Linking Triggers to Unhealthy Behaviors

July 10, 2006

[gso]: hello everyone!
[lyn]: hello
[gso]: hello lyn is this your first time?
[mimi]: Hi lyn, Hi gso
[gso]: Welcome back DJ and mimi
[lyn]: this is my 1st time here.
[mimi]: Welcome lyn
[mimi]: thanks gso
[lyn]: thank you mimi
[gso]: lyn how did you hear about the chat...? just curious?
[mimi]: Hi llb
[gso]: hello llb how are you tonight?
[llb]: ok. how are you?
[mimi]: llb, was thinking about you
[gso]: fine thanks
[lyn]: i have been doing a lot of research about surgeries, addictions, etc.
[gso]: lyn for what?
[gso]: hello dimples how are you?
[mimi]: Hi dimples
[dimples]: hi everyone
[lyn]: finally i just typed in eating disorders treatment
[DJ]: Hi Everyone! :)
[gso]: glad you are here and hope we can be supportive
[mimi]: hi DJ
[lyn]: it brought up 2 more sites but they didn't offer anything like this.
[gso]: hello DJ how are things going for you?
[lyn]: BRB
[gso]: BRB?
[llb]: means be right back
[mimi]: thanks llb
[gso]: I see thank you for clarifying
[gso]: does anyone want to start with a topic?
[lyn]: suggesting "emotional eating" would be a a good topic
[gso]: I want to make a "To Do" List tonight, try something different...so far we have emotional eating on our list....does anyone else have any other needs tonight?
[gso]: can you all see what I am writing?
[mimi]: I can
[lyn]: (weight loss support is on yahoo chat rooms)
[llb]: i can
[dimples]: i'm not sure how i would sum up my needs tonight
[lyn]: yes i can read everything
[gso]: lyn can you say more about that?
[lyn]: ok
[lyn]: i pick out chat from yahoo messenger then a list of rooms come up
[gso]: and they are about weight loss issues.....? sounds interesting
[lyn]: i pick health and wellness (i think) then it brings up a list of rooms
[lyn]: weight loss support is close to the bottom of the list
[gso]: lyn I bet you have found that helpfull
[mimi]: Hi ellie
[gso]: hello ellie how are you......were you here once before a long time ago?
[ellie]: hi
[lyn]: i have only been there twice. the first time was great .
[ellie]: no, first time here
[gso]: Ok well welcome ellie
[ellie]: thanks
[lyn]: the next time there was a woman violating chat rules
[gso]: lyn is discussing a nice resource at yahoo chat....does anyone have any questions for lyn?
[lyn]: with that exception ppe were friendly
[mimi]: llb, what's ppe
[llb]: people
[ellie]: what is the name of the resource lyn?
[mimi]: thanks llb
[llb]: ;-)
[gso]: Ok well emotional eating is on our to do list.......please, I welcome your needs and feel free to let me know as we discuss emotional eating t
[mimi]: :-)
[gso]: emotional eating is defined as any unessential eating because of a negative mood states....
[gso]: now a certain degree of emotional eating is considered healthy because the truth is that eating feels good......
[mimi]: Hi Davey 168
[Davey168]: Hi
[gso]: but if the eating results in weight gain or other medical orpsychiatric problems, then it is not optimal
[gso]: hello davey how are you tonight?
[gso]: welcome to our chat
[Davey168]: Good, thank you Dr. G.
[gso]: davey please feel free to let me know what your needs are tonight so I can be sure and address your specific questions...OK?
[Davey168]: OK
[gso]: any comments about emotional eating?
[ellie]: can it be a result of positive emotional states as well or just negative ones?
[Davey168]: /msg DJ
[gso]: absolutely.....think of how many times a celebration revolves around food
[gso]: some people don't want to deprive themselves when they are really happy?
[gso]: some people overeat because they are contented....but soemthing is gnawing at them......i.e., they need to attend to a problem and they aren't
[gso]: any comments?
[Davey168]: What is the most effective way to stop turning to food for every emotion? It's like being addicted to a strong drug that controls your life.
[gso]: well davey that is a complex question but a good one so lets attack it step by step
[gso]: first......it is helpful to explore which feelings or situations trigger overeating
[gso]: does anyone know what their own triggers are?
[mimi]: I have a list so long I couldn't name them all
[gso]: mimi if you can share this, it may help someone else
[Davey168]: Fear of social rejection - again...
[gso]: for all of the eating disordered folks chatting, the same question can be asked of you as well
[mimi]: Ive learned I can't identify my emotions and it's easier to eat in most situations than to deal with things
[gso]: unhealthy eating behaviors including purging, restriction as well as overeating can sometimes be triggered by similar environmental stressors
[Davey168]: Thinking about my poor self-image.
[gso]: davey what specifically about yourself do you not like? being specific can be helpful here
[llb]: i guess for me it would be when i'm angry at myself about something...
[llb]: so i guess anger has a lot to do with it
[Davey168]: Being bi-sexual but being too fat to appeal to anyone intimately.
[gso]: Ok so the triggers to emotional eating that we have are rejection.......self anger.......and low self-esteem
[System]: arsc_user_enter~~lyn~~Author's Suite
[gso]: would anyone like to add to that list?
[lyn]: hello again,
[mimi]: hi lyn
[llb]: i wouldn't use the anger for eating
[lyn]: my computer/mouse froze.
[mimi]: I wish I could identify the feelings like the other have
[gso]: well mimi you mentioned rejection, can you explain specifically what your fear? is it fear?
[mimi]: gso it was davey speaking of rejection
[mimi]: I might feel that but if I do Im not aware of it
[gso]: mimi did you say something about social rejection? sorry
[mimi]: davey did
[gso]: so sorry......
[gso]: mimi did I miss yours or anyone elses?
[mimi]: thats ok :-)
[mimi]: I said I can't identify my emotions, like llb said anger and she said it so quick. It would take me minutes to come up with something
[mimi]: dimples, you still there?
[gso]: can you think of a situation that triggers unhealthy habits?
[gso]: for those of you that have identified your stressor or feeling....is there a specific situation that this applies to
[mimi]: When foods I binge on are brought into my house
[llb]: when i say or do something stupid
[gso]: I guess what I am getting at is the knowing your feelings and why you feel that way is essential to being healthy...there is a section in my book about linking feelings to situations and situations to feelings....
[gso]: mimi that sounds like a food phobia...another source of unessential eating
[mimi]: thanks gso
[llb]: good night...thanks
[mimi]: goodnight everyone and look forward to seeing you next week :-)
[gso]: good night :-)
[lyn]: good night and thanks everyone.