Everyone eats food, but we all have different tastes and habits when it comes to eating. Eating behaviour can be very complicated due to the influence of culture, habits, friends and family, and physical and emotional cues.
However, eating can become a problem sometimes and can be triggered by mental health issues such as stress caused by money issues, relationship problems, or eating to cope with the stresses of the pandemic.
Food is fuel, but it is also tasty and can be fun, especially when associated with life events, such as cake to celebrate a birthday, or a pizza party to celebrate a work success, but it can also have more negative associations, as any one who has binged on ice cream after the end of a relationship can testify.
Many people don’t take time to think about their eating habits, such as what to eat, when they eat, and why they eat, which could lead into dangerous territory. Let’s have a brief look at when eating becomes a problem and why.
If you think of food all day: Of course we think of food from time to time, but it can be ‘too much’ if you have become preoccupied with food, and you are losing focus on other things.
If your self-esteem is based on your eating habits. Eating can become a problem if your sense of self-worth seems to be tied to your food choices. This can look like having a ‘bad’ eating day, then feeling like a failure because of your choice of food.
If you feel the need to hide from people while eating: Eating in secrecy usually indicates that someone feels ashamed of what they’re doing and that their actions are worth hiding from others. Wanting to eat in privacy repetitively means that there may be a problem with your eating behaviour.
If you feel like you’ve lost control: Feeling like you can’t control the pace or amount of food you’re eating can be an indication of binge eating. Experiencing a loss of control while eating is a hallmark of binge eating disorder.
Being aware of a problematic relationship with food can be difficult, but disordered eating behaviours are treatable with the right resources and help.
If you’re looking for cognitive behavioural therapy in London, get in touch today.