“I’ll start my diet again on Monday.” If you recognize this phrase, you’re not alone!
According to the Olympic Behavioral Health, more than 70 million adults are believed to be addicted to food. As a specialist in substance use counseling, I’ve witnessed my clients struggle to quit using drugs and alcohol, despite negative consequences. However, I noticed similar addiction symptoms in my personal life with my eating habits. I found myself craving sugar and feeling irritable, exhausted, and depressed without my “comfort” foods. I began to plan my days around obtaining my favorite high-calorie meals and feel driven towards desserts. Unsurprisingly, research indicates that the same pleasure centers affected by drugs like heroin and cocaine are also impacted by food. Managing my symptoms has been hard work, but I’ve learned helpful strategies to break the addictive cycle and my physical and mental health have benefited greatly! If my story feels familiar, know recovery is possible!
Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Science & Policy developed a questionnaire to assist in identifying the possibility of a food addiction. If you struggle with any of the following, you may be experiencing a food addiction:
- Keep eating certain foods even if you’re no longer hungry
- Eat to the point of feeling ill
- Worry about not eating certain types of foods or worry about cutting down on certain types of foods
- When certain foods aren’t available, go out of your way to obtain them
If you struggle with food addiction, I can help! Research indicates psychotherapy is the most effective form of treatment for food addiction (Olympic Behavioral Health, 2024) and I would be happy to help guide you towards recovery. To schedule an appointment, please email me at jvincent@pfpaga.com or call me at 770-953-4744 ext. 34.