In some cases, and to some individuals, food addiction and bulimia may appear to be very similar issues. However, they are really two different issues with food addiction often being more effectively handled through addiction counselling in London while bulimia is treated from a psychotherapeutic approach.
While not common, there are a small number of professionals offering both addiction counselling in London as well as treatment for eating disorders. This can be an ideal professional to work with both food addiction and bulimia and also to deal with underlying mental health issues that can be at the root of both.
What is Food Addiction?
Food addiction is really very similar to an alcohol or drug addiction and is often triggered by the attempt to address negative thoughts and feelings. Food is used to create feelings of comfort, security or happiness, all generated by the “feel good” chemicals in our brain, specifically serotonin and dopamine.
Over time, our brains become wired to crave sugary, high carb, fatty or salty types of foods. Just like an addiction people can feel the overwhelming urge to eat these foods when they are feeling depressed, anxious, alone or isolated.
While some people with food addiction may become obese, others will engage in specific activities to address the dramatic intake of high calorie, high carb foods. This could be engaging in increased physical activity or using other methods such as following the increased eating with exercise routines or a lower calorie intake, but they are typically not extreme.
Once this happens, and a cycle begins, the food addiction can turn into an eating disorder. Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder may be associated in some individuals with a history of untreated food addictions, often which have existed for a significant period of time.
Treatment for Food Addiction
When seeking addiction counselling in London for food issues, it is critical to find a professional with experience in working with clients with eating disorders. This is because this type of addiction, unlike alcohol or drugs, isn’t an addiction you can avoid or simply learn another strategy.
People with food addiction have to work through addiction counselling in London to change their relationship with those “comfort foods” or those trigger foods. They have to develop strategies for eating a healthy, balanced diet while continuing to be around some or many of their trigger foods in real world settings.
Often part of addiction counselling in London for food addicts will be in learning why they use food to avoid specific emotions. This will lead to a greater understanding of triggers and other issues such as depression, stress or anxiety, that can be handled with a more effective coping strategy.
Bulimia Treatment
Bulimia may at first appear to be a food addiction, as it includes the compulsive overeating of food, most commonly referred to as binge eating. It is not uncommon for a person when binging to consume up to 5000 calories in an hour, which is roughly three times the recommended caloric intake for an adult per day.
After the binging the individual may then purge, which can include the use of laxatives, enemas or diuretics or the use of extremely low-calorie diets or fasting. They may also engage in extreme exercise programs to attempt to burn off the calories consumed.
Most individuals with bulimia will experience an overall weight gain, as well as damage to their digestive system, throat and mouth, tooth loss, acid reflux disease and problems with chronic laxative or diuretic use. In women, it may also result in the stoppage of the normal menstrual cycle.
Bulimia can have very severe short and long term health issues beyond what is seen with food addiction. It is also associated with more than just cravings and urges and is often a combination of distorted body image issues, low self-esteem, traumatic past events, sudden and unexpected changes in life as well as concurrent mental health issues such as undiagnosed anxiety or depression.
For some people the binging is for comfort, the flooding of the brain with the feel good chemicals generated by the high caloric intake, and the purging occurs because of the guilt, creating an emotional rollercoaster. However, unlike food addiction, the individual will need more significant psychotherapy and education beyond addiction counselling in London, particularly if there are concurrent mental health conditions to consider.
An integrated, holistic and individualized treatment plan provided by a psychotherapist experienced in working with clients with eating disorders is essential. With long term support, therapy and education people can manage bulimia, as well as food addictions, and develop a healthier relationship with this necessity of life.