47. Food addiction reminders for Holiday Season

By Tom O'Connell

As the Holiday Season begins we enter the time of year when food becomes central to all of our celebrations. So this is an especially risky time for food addicts.

Food addicts are mentally preoccupied with food. They think about it, wonder about it, make all kinds of plans around it, and look forward to its pleasurable effects. Then when they find themselves going against their own better judgment and losing control over how much they consume, they are caught in the grip of this addiction.

Even when someone is under good control, it is amazing how fast a relapse can happen. All it takes is eye contact with a tray of delicacies, or a whiff of a special aroma, and the saliva builds instantaneously. In a moment the craving is overwhelming and demands satisfaction. The power of the will? It seems to have gone on vacation.

"Yes, I'll have one...or maybe two...how about the whole tray? Would I like a piece of rhubarb pie or apple or pumpkin? How about all three?" Food addicts like those who take three pieces of pie are more open in their responses and cover up with humor. Others hide like counterspies and day to themselves, "Mmm. Is that cheesecake I spy on the counter? Yummy. I'll come back and get some when the crowd goes."

Like the alcoholic, the food addict can't eat certain items "in safety." Just as the first drink by the alcoholic triggers a chain reaction, so too does the food addict go "off the wagon" and "off the diet" by having "just one." Typically, one taste leads to more...and more...and more. It's called a binge, just as in alcoholism. And the end result is not just weight gain; it's discouragement, remorse, and despair. The similarity of alcoholism and food addiction is striking.

In food addicts, powerful craving is stimulated by sugar, salt, flour, or fatty products. One brief taste can lead to an extended binge that creates feelings of shame, guilt, and the need to indulge in secret eating to satisfy the persistent craving.

To offset the food binges and maintain their bodily image, many food addicts use diuretics and laxatives. And others induce their own vomiting. Naturally, these behaviors lead to lowered self-esteem, which in turn leads to isolation and mood swings as they attempt to maintain their pattern without anyone else's interference.

In food addiction, a common effect is the feeling of being "scattered" or drawn in several conflicting directions at one time. This can be very disconcerting. In addition, as the out-of-control feeling deepens, so does the sense of loneliness and isolation.

Attempting to self-medicate the mood swings, the addict will return repeatedly to the drug of choice which is food. And this will usually be followed by emotional numbing or a new burst of self-hate. Such a cycle of craving, excessive satisfaction of the craving, purging, remorse, and isolation can turn an ordinary life into a desperate undertaking.

When existence becomes an ongoing cycle of craving, compulsion, and lack of control, we're in a life-threatening disease process that requires expert attention. Fortunately, many physicians and psychotherapists today are well schooled in the addictive process, and can lead a person through the wilderness to health and recovery. Mutual help groups like Overeaters Anonymous provide ongoing support too. The key? "Get help."

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