that weight and size are not the issue and will naturally take care of themselves.

With our help, recovery from food addiction allows the person to regain confidence and self-esteem and re-engage with everyday living.