5 Ways People Use Food to Meet Their Needs
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- FIVE WAYS PEOPLE USE FOOD TO MEET THEIR NEEDS
#emotionaleating #overeating #intuitiveeating
Connection video mentioned: • Binge Eating: The Ulti...
Disclaimer: This video is for information purposes only and my content should not be used as a substitute for seeking treatment from a healthcare provider. My content is not going to be suitable for everyone, so please use your self discernment before applying any video content in your own life.
Join my Life After Diets community. This community is for you if you want to improve your relationship with food and become more comfortable in your own skin. Community membership includes invites to live episode recordings (online), support meetings, a private Facebook group and monthly Q&As. For more information go to: / lifeafterdiets
Connect and Recover Groups: thebingeeatingtherapist.com/c...
Weekly binge eating therapist groups: thebingeeatingtherapist.com/g...
To sign up to my Friday Food For Thought emails please head here: thebingeeatingtherapist.com/n... Each week you’ll receive an email from me sharing what’s on my mind in the realm of binge eating recovery.
If you found this video useful you may want to check out the podcast Life After Diets, which I co-host with Stefanie Michele. Available across most podcast platforms. Join our growing support community. This community is for you if you want to improve your relationship with food and become more comfortable in your own skin. Community membership includes invites to live episode recordings (online), support meetings, a private Facebook group and monthly Q&As. For more information go to: / lifeafterdiets
Life After Diets RUclips channel / @lifeafterdietspodcast...
Listen here www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com...
My book, I Can't Stop Eating, is available on Amazon amzn.to/3a6M6Hb (UK affiliate link, please search for title in Amazon if outside of UK)
Website - thebingeeatingtherapist.com
Instagram - / the_binge_eating_thera...
Welcome to The Binge Eating Therapist channel! I'm Sarah, a former binge eater turned psychotherapist. On this channel, we delve into the intricate relationship we have with food, treating it as a connection with our needs. Just like any other relationship, we use interactions to fulfill needs, and food often becomes a tool for meeting these unmet needs.
In this video, I explore the top five needs that food tends to address and discuss how to navigate them. First on the list is connection. People sometimes eat due to loneliness or a general sense of disconnection. While food can't replace human interaction, understanding the root cause as disconnection opens up avenues for healthier solutions.
Next up is stimulation, a need for excitement and energy. Food, especially in the context of binging, can be a way to inject stimulation into a life that might feel flat or uninspiring. Recognizing this need helps to explore alternative sources of stimulation beyond food.
The third need is freedom and autonomy. We all desire some control over our lives, but it becomes problematic when it transforms into over-control or a desire for rebellion. Balancing autonomy and freedom is crucial to maintaining a healthy relationship with food.
Reward comes in at number four. We often turn to food for a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Understanding this need helps to find alternative ways to achieve rewards and avoid relying solely on food for a sense of fulfillment.
Lastly, there's the need for safety. Eating triggers the rest and digest state, providing a sense of safety and comfort. Recognizing this need allows for exploring other ways to feel safe and secure without solely depending on food.
Rather than substituting food with new tools or tactics, I encourage viewers to identify and independently practice meeting these unmet needs. By creating more connection, stimulation, autonomy, reward, and safety in our lives, we can reduce the reliance on food as the primary solution.
Remember, it's crucial to approach this journey with curiosity and self-compassion. Practice naming the unmet need rather than falling into the cycle of shame. Join me on this exploration of understanding and meeting our needs beyond the realm of food. If you resonate with these ideas, explore the comprehensive resources in the video description to guide you further. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video!
Last night I had the feeling of intense tension & recognized that feeling as what’s been holding me back for most of my life. I didn’t know what to do with that feeling. This urge to binge had been building all day after a week of not binging, eating well & taking care of my body. I listened to your meditation & sobbed. I was surprised by my strong emotions & had no idea what was happening to me. I didn’t binge though and also didn’t white knuckle fight against it like I normally do. I think I may have had a break though & thank God for that. I’m so grateful for the wisdom you share with these videos, you’re helping so many of us. I feel amazing this morning!
I tried your suggestion in changing "comfort" eating to "safety" eating. Yes. The feelings I'm avoiding & running from are scary. So food is where I turn.
Thanks for your thoughtful calm approach.
I have never ever been able to find anyone who understands the way I think and why I seem to do what I do when it comes to binge eating, other than you. It's like I'm hearing my own thoughts finally being explained in the perfect way. I find myself sharing your videos with my husband and best friends, in order to explain to them how I think. Thanks for making these videos!!! Your videos help me so much!
Your video descriptions are excellently detailed. I appreciate the thought you put into your content. You are a responsible and ethical creator.
As others have said, I’ve gone my whole life feeling like an exception, never truly connecting to the thoughts and experiences of others. That is until I discovered this channel a few months ago. I don’t have to try and fit myself into these descriptions- I am them, I recognise them. So thank you for making these videos.
I’ve actually been cultivating a friendly head voice this year. I call on it when I’m struggling and it’s so calm and patient with me, and I know I can trust it. I didn’t hear it very well at first, but I kept at it, despite how unnatural it felt to me; it’s now quite clear, and really helps me to not get overwhelmed by everything. The idea of trying to work out what my needs actually are seems difficult, but I’ll keep at it and hope for success.
I’m in tears. I’ve been diagnosed with severe depression and it’s so scary. I’ve always dealt with depression but nothing as intense and painful as this. It truly feels like I simply won’t survive. I was living abroad and had no one around, absolutely no support, and I noticed I was consciously bingeing because I just NEEDED some comfort. Any comfort. Anything to get me through the day. So food became my only source of “joy” and even if it only lasted for a couple minutes, I’d take it, because the pain was just unbearable and I really needed something….literally anything that would make my heart stop hurting for a second. Those are the thoughts that help me show compassion for myself. How can I hate myself for literally trying to survive the best way I could? How can I feel guilty and ashamed for trying to comfort myself and pull myself out of such a dark place? At some point the binges became a conscious choice because it was the only thing I had at the moment and if it was going to bring me a bit of joy, I’ll take it. Because in my mind, it was either that or dying. So I don’t blame myself. Food was my friend and gave me something to look forward to when my mind was trying to convince me I shouldn’t be here anymore. Self compassion completely changes the way we see ourselves. I was able to understand it and embrace it and just be there for me when no one else was. Thank you for your empathy and non judgmental approach, and for understanding that sometimes eating means so much more than just eating ❤️
My heart aches for you 🥺 and I’m feeling some admiration for your determination to survive through it ❤️❤️
Such a good point, you mention if a child is overwhelmed, you are not going to offer that child food as a way to cope with those feelings, you would use your words, shouldn’t be any different with ourselves
Control, yes! For many years I lived for others, followed strict work schedule, and binged at nights like crazy. I couldn't understand why, because I'm so well organized and disciplined, yet but I had no control over my eating habits. Then one day I realized, that what I eat is actually the only thing in my life I can control. I can't chang my job. I can't fix my partner. I can't get younger. But I CAN eat this cake/ pizza/ candy. So by going full on at the table ("zero control") I actually excersed my only way to have choice! That was shocking and quite sad but also eye opening. Thank you very much for this video, it's very helpful
Love this explanation, especially the part about safety. The "rest and digest" process. It feels so empowering when we can understand our urges/behaviors on a biological level rather than just accounting it to 'willpower' or 'strength'.
Thank you!
Love your videos, they are calming and nurturing.
This is very deep, your videos are changing my mind about everything I thought about food
That was really helpful. Particularly around safety. I'm more chaotic around food when I don't feel safe as food brings me a sense of safety
I feel so seen and your words are so comforting and eye opening for me on a deeply personal level. I have to listen to you everyday so that I can get through the ups and downs of this process. Thank you 🙏🏼
Your teachings are so helpful.
Congratulations Sarah for your relevant and precious considerations about this subject.
❤
I love the hand on your heart (or somewhere comforting) and talking to yourself as a person of comfort/support. You're right, so many of us didn't have that and this is an excellent way to self soothe. I have caught myself self speaking in that soothing way recently. I still have a harsh voice too but the loving supportive one is showing up. I'd like to remember to do the self soothing touch part too. A self-hug of sorts. Thanks Sarah!
This video is incredible! Have listened 3 times already!! Thanks so much
Dear Sarah, all your videos are so helpful and insightful, but this one particularly spoke to me. Thank you for your work, you have helped me so much, and I wish you the best.
Really appreciate this video, thanks Sarah!
Great video: Connection, stimulation, autonomy, reward, safety.
I used to be a serious safety eater. I felt that when others sensed how I think/feel, I wouldn't survive. My sankalpa(, a 'yoga nidra' term/reference.) was literally "I don't want to communicate, I want to win"
I had a slight "reward" day, where historically I might have binged, but I luckily have a really good system to guard my (Weekly )desired limits.
I know this because I missed my usual run and (cognitive/preparational)ly did not really show up like I wanted to elsewhere. It would have felt really weird to say it out loud, kind of like a zombie saying "(Reward instead of)Brains".
Could you do a video on bingeing to cope with physical discomfort? Like being too sleepy or sick or in pain and eating as a response.
Really resonated replacing the word comfort with safety. Thank you. In regard to talking to ourselves and giving ourselves the words we really need when we instead are filling that space with food, EFT tapping is a very useful way to do this that has been helpful to me, there are many RUclips options for this, I especially enjoy Michael Hetherington.
Definitely relate to feeling disconnection. Never thought about seeking reward esp. when not feeling productive but it's true for me. And I can certainly substitute "comfort" with safety. And I agree in the moment is too late so will try more check ins throughout the day. Thanks for the wisdom!
How about tension release? I just feel this restlessness and tension thinking about eating.
Tension release! Absolutely 💯
This was such an informative video. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Brilliant observations. You have put words to something I have been trying to articulate for ages. I instinctually knew I was meeting needs with food but I couldn't separate out the various needs.
I never comment but watch all your videos. It helps a ton.
Ahhh, thanks 🙏🏻😍
I wish I found you and your videos years ago. Thank you so much. Just bought your book ❤
Needed this today. Thank you!!!
I was doing so well and then a few shifts happened in my life all at once and I’ve been binging as a way to cope.. It feels nearly impossible to get myself out of this. I’m trying so hard, but I can’t stop hating on myself for falling back 😞
I don’t usually offer advice when people don’t specifically ask in their comment but for some reason I feel compelled to respond to you. If it feels irrelevant or unhelpful, please disregard.
What’s your ‘crime’? Not being able to cope? Is that really a situation worthy of hating someone? Sounds to me like you are just trying to make yourself feel ok and bingeing has stepped in as a method of trying to do that. What’s the kindest way of looking at your situation that still feels true? Maybe you’re not a terrible person. Maybe you’re just feeling lost right now 💛
I hope you find a glimmer of light you can move toward xx
@@TheBingeEatingTherapist this is really helpful.. thank you Sarah ❤️
Thank You so much! 🙏
❤ Helpful video!
I agree, unmet emotional needs require responses separate from food. But this doesnt help to know when we're then allowed to eat the foods we've restricted or eliminated?
My stance would be: we’re always ‘allowed’ to eat those foods and when we practice meeting our needs in other ways, we get much better at being able to make free choices that are not compulsive or restrictive.
I believe we all have inner wisdom about this stuff but it gets blocked by our conditioning, shame and fear. There is no one easy piece of advice that can tell us in this situation eat this and in that situation don’t eat that, but I believe when we develop compassion, curiosity and connection to ourself and our experiences we start to make different choices.
This is the philosophy that underpins my work. It may not resonate with everyone.
@@TheBingeEatingTherapist Thankyou very much for your thoughtful and thorough response! I absolutely love your work!! 💜
✌️