Dependence on food - causes, signs and methods of treatment

Several years ago, with the words "dependence on food," we would only laugh. Food dependence is not just a craving for a product, there are processes in the brain of an addicted person that are similar to drug or alcohol dependence . Such people need both prevention and help from a psychologist.

Food dependence - psychology

When food arrives in the body, the level of serotonin - the hormone of happiness rises, the mood improves, the stress seems to disappear. But substitution of the problem is not its solution, and again fear - food - temporary calm - a vicious circle is formed, it is very difficult to get out of it. So there is a psychological dependence on food. Pleasure can be obtained from a lot of things - playing sports, listening to music, but we always have no time, because food - it's quick and easy.

Nutritional Dependence - Causes

The most common causes of dependence on food:

1. Some come from childhood, remember, for success in school or good behavior a child always bought sweets?
2. Dependent people are often notorious, dissatisfied with themselves, with a career.
3. Experiencing deep emotional experiences.
4. The spoiled figure is the result of uncontrolled absorption of food, hence the negative attitude towards appearance, indifference to oneself.
5. A constant sense of guilt. A person realizes that he eats too much, blames himself for a weak will, is nervous, and again a vicious scheme turns on.

Enumerate a long time, but the source is one - dissatisfaction with yourself and your life. There are also social causes of food dependence. These are numerous holidays, family feasts, the traditions of "going to the countryside" with huge food baskets. Since childhood we have been forming the wrong food behavior, and numerous stresses only strengthen it.

Food dependence - signs

On certain grounds, one can understand that a person is dependent on food:

1. A deep food addict can "come up with" a problem for himself, with pleasure anticipating her decision.
2. A person is very concerned about food supplies - everything is in the refrigerator.
3. In food addicts, along with a sense of hunger, panic and anxiety increase.
4. A sick person, forgetting to buy a product, is ready to run after him at any place at any time.
5. Wakes up at night to eat.
6. Even realizing that he is sick (obesity, diabetes) - a person can not stop eating his favorite foods.
7. Unwillingness to share food with someone.

Taking food with a non-nutritional goal is the basic concept of food dependence . Deep food dependence leads to the fact that the usual volumes of food do not satisfy, you need to constantly increase portions. Joy brings the process of eating, and what to put in the mouth becomes all the same. Rare attempts to switch to healthy food or dietary nutrition result in failures, and as a result, another breakdown.

How to overcome dependence on food?

First, and most importantly, what needs to be done to understand how not to depend on food - to admit it to yourself. Without awareness of the disease, getting rid of food dependence is useless. Realizing that the addiction has led to serious complications, you can try to get rid of addiction independently. Honestly, this is under the power of very few, but why not try. Count how much money you could save on food, and start saving for a round-the-world cruise!

1. Motivate yourself! Think of a reason for which you need to get rid of a bad habit - do you have children? Your example can be contagious for them.
2. Distract from food . Do sports, dance, walk, go to the theaters, grow flowers. Anything, just do not eat!
3. Do not stock up on food , keep an apple, carrot or a glass of yogurt.
4. Throw out of the house all the irritants - buns, chips, something that you can not watch calmly.

Psychotherapy of food addiction

Since the causes of food addiction, mainly psychological, help psychologists in this difficult struggle too, offering effective means how to overcome dependence on food.

1. Start a "food diary", where you describe all the meals and be sure to clarify your emotional background. This will help understand the relationship between overeating and mood.
2. Forget resentment, forgive yourself and others, understand that you, and they are ordinary people, and people can make mistakes;
3. Raise self-esteem. It is very difficult. To do this, create a diary of achievements and write down your little "exploits" there.
4. The most important and motivating factor of recovery is your burning desire to recover, tune in to the positive, and experts will help you in this difficult matter.

Try to find like-minded people, it will be easier to solve the problem together and will not have to "seize" loneliness again. Most importantly, you need to deal with your experiences, learn how to deal with anxiety by other methods, find new ways of obtaining pleasure. Together with specialists you can leave the vicious circle and start living a full life again.

Some successfully apply coding from food dependence. Unfortunately, like many others, this problem begins in the head, and the head should be treated. The recipe for how to stop depending on food is a correction of eating behavior, elimination of psychological problems, so the specialist's help in this case is necessary, especially when the point of no return is reached.

Tablets from food addiction

Together with psychotherapy, you can use dietary supplements and medications. These funds, as a rule, reduce appetite and accelerate metabolism. It can give results, but the risk from such treatment is not small. In addition, after the drug is withdrawn, the weight again begins to grow, if not to remove the psychological root of the problem.

Among the drugs that reduce appetite can be noted:

1. Sibutramine . Anorectic, which is still available in many countries, but is unsafe, since it has many side effects.
2. Fluoxetine . Antidepressant (psychotropic drug), which reduces appetite.
3. Mazindol . Acts on the center of saturation, suppressing hunger. The minus of the drug is quick addiction.