How to get rid of food addiction. Help from a psychologist

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Overeating is something that every person has encountered: a New Year's feast, a passion for delicacy, or quickly satisfying hunger can lead to consuming excess food. However, in situations where overeating has become a daily problem, it makes sense to think about food addiction.

• What is food addiction?
• Causes
• Symptoms
• Consequences
• Types of food addiction
• Psychological addiction to food
• Salt addiction
• Carbohydrate addiction
• Milk addiction
• Dependence on flour and bread
• Tea addiction
• Addiction to sugar, chocolate
• Coffee addiction
• FAQ
• How to overcome food addiction on your own
• Treatment of food addiction in Moscow in
• Diagnosis of the disease
• Drug treatment
• Psychological help

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Therapy

If a patient has been diagnosed with psychogenic overeating, then drug treatment is unlikely to help. Some medications may be prescribed to relieve symptoms or treat concomitant diseases, but to eliminate the underlying problem, it is necessary to use various methods of psychocorrection.

Treatment for such a psychological disorder is quite long. Some patients achieved success within a year of working with a psychotherapist, others needed more time.

The main task of specialists treating compulsive overeating disorder is to convey to the patient the idea that food can become an assistant in the process of getting rid of the pathology. To solve the problem, you do not need to completely give up food. You should learn to control your daily diet; it should be based on nutritious and healthy foods.

Among the methods of psychotherapy in the treatment of eating disorders, the most effective are cognitive and behavioral psychotherapy, as well as suggestion and hypnosis. However, this should be done by an experienced doctor specializing in the treatment of psychogenic overeating, since this type of disorder often goes unnoticed by doctors of other specializations.

Often people suffering from compulsive overeating are offered gastric reduction surgery. But in cases where gluttony is caused by psychological reasons, the effect of resection will be minimal, since the patient is not able to control the attacks.

What is food addiction?

Food addiction is a type of non-chemical addiction in which a person consumes large amounts of food not to satisfy hunger, but to obtain pleasant emotions. While eating, the addict calms down and is distracted from everyday stress and depressing thoughts. After the feast, the psychological state of the addict worsens: a feeling of guilt arises, a desire to get rid of the “food load,” and self-esteem drops sharply.

Causes

Systematic gluttony can be caused by the following reasons:

• Chronic depression;
• Feeling of loneliness, lack of positive emotions in life;
• Frequent stress;
• Mental illnesses accompanied by panic attacks;
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (experienced traumatic situations);
• Feeling of the meaninglessness of life.

Food addiction can go hand in hand with bulimia. Bulimia is a type of eating disorder in which a person consumes a huge amount of food, then gets rid of it using artificial methods (inducing vomiting, taking diuretics and laxatives). This addiction puts a person in a serious mental state and can cause suicide and serious pathologies of the digestive system.

Symptoms

The main symptom of food addiction is the systematic consumption of large amounts of food. At the same time, nutrition is often not carried out to satisfy physical hunger and goes beyond the scope of an adequate diet. There are other symptoms of addiction:

• Lack of control over what you eat;
• An irresistible desire to eat even in the absence of physical hunger;
• The appearance of obsessive thoughts about food;
• A significant part of the finances is spent on purchasing treats. Such people have a refrigerator “filled” with food, and due to excess it spoils;
• A person tries to hide the fact of eating food;
• The addict does not have a clear distribution of diet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food is eaten throughout the day;
• Feeling of shame about your condition;
• A sharp drop in self-esteem, attempts to go on a diet with inevitable failure.

Consequences

Gluttony ruins a person's life. His body, psychological state, self-esteem, budget suffer...

Due to excessive food consumption, a number of pathologies develop: diseases of the cardiovascular system (increased cholesterol levels, chronic hypertension caused by obesity and the growth of adipose tissue of the heart), digestive diseases (colitis, gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric enlargement), metabolic disorders … Due to weight gain, a person develops complexes and psychological problems, and buying large amounts of food leads to financial problems.

Male variant of the disease

Despite the fact that 90% of cases occur in the female population, 10% also affect men.

But the causes of bulimia in men are somewhat different than in women. Sexuality plays a special role here. It was found that about 30% of men who were sexually assaulted suffered from a similar disorder.

Sexuality also matters. Bulimia more often accompanies men with homosexual or bisexual orientation, as well as transgender people.

For heterosexual patients, as it turned out, the topic of sexuality in the family was taboo. They either had no relationships with women or were unsuccessful.

Male bulimia most often strikes its victim between the ages of 15 and 25, while the female form makes its debut somewhat earlier, at about 11 years. The disease is more difficult to diagnose in men than in women. As a rule, they are more masterful at hiding its symptoms, and when hinted they react aggressively.

Types of food addiction

Food addiction can involve cravings for different types of food. There is often a craving for sweet and starchy foods: this is the easiest source of positive emotions.

Psychological addiction to food

Lack of freedom from food is a consequence of human psychological problems. Psychological craving is the moral discomfort that a person feels in the absence of a source of pleasure. This problem can only be worked on with the participation of a psychologist.

Salt addiction

Scientists from the University of Iowa (USA) claim that table salt is a “drug” and an antidepressant. This product has typical antidepressant properties and causes persistent psychological cravings. This means that in order to “eat away sadness” they use not only confectionery, but also salty food.

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Carbohydrate addiction

There are several reasons why carbohydrates are addictive:

• Sugary foods engage reward areas of the brain;
• Carbohydrates are a “fast” source of energy;
• Often, carbohydrate foods have a pleasant taste and lead to the production of the joy hormone.

Milk addiction

Out of boredom, a person can eat not only carbohydrate foods, but also dairy foods. In severe eating disorders, the addict may not care about the type of food he eats: his goal is simply to fill his stomach. In addition, milk contains casein, which is processed into casomorphine: a substance with narcotic properties.

Dependence on flour and bread

Flour products are a source of simple carbohydrates. We have already talked about common reasons for the formation of carbohydrate addiction: these features are also associated with flour products. Excessive consumption of flour products is also the cause of the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, so the treatment of such addiction requires an integrated approach.

Tea addiction

Teism is the name given to tea addiction . Excessive consumption of this harmless drink can cause the formation of psychological and physical dependence, since tea, like coffee, has a stimulating effect.

Addiction to sugar, chocolate

Sweets are addictive due to stimulation of the production of the joy hormone. This is a simple and accessible source of pleasure: in this regard, addiction forms very quickly. In addition, sweets cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, which leads to the onset of hunger.

Coffee addiction

Caffeineism is an addiction to coffee. It occurs due to the following reasons:

• Caffeine has a powerful stimulating effect;
• Temporary increase in performance, vigor and mood;
• Long-term consumption of coffee leads to the production of hormones necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system.

This type of addiction can be associated not only with psychological, but also with physical dependence. Treatment of caffeineism requires an integrated approach.

FAQ

We have compiled a database of frequently asked questions and answers to them. Read, maybe you will find the answer to your question

• How to take a break from food for the whole day?
  Often, constant thoughts about food can indicate emotional hunger. A person lacks emotions from everyday activities. Because of this, the search for pleasure is carried out through eating. To solve this problem, you need to reconsider your lifestyle, make new acquaintances and hobbies.
• How to overcome food cravings?
  Stress and other psychological problems may also be behind gluttony. Solving this problem requires an integrated approach and intensive psychotherapy. To overcome food addiction, you need to undergo full treatment.
• Why do I constantly think about food?
  This problem is a consequence of “mental hunger”: chronic stress, loneliness, a sense of meaninglessness in life, or developing eating disorders.

The background of the disease

Symptoms of bulimia were described back in the 40s of the twentieth century, but not as a separate disease, but only as one of the manifestations of anorexia. The disease was identified as an independent category only in 1980 thanks to an American doctor. He observed female students at several universities alternating between overeating and fasting.

The term is of Greek origin and literally translates as “wolf hunger.” Despite the recent formulation of the concept, its cases were noted in the Middle Ages. Back then, feasts were famous for their sophistication and quantity of dishes. In order to try all the dishes, the participants of the feast were forced to induce vomiting several times during the evening, and for this they even had peacock feathers prepared in advance.

According to statistics, bulimia occurs 2 times more often than anorexia. First of all, it is detected in women . But don’t think that it bypasses men. They are also susceptible to this scourge.

There is a certain risk group whose members are prone to developing the disease. This is the category of people whose line of work requires a beautiful, physically harmonious body. This includes athletes, dancers, actors, models, and public figures.

As already mentioned, the disease is accompanied by bouts of gluttony. During such an attack, a person is able to eat up to 2 kg of food, consume 5–6 thousand kcal at a time (while the average norm is 2 thousand per day).

Such “binges” are repeated on average up to 10 times a week. In some cases, their frequency is two per week or can reach up to five attacks per day.

How to overcome food addiction on your own

It is impossible to overcome food addiction on your own. The root cause of addiction—psychological problems, eating disorders, etc.—cannot be overcome by willpower. It is important to understand that an obsession with food may indicate serious problems in a person’s psychological health. Such problems can only be dealt with with the participation of a doctor.

Independent attempts to overcome the craving for overeating often entail self-flagellation. Feelings of guilt lead to a rapid decline in self-esteem and auto-aggression in all its manifestations. To avoid such problems, consult a doctor!

Bulimia within anorexia

Bulimia often develops against the background of anorexia, when patients who torture themselves with hunger for a long time break down.

Here is a girl's story that clearly demonstrates this process. From the age of 7, she was actively involved in sports, which, by the way, brought her pleasure and joy. However, due to her studies, she was forced to leave training. And as a result, by the age of 17, her body floated and she weighed more than 80 kg.

Deciding to get herself in order, she took up aerobics. She wanted to get into the national team, but the coach directly said that she was fat and she needed to lose weight. Then she started training 4 times a week for 4 hours, and strictly limited herself in food.

She didn’t make it to the national team, but became a coach. After that I worked in a fitness center. When she was asked to lose weight to compete in a bikini competition, her workout routine became paranoid. She trained every day for several hours and severely cut her diet.

Even when they began to make comments to her about her appearance, she did not let up. Until one day I woke up with a temperature of about 40. Subsequently, delirium also set in. It turned out to be pyelonephritis. The protein diet she followed so diligently took a toll on her kidneys.

This was the starting point in the development of bulimia. During treatment, the girl gained weight again. I tried to lose the extra weight, and suddenly I lost it. She ate everything that caught her eye. Such breakdowns alternated with unbridled training. Combining them with studies, she managed to sleep 3 hours a day.

Sports bulimia drove her to the point where she could not get out of bed due to muscle pain. Her menstrual cycle was disrupted. Plus, she suffered a torn thigh muscle.

Long-term rehabilitation helped her recover. And now she approaches her diet and training rationally. She managed to defeat the disease and take the desired course.

Literature

• “Stages in the development of food addiction” Prilensky B. Yu., Prilenskaya A. V. (2010);
• “FOOD BEHAVIOR AS PART OF LIFESTYLE” Yudina S.D., Chernova I.I. (2015);
• “Features of psychological rehabilitation of persons with food addiction” Radaeva D.D., Kalashnikova V.V. (2017);
• “DEPRESSION WITH EATING DISORDERS: CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND THERAPY” Medvedev Vladimir Ernstovich, Frolova V.I., Gushanskaya E.V., Fofanova Y.S., Martynov S.E., et al. (2020).

What are the dangers of psychogenic overeating?

Some people may think that gluttony is not the worst psychological disorder. But problems with excess weight, which arise as a result of eating a huge amount of varied food, is the most harmless consequence of this pathology. A sick person is more often than others in a state of depression; he is constantly tormented by feelings of anxiety, worry and fear. In some cases, people resort to alcohol or drugs in an attempt to cope with binge eating, but this only makes the situation worse.

Obesity can also lead to physical health problems. Most often, obese people suffer from diabetes; their risk of cancer is several times higher, their heart rhythm is disturbed and hypertension develops. Other problems include joint diseases, snoring, thyroid pathologies, and various diseases of the digestive and intestinal organs.