Ways to Deal

[Guest guest]

Hi All,I've been on the listserve for a while now, enjoying reading people's thoughts about IE and about their own journeys. I thought maybe I should introduce myself, and I have a question that maybe you all can give me some feedback on.

A little about me: I've been doing IE for about four months now, give or take. During that time I've had some periods where I felt like things were going really well and like I was enjoying eating more than ever, and I've had times where I felt a little lost or like I didn't have the energy to put into thinking a lot about IE or found myself eating emotionally. I've always had issues with food, since I was young(er). In high school I was very obese and lost much of that weight in college. However, even though I lost weight (and mostly I didn't do it by restricting my food very much) I still struggle with my weight. In the past year or so I came to the realization that a lot of my overeating is emotional eating. When I get depressed or anxious, I tend to overeat, partly because it gives me a pleasurable distraction from whatever I'm experiencing, but also because the guilt I feel afterwards gives me something to focus on besides whatever other negative feelings I have.

Despite the fact that I understand the pattern, I'm having a hard time breaking free of it. I was just wondering if people might have some suggestions about constructive ways of dealing with depression or anxiety. What do you do when you're feeling down?

Thanks!Meg