Do You Have a Problem With Food?
Many of us knew we had a problem with food long before we considered ourselves compulsive eaters. Making that transition is a deeply personal journey, yet it was essential for our recovery.
We believe that only we as individuals can diagnose ourselves a compulsive eater. For many reasons, the distinction is often difficult to make.
Ask yourselves these questions:
- Do you eat when you’re not hungry?
- Do you hide your eating behavior from others?
- Do you overeat and then starve yourself, purge, take laxatives or exercise for hours?
- Do you repeatedly promise yourself you will change your eating behavior and then continue it anyway?
- Is your weight affecting the way you live your life?
- Do you get hungry or refuse to eat when things don’t go your way?
- Do you get hungry when there doesn’t seem to be anything to do?
- After you have been frightened or scared about something that has
happened, do you find yourself hungry or unable to eat? - When you feel alone do you sometimes use food to get over the feeling?
- After an argument with someone, do you lose your appetite or find yourself wanting to eat?
- Have you ever found yourself eating two breakfasts, lunches, or dinners
because you felt the first one was inadequate? - Do you find yourself planning the next meal before you have finished eating?
- When you sit down to a meal, do you find yourself unable to eat or do you eat more than you want to?
- Do you ever have a sense of being out of control during a meal?
- Have you ever sought outside help to deal with your eating?
- Do you ever attempt to hide your binges by eating in secret or alone or in
your car? - Have you ever turned to diet pills, alcohol or other drugs in an effort to
control your eating or relieve depression or guilt? - Are you obsessed with body image, weight or exercise?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a problem with compulsive eating.
You are not alone, and there is recovery.
We welcome you to attend a meeting of CEA-HOW.