problems & food...

[otter]

everytime i get stressed out or something happens and i have a personal crisis, i have problems with food.

like if i don't eat anything i feel good and focused and almost on a high, until i sort of get a bit too lightheaded and feel a bit sick... then of course i have to eat something... i can starve generally for about 4-5 days.

but if ever i force myself to eat something when i have other problems going on, its like i don't like myself for eating... like the food gives me energy to concentrate on my problems, or something. - but food in either extreme is very emotionally numbing.

sometimes i let myself get so hungry that then i end up eating lots and then my body cannot take it, so then i have to be sick.

i mean i'm not stick thin or fat... but i can only ever eat "normally" and healthily if i don't have any personal problems or stress or anything...

and i was wondering, since i am having problems at the moment, is that reaction normal or not???

[Kentish]

It's normal to not feel hungry when you're stressed. And it's normal to feel hungry when you haven't eaten for a while.

But if you are not eating for days on end, and if you are then making yourself sick, then I think you need to seek help.

If stress is your problem, try to deal with the stressors.

[Olive]

if you're having emotional problems, it's really common to try and control it through not eating or overeating.

doesn't mean it's healthy though.

you need to start thinking of food in a different way. it's not your enemy, and it's not your saviour. it's just something you need to do to stay alive. like breathing.

[Lu_C]

I think most people experince 'problems' with food when they're stressed out/have a lot on their mind...

But what you've discribed does sound a little worrying... :confused: Maybe you should talk to your doc about it if it happens a lot. It can't be healthy to react like this to stress... not to such an extreme anyway.