YOUR SUCCESS STORY: LOOKING WITHIN – GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DEMONS
Author: admin
Eating for emotional reasons happens more when we are unsure about what’s bothering us. Once we get a clear picture of what’s really going on, the urge to take solace in food is likely to diminish and eventually disappear. Clinical psychologist Dr. Edward Abramson therefore encourages his patients to pay close attention to events that precipitate eating episodes: “I frequently ask people, ‘What were you thinking about before you started eating?’ Not just ‘Where did I leave the peanut butter?’ but ‘What was I thinking about before I asked where I left the peanut butter?’” This method helps people identify what was going on in their head at the time and enables them to connect a particular feeling to the urge to eat. It may be an upcoming job interview or other work-related situations that cause anxiety, for example, or the memory of someone who is absent that precipitates loneliness.It’s important to realize that most of us have been conditioned to cover our feelings, and if we’re not turning to chocolate cake for comfort, we’re turning to Prozac or other antidepressants that mask an uncomfortable state of mind. Instead of shutting down our mind’s internal message, we need to become more aware of what our inner voice is saying and learn to live in accordance with that voice. Ask yourself honestly what it is that makes you feel anxious about your job, or why a particular person’s absence makes you feel lonely. Don’t be embarrassed and don’t shut out the answers that come to you. Once you acknowledge these feelings, you can begin to work through and overcome them.One method for tuning in to yourself is to get involved in something creative. Using art is a simple way to open the door to better self-understanding and self-expression. You don’t have to be Picasso; just the act of generating images that are meaningful to you through sketching, painting, or doing collage can help. The expression through-art technique is especially good for people who have difficulty talking about their problems, and the process actually can start a flow of dialogue as you begin to open up. It’s inexpensive, without side effects, and can be extremely beneficial. For example, you might use art to explore the circumstances in your life that compelled you to gain weight in the first place.Note that, in addition to visual art, music, drama, dance, and creative writing are other avenues of artistic expression that can lead to better self-understanding. *271\233\8*
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