Addiction Info and Advice

I'm an Addict...Help! . In fact, it is very difficult to get rid of a lingering addiction. Addicts can stay away from areas or people that they know will have drugs or alcohol, but for people who have food addictions, food is a necessity and is very hard to keep away from. Food is easily containable and it is a part of our daily lives. Talking to a health care professional or counselor can help put you on the right track. You may also want to do some research and look at all the negative effects on overeating. Most people who overeat are more concerned with weight gain and getting "fat" when there are more dangerous health risks involved. Understanding these health risks including cancer, diabetes and having to inject yourself with needles daily, heart problems even at a young age, and many other serious problems may be enough to wake up food addicts and have them only buy healthy foods. So how can you overcome a food Addiction? If only there was an easy answer. Why do we use food as comfort? Food addiction is really no different than any other addiction. With food addiction the results of what it can do to your body just takes longer to materialize than some other addictions, such as alcohol, and drugs. However if not dealt with food addiction can cause long term effects, such as obesity, which can then lead to diabetes. In order to overcome food addiction, you first have to identify why you are using food as an outlet. Keep a Journal of what you eat, when you eat and why. Are you eating because it's breakfast time? Or are you eating because you're stressed. Once you identify a pattern, come up with alternative routes to take besides eating. for instance, instead of grabbing the ice-cream, because you're completely stressed, take five minutes and go for a walk, go give yourself a facial for five minutes, meditate. Just as with any other addiction, you have to identify the problem to overcome it. We all try dieting, but unless we deal with the underlying issue, as to why when we get upset, we decide to eat that whole entire package of Oreo cookies, we'll continue to eat the package of Oreo cookies. You need to identify when you are using food as an emotional outlet. The same applies to any other addiction; drugs, alcohol, Internet, gambling, pornography - anything. It's about breaking the habit of eating and replacing it with a healthier habit. Make sure you have health snacks in the house instead of junk food. When you do feel that urge, at least you'll be eating healthy food instead of food that is bad for you. Keep trying don't give up. You may need professional counseling, identify the underlying issue and address that issue so you can move on to a healthy, happy life.