Concerned

[Jaquta]

Sorry for taking up one of your valuable questions.
Do you have any suggestions of how I could go about breaking the cycle of compulsive over-eating?
I have been experiencing severe chest pain, have been short of breath, feel exhausted more often than not and have been feeling dizzy and nauseous.
Rightfully or wrongfully I am attributing these symptoms to stress, anxiety and overeating.  Also the more stressed I am becoming the more I am turning to food.
I am not in a position where I am able to eliminate stress nor do I have the coping skills to manage it.
Do you have any suggestions or strategies I could use to prevent or distract from a binge?  Is there an incremental change you think would be helpful here?
Emotionally the change in body composition is taking a huge toll on me.  Physically it is putting a lot of stress and strain on my body.  I have just developed painful joints (possibly gout) which is another unwanted side-effect.

Thanks for your time.
J

[Jaquta]

Dear Dr Beckerman, thanks for your response.
I probably should discuss my symptoms with my GP.  It is rarely that simple though.
My GP appointments are generally taken up with his trying to access appropriate psychological support for me so that I can address my anxiety, stress, etc.  The anxiety precludes me from being able to tolerate exams and currently even engage in conversations about symptoms.  It's extremely frustrating.
I try and rationalize symptoms by attributing them to stress or asthma or gord or excess weight or lack of exercise, etc.  It is a concern though when I feel breathless and have pain radiating down my left arm, etc.
My grandmothers both died from heart attacks, my brother has a heart murmur (the cardiologist said he had ?pectus excavatum), my other brother has blood pressure through the roof (?due to his lifestyle) and apparently there is also some heart value defect that runs in the family.

The therapy I am currently in and have been allocated has been stressful and in my opinion is ineffective.  My new T said that us working together was contra-indicated although it is the only option available.

I was just wondering where would be a good place to start.  I have concerns that my health will be severely affected if I wait until I am able to access psychological interventions (which in all honesty could take years).

I think putting the question out there has helped in the sense that it has taken some pressure off me which has allowed me to identify where I could start.
I think I may also be eating to relieve my fatigue.  If I can organize proper mid-day and evening meals without junk (prior, during and after them) I may be able to break this cycle.  It would probably only take one to two days to get that momentum.

A band-aid, while not the best solution, can buy a person more time and also limit the amount of damage done.

I appreciate your honesty and would respect you less if you did say it were easy. I also appreciate my needs are slightly different than the norm.

Maybe making my weight public here would motivate me to do something about it??

Thanks again for your response.  I will try my best to discuss my symptoms with my GP.

Jackie

[James G Beckerman, M.D.]

Hi Jaquta,

There are potentially a few issues here.  First are your symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath, etc.  While it is possible that stress and anxiety are playing a role here, you really should exclude other medical causes - like your heart.  It would be worthwhile to share your concerns with your own doctor.

You also mention having lots of stress and not having the coping skills to deal with it.  This is probably what is behind your binging and it's what may need to be seriously addressed - with the help of someone else possibly, like a therapist or a counselor or social worker.  You can make a lot of headway by doing this, and it's much more likely to be successful in the long run than any easy solution I could come up with regarding healthier eating or increasing activity.  I know that's not a quick fix answer, but I think your concerns deserve more than that.  I hope that's helpful to point you in the right direction! Take care.