Help! I'm using fast food like it's a drug! I'm addicted!

Question

I have a problem with out of control eating. It seems like whenever I get fretful about life I get this jiggling feeling in my mind that won’t go away until I eat. I have a good appetite but when I am eating after I get feeling worried about stuff I always want to eat alone and I can eat a lot. I might eat 3 or 4 whole wendys combos in my car in secret and then go and have dinner with my family just like normal. I know this is not a good way to deal with my problems but I don’t know how to stop. No one knows that I do this and I am too embarrassed to tell anyone about it. What can I do to stop eating like this? I am gaining a lot of weight. There is a weight watchers meeting at church that I go to sometimes but I don’t think that it is really what I need to help me.

William Anderson · Accepted Answer

Don't fret. You have a common eating disorder that can be successfully treated.

You needn't be embarrassed when you talk about this to someone who knows all about it, an eating disorders specialist. They work with this all the time, and what you are doing is not out of the ordinary to real professionals. You need to see someone who is licensed by your state's Department of Health as a clinical counselor. They are usually LMHCs, LPCs, LCSWs or Licensed Psychologists. That way, you know you are working with someone who is competent to help with the particular problems you have and is trained properly so that you can solve the problem quickly and not make it worse.

Most so-called "weight loss" programs like WW and other commercial diet centers, which are often conducted by people without proper training, can actually make things worse when you try to follow their diets without dealing with the real problem you have. They mean well, but they do not know enough and are often not even aware that they are not really experts. They think they know enough, but they don't, and if you just listen to them, you'll be on the wrong track.

Look for real therapists who specialize in eating disorders. If you are in a rural setting, you may have to go to a larger city, but it will be worth the ride once a week. If you have any trouble locating one, please write back and I will help you find one.

Best wishes.

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