So, you’ve decided to quit drinking–Congratulations! Not an easy thing to do. Now, why are you suddenly binge eating after quitting drinking? And, what can you do about it?
First, Know That You’re Not Alone
It is all too common for people who quit an addictive substance to reach for another compulsive or comforting behavior for a time. That’s why you see so many people who quit drinking that also start smoking a ton, or over eating, over working or over exercising. You need a place for all those uncomfortable feelings to go! You feel jittery, anxious, quick to anger, easily frustrated, unable to sleep and more. It makes perfect sense that you would want to comfort yourself in some way.
Additionally, because alcohol turns to sugar in your body it is very normal to crave sugar when you quit drinking. Be gentle with yourself.
Then, Ask Yourself If This Is the Right Time to Address Your Binge Eating
Because quitting alcohol is so hard, it’s a good idea to evaluate if quitting binge eating at the same time is even appropriate or doable. Maybe it is the absolute next best tool you have available to you and focusing on stopping binge eating too soon could jeopardize your sobriety. Alcohol is much more lethal and bad for your health than binge eating, not to mention it can lead to legal troubles, problems at work, and difficulties in relationships. This is a very important factor to consider.
However, if you feel strong enough and have a good support system you can definitely do both at once. With the right tools and specialized support you can definitely beat binge eating shortly after you’ve quit drinking.
Begin By Identifying Triggers
What emotions make you want to eat? Or what situations? Similar to alcohol, you’ll have triggers around food. Just as you felt, let’s say, triggered to drink when you were out with friends at a bar or when you came home from a stressful day at work, you may be triggered to eat when you feel lonely or bored or when you have alcohol triggers. Keep a record of all the times you feel triggered to binge, so that you can make a plan for when you encounter them again. Planning ahead can be very helpful.
Remember, It’s Not About The Food
Sugar doesn’t make you binge. So, don’t fall in to the trap of thinking that you’re “addicted” to sugar like you are alcohol. They are completely different substances. Some tools that you use for coping with alcohol urges will totally work for urges to binge, too, but that doesn’t mean that they are both addictive substances. If we were going to call binge eating an addiction, which it is not classified as in the DSM-V, then we would call it a process addiction. The whole process of thinking about food, obtaining the food, sneaking the food, eating the food, getting rid of the food (if you do that), and the resulting guilt could be considered “addictive,” but there have been no conclusive studies proving that it is an addiction versus a cycle of negative coping behaviors.
The reason this distinction is important is that you don’t want to fall into the trap of restricting yourself from sugar or carbs. Your brain needs these to heal! Dieting or being restrictive with yourself at this point will only backfire and cause you to have more cravings. That’s not to say you should throw all caution to the wind and succumb to binge eating as a way of life, but restricting sugar or carbs is not the answer.
Learn to Ride Through the Urges to Binge
Urges to binge are just feelings. And, what we know about feelings is that they pass if we leave them alone. We can either distract ourselves so we don’t have to feel how uncomfortable they are, or we can just sit and feel them until they go away. Either way they won’t kill you. They’re very uncomfortable, they can feel like you want to jump out of your skin, but they will pass if you don’t give in to them.
The good news is that the more practiced you become at not giving in to them, the easier it gets. You’re retraining your brain to go to something else, besides a compulsive behavior, to cope with feelings and urges. Your brain is amazingly resilient and can easily learn new things. Each time you resist the urge it becomes a little bit easier the next time.
Stay Connected to Your Reasons to Not Binge
Write down all the things you stand to gain from not binge eating. Like, being proud of yourself, having more time and money, feeling good in your body, sleeping better, having more energy the next day for the things you love, maybe even that special vacation you’re going on in a few months that you want to be free around food for. Keep your list where you can see it daily and be reminded of the great life you have to lose when you binge.
When you binge eat you sacrifice your long term goals for your short term comfort. You’re in essence saying, “Screw all that amazing stuff I have to gain. I just want to feel better right now.” And, while there is nothing morally wrong with that, it doesn’t lead to the life you’re working toward. Changing habits is about sacrificing your short term comfort for your long term gain. You have to flip your motivation around.
You are on an incredible journey. Life without drinking is beautiful and your future is bright. As you let go of binge eating as well your life is really going to come into focus. If you need help, reach out. I’d love to get to know you.
