Loneliness = Eating Disorders?

[DoktorVinter]

I have read a lot about loneliness and it's affects, and by doing so I've come across some passages that I find interesting. That loneliness and ED's goes hand in hand. Because, when having an eating disorder, you often isolate. And when isolated, you often turn to food or the other way around, turn away from food. You change the one last thing you think you can control, your body. Is this theory right, according to you? Can you recognize yourselves? I sure as hell can.

I've been lonely my entire life. (Well, on and off, mostly off.) And through my life time I have always turned to food as a comforter. But right now I turn away from food instead. I don't want to eat, I really don't, but when I don't eat all day I get this urge to binge-eat, which occasionally I actually do. I've been bulimic but I quit that honeysuckle and tried to be healthy. The day before yesterday, I threw up again. I feel like a failure, a nobody, a disgusting piece of honeysuckle. But I won't give up. I will control my body for as long as I have to. Since I have lost control over everything else in my life..

 

[perfanoff]

Are you overweight or underweight by an objective criterium like BMI? Anyway, I have a friend who was overweight (but not obese) and lost weight when he went bullimic.. then he stopped. But he's a tad thinner now than he's supposed to be.

 

[Sci-Fi]

Yes, I believe it does. I haven't told anyone this yet and I'm ashamed of it. Every morning I get up, eat my standard bowl of cereal, pack my lunch for work, which is all part of my regular routine. Then after work I go home and maybe at some point before I go to be I might heat up a pizza pocket or snack on something. I haven't made myself a real supper in a very long time, I've actually had to toss food out I've bought because it expired. I'm alone a lot, at work, at home, so I have no appetite later. I've lost 5 pounds which I'm pretty skinny to start with. So yeah, I really believe loneliness leads to eating disorders or irregular eating habits.

 

[Walley]

ive had bad eating habits since I was a kid. I am the king of skipping meals.
I think if there was a way we could survive without eating I would try it, give me a pill 3x a day would do!

 

[bodeilla]

I was bulimic from my mid-teens until 23 or so. I always maintained a healthy weight. But the binging and purging depressed me. I did it more as a teen and less as an adult. I was fighting to gain control as well. I had a dominating father and a mind-****** of a mother. Breaking away from my parents at a sub-conscious level helped me stop.

I hope you do well. Be gentle with yourself. You're not a disgusting piece of honeysuckle. You're just dealing with some heavy duty stuff right now.

 

[lonelyfairy]

I had ED before when I was very depressed and suicidal, couple years ago. It was ''BED'' Binge eating disorder. I have never been diagnosed with that, but I am pretty sure that I had it. Awful loneliness.

 

[ShybutHi]

Yes my diet is terrible I do not eat properly. I am naturally thin anyway and never eating properly does not help. I have been lonely and depressed for a long long time so maybe that is why I do not eat properly... Would not surprise me.

 

[LonelyInAtl]

My loneliness has had the opposite effect. My eating habits have improved greatly, I'm trying to get in better shape, and am "training" for a 5k.

 

[aribeth]

I was thin till I hit my 40's. Now Im overweight and I catch myself overeating. When I was thin I never over ate, infact I used to get full on very little food. Now is not the case, I'm the heaviest I have been in my life at 180 pounds. For my size I am obese with a BMI of 34. When I was younger and thinner I also used to excercise all the time. I don't do any excercise now. Now I mostly sleep and eat, and a few hours on the computer. I had a lot of friends when I was younger till my health went bad and I lost my friends. Now I'm shy so hard to make friends.

Anyhoos. I can see a tie in between loneliness and eating problems. Some don't eat at all, while others over eat. I'm in the catagory of overeating.

 

[lifesabeach]

Yes I do think being lonely can trigger an eating disorder. I have always tried to be healthy but about 2 years ago when I was very homesick, lonely and depressed I did develop some unhealthy dieting habit (eating way too little) you are right it can be such an attractive escape from feeling lonely because it does make one feel in control of at least one aspect of life. I still struggle with a love/hate relationship with health/diet because of this.

 

[roguewave]

Loneliness could for sure be a major contributor. But I would say, not as much as having a parent modeling disordered eating.

 

[JasonM]

I have read a lot about loneliness and it's affects, and by doing so I've come across some passages that I find interesting. That loneliness and ED's goes hand in hand.

Yes, but not just eating disorders. Loneliness is the yearning for something that is lacking and more often then not even a momentary satisfaction will relieve if not distract from that feeling of need. Over eating, over drinking, drugs, cutting...but it's not just seemingly negative activities, also over exercising, etc. Basically anything that becomes excessive to a harmful degree; anything to substitute one pain/feeling for another.

 

[AFrozenSoul]

I would rather say addiction goes hand in hand with loneliness. Because when we are alone we all find a way to comfort ourselves. Whether that be food, booze, drugs, or something else.