Breaking through addictions can be terrifying and freeing all at the same time.
Whether you have an addiction to food, drugs, or something else, each one has its own kind of hard.
I’ve seen people struggle with a drug, and an alcohol addiction, and it can be awful to witness, and I’m sure even more awful to go through. From the detoxing, sweating, sickness, all of it is just not a pretty sight, nor fun for the beautiful being that is going through it.
In this post, I want to talk more about breaking the addictions we have with food, especially binge-eating.
We surround ourselves with food all the time, from parties, to dinners with the ones we love, and of course, daily eating.
It’s the secretive binge-eating that I feel is the addiction, though, which is something I’ve struggled with.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly fine to attend gatherings, and eat with the ones you love!
I’m talking more of the sense of eating while enjoying the company, over-stuffing yourself, because you think you can “let go” and live a little, or however your mind has seen to put it so that you feel free to do as you wish, which leads into secretive binge-eating later that night. It’s almost as if the pleasure trap begins during these times of festivities.
We don’t want others to know or see the things we eat, because either we’re ashamed, or we’re so emotional that we feel it’s the only outlet for us to let go of that overwhelming emotion in those minutes while we stuff our faces.
I’ve been there.
I still struggle with this area, on occasion.
It doesn’t serve our body very well. It doesn’t promote healing within our cells.
I know I feel absolutely sick when I overeat. And when my family comes in the kitchen the next day, and they see the brand new bag of chips, donuts, or anything else I decided to devour, all gone, well, it’s embarrassing. I get looks. I get, “MOM!” and that just hurts. So not only have I hurt my body, been mad at myself for doing so, and probably caused some serious pain in the binge-eating, now my kids are mad at me for eating all their junk food, but worst of all, they’re learning from me.
That is a defeating thought.
That is just not what I want my children to see and remember of me when I’m gone. Period. I’m raising women here, women that could potentially do the very thing I despise in myself.
They deserve to know how to eat properly, nourishing themselves, and not hurting their bodies to cause dis-ease. It’s just not OK to be teaching them that eating in secret is OK. This is the very thing that I’ve changed over the last year, and it hasn’t been easy.
We tend to say others’ views or opinions of us do not matter, but deep down, they matter. We want to be loved, and we fear that if they see this messy part of us, they will stop loving us. But guess what? When we’re real with ourselves, admit our problem, and ask for their help, they’re right there loving us through it.
I want to share with you a few tips that I’ve learned that may help you break through addictions that you may be struggling with:
Make a conscious decision to quit.
Think about how it’s harming your body. Grab a journal and write down some affects you may have because of this addiction. I’m not saying this is going to be easy, but it will be worth it to actually see what it’s doing to your body, your family, and your life.
Think about what good things could come from you breaking the addiction.
Would you save money? Would you feel better? Would you lose weight? You can even write this down too as a reminder for when it gets difficult for you.
Reach out to me, or someone you know that has successfully broken the same addiction you are facing.
Ask. For. Help. Don’t be embarrassed any longer. Reach out for help. They will feel honored to help you as you go through the ups and down of it. Having someone to support you is 10x better than having no one even know you’re battling something so huge.
Think about something you can do instead of the addiction that is holding you down.
Find a new hobby, pick up a good book, or color with your child. Sometimes we have to redirect our attention, just so our mind can break free of the focus directly on that specific thing in our life that is causing us sadness, sickness, and negativity.
If you do slip and go back, reboot.
Making the conscious decision to reboot and start again, is perfectly fine. Don’t beat yourself up! Just get back on track and look ahead. You will conquer this, because you are worth it. Yes, know your worth. Even when it all is overwhelming, and you just don’t know how to take the next step forward, listen to my voice, You. Are. Worth. It.
Celebrate every single tiny win.
I mean that! Do a happy dance, get a high-five, or a hug from your support person. Find something small that you can reward yourself with, and not with what you’re addicted to, of course. Celebrate, and be so proud of every tiny victory, each step of the way. It’s not going to happen overnight, so have patience with yourself as you rock it.
So after exposing one of my addictions, binge-eating, what do you struggle with? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, or contact me, and I’d be honored to support you through your journey.
