Kate Heavey BA (Hons) FdSc BACP (Accredited) - Food addiction? Food misuse? Binge Eating? For individuals and couples impacted by binge eating in their relationships. Online binge eating addiction counselling offered via Zoom, Signal, WhatsApp and the phone.
The aim of this page is to provide you with information and support if you are currently experiencing binge eating disorder (BED) and feeling horrible and out of control and want to recover and start to manage your relationship with food in a different way.
Working with BED is different to working with other addictions in that, although we work with identifying the root cause, you cannot abstain from food as you need it to live so it is about changing your relationship with food. Every individual, to some degree, uses food to self-soothe and connect with others.
Why might you be eating large quantities of food in a short time (binge eating)? Because your brain has probably identified it as a coping mechanism at some point in your life. You may have needed it for reasons such as feeding yourself self-love, feeling in control, blocking out disturbing thoughts / feelings, changing the way you feel or using it to take your mind off what was happening around you. Chances are you find yourself here as it is causing you unpleasant feelings such as distress, guilt and shame and you feel like you are not fully participating in life (loss).
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that BED is the most common type of eating disorder and, of those with the condition, only about 30 percent will seek treatment! So if you are here now, take action and be one of the 30% who recovers; together we will work on getting you the life you want.
Binge eating disorder symptoms can include: -
- Eating excessive amounts of food in a relatively short amount of time
- Eating past the point of fullness
- Gradual weight gain due to bingeing
- Negative self-judgement and self-critic
- Continued feelings of shame, guilt, disgust, embarrassment, etc.
- Eating in secret or alone to avoid being noticed
- Body dysmorphia / body hatred
- Challenged relationships
- Feeling out of control
- Using food to cope with stress as opposed to satisfy hunger.
If you suffer from BED, the chances are you will have had an unhealthy relationship with food since your early years, or you would have learnt to have an unhealthy relationship with food due to what has been modelled to you.
How we work together to relieve you of binge eating: -
We work with binge eating disorder in an addiction cycle way and the symptoms we look at are: -
- Pain - what emotions, feelings and fears you are currently using food to avoid
- Control - you overeat to exert control over one, or more, aspects of your life
- Temporary oblivion – how 'hand to mouth’ provides a temporary dopamine hit
- Trauma - numbing, supressing or repressing pain in a self-sabotaging way
- Attention - how do you get/want it in instead?
- Unpleasant feelings - guilt, shame and feeling unlovable may continue to justify acting out
- Low self-worth - you've been told by others you are worthless and not prized for you
- Low self-esteem / confidence - you compare yourself to others, i.e. not pretty or handsome enough
- Unrealistic expectations / perfectionism - how high unrealistic standards set you up to fail
- Family attitudes - how does your family link to food? Is it given as a comforter? As Love? Or maybe deprivation.
We will explore your patterns of eating so you can recover.
Benefits of therapy for binge eating disorder: -
- Self-acceptance, self-love and self-compassion
- Being aware of the back story of your eating disorder
- Having a healthier relationship with food including choice of what you eat
- Self-worth, self-esteem and self-acceptance of you (and your body!)
- Feeling 'full up' and satisfied with life
- Knowing your own wants / needs and being able to communicate them with others (assertive boundaries)
- Embracing pleasant and unpleasant feelings
- Having the relationship you desire both with yourself and with others.
Contact
Contact from website
Please click here to contact me directly from this website.
Email Contact
harmoniouscounselling@gmail.com
Telephone Contact
07941 305511
My answering machine is confidential.
Please note:- If your number is not familiar to me, and you do not leave a message, I will not call you back as I am unaware of your personal circumstances.
Text / WhatsApp Contact
07941 305511 to make an appointment.
'A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety' Aesop
