# Is it Possible?



## earthgarden (Jun 3, 2003)

Problems in my life have in the past taken over my life, in turn I controlled my eating and then I lost control, snacked lots and got IBS! Is it possible that we all have eating disorders? Is it related simply to behaviour and stress patterns? No answers here either, but a discussion on these issues may benefit others as I have discovered of late that once I stabilised my eating behaviour, my IBS has almost gone!What do you guys think?


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## leefromnj (May 9, 2003)

i think it is a possibility because what we eat so much controls how we feel. Even if it doens't do we THINK it does?-Lee


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## chrisgeorge (Feb 28, 2003)

Hi Earthgarden,We all overeat for different reasons but at the core, it is an emotional issue. Some people eat due to stress and anxiety which can aggravate the IBS condition. Some overeat for as a relief or as a compensation from lacks in life, grief, anger and other emotions. Perhaps that's why they call it "comfort food". But its obvious that overeating fills a need, whether real or imagined. Eliminate the reason and you eliminate the problem.


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## earthgarden (Jun 3, 2003)

I have found that emotional wellbeing has an effect on my eating behaviour and my eating behaviour has an effect on my emotional wellbeing. So if I over eat, I feel negative and have less energy, but if I eat regularly and sensibly and take regular exercise then I feel more positive and in control. I guess this is no great discovery, yet it is for me! I think that people can tell us how to feel better and tell us what to do, but we really need to discover it for ourselves.Since I started visiting this board for answers to my IBS, I have got better and better! One of the main problems for me was and is my eating disorder. Having an eating disorder, it must be said, does not necessarily mean you have annorexia or bullimia! I must stress this.I found that simple relaxation and exercise allowed me to focus on other things and because I felt more positive and relaxed I was then able to deal with the eating problems which then stopped the IBS symptoms. I seem to be practically free from any IBS symptoms now. It's like a miracle because I have had it for about 4 years!One of the best things I have done is to stop snacking between my regular meals.


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## chrisgeorge (Feb 28, 2003)

You're right. Too many of us eat out of habit - the "big meal" at suppertime as an example. If one should feel sluggish, worn down then your body can't handle a big shock to the system via a big meal. So why do we subject our systems to this abuse?? In fact, digestively speaking, it is better to have 5 smaller meals through out the day, instead of 2-3. And depending on your level of activity, eat accordingly. A long distance runner will eat steak at breakfast for the energy requirements!But I still contend, if your overeating is a "habit" (and we're not talking about the occasional bag of potato chips, here) then you are feeding an emotional issue, which for your own well-being, needs to be addressed.


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## earthgarden (Jun 3, 2003)

There are so many issues I can't remember them all! lol.Life throws these issues at us, sometimes all at once! It can get difficult and I carry lots of baggage around with me. I have to drop those heavy bags, man! Some of them, however, are chained to me and I have lost the keys!


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## panic girl (Jun 23, 2003)

thank you earth garden for the advice . I also have an anxiety disorder which has been controlle with med for 12 years. But when you have this digestive deal the panic still can wash over a person. just remember to belly breathe and not chest breathe.


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## chrisgeorge (Feb 28, 2003)

Dear Earthgarden,If you've lost the key to some of your baggage, maybe it's time to go to a lock smith......lol.As homosapiens, we are born with two fears : fear of loud noise and fear of falling (has to do with animal behaviour), all other fears ARE LEARNED. If you learn them, you can un-learn them.Do you know that physically, as one cell dies in our body a new one is born? Science says that we replace every cell in our body at least once a year - you might say that each year, we are re-born. Yet we still carry emotional baggage around that might have happened a decade ago. WHY?You have a right to live the "good life". If you feel that the emotional baggage is getting you down, then it's time for that lock smith. You might want to send an email to Tom Bell and ask for his help. Live life to its fullest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

actually emailing Mike is probably etter as he's ,ore familiar with the English system and I think it needs to be assessed in person. This kind of thing is more complicated than a few email responses.tom


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## earthgarden (Jun 3, 2003)

Thank you all so much for caring! You are so sweet! Just being here has helped so much! We are expected to just get on with life when really, what we need to do is get off the roller coaster; however it won't stop for long enough! I have learned that I need to stop always worrying about other's needs and start catering for my own! I think being here made me realise that. I feel more 'me' again so you don't have to worry (u are such sweeties). I have a handle on the eating disorders and my 'baggage' although it's still tagging behind me, it's having a harder job catching up! lol. You are right, tho. I do need a locksmith! lol. Even though our cells do renew and we are 'born again' if the past keeps pulling us back to somewhere we don't want to be it can be quite difficult to cut oneself free completely, especially if we have been taught to be caring of other's feelings and needs.I am learning to cater for my own needs now and I feel more positive than I have in years. Last night I went out for a meal! I had lasagne and salad and even had two glasses of red wine! I really enjoyed myself and didn't feel so anxious. I worried a little about whether I would suffer again afterwards, but I am fine! I am so relieved.Bless you all.


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2003)

Earth and Lee... I can identify with you on a monumental scale. I've done some research into this as well. What Chris is saying is sometimes true... however, there are certain other health disorders and diseases that can cause us to crave certain foods at certain times. Example: depressed people often crave animal protein because there are amino acids and other nutritional elements in it that actually work to alleviate depression in that they enable the body to create more Serotonin for the brain.Another Example: I've also researched the Affective Spectrum Syndrome which includes illnesses such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. My readings reinforced what my own body/brain already know... that meals need to be a combination of protein and carbohydrate... even sometimes simple carbohydrate (unlike what you hear from diet specialists these days). I know what my body/brain needs and I feed it.I am not overweight either.I've learned what works best for me and when, and I stick to it.Our bodies are smarter than what we give them credit for.Evie


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## chrisgeorge (Feb 28, 2003)

Evie,You're right about the "need to feed". I'm not what you call a "spiritual" person but I do believe we are spiritual.Whether you think of it as our "body" or "subconscious" there is an inner guidance towards that which is needed. We should listen to our bodies more often and learn to interpret what its saying. If there's a craving for a special food, our body is telling us were lacking in that nutrient. In my own case, once a year I'll get a craving for a chocolate bar (magnesium maybe?). Where it becomes a problem is when I eat 5 of them in the same sitting! Then it's an emotional need.


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## Marius (Jan 26, 2003)

The conventional wisdom is that stress is a contributing factor, as is food. I know everyone's IBS experience is different, but I have found food matters very little. I eat "right" and have terrible distress. I eat supposedly forbidden foods and may have no symptoms. To me, food is only important in the sense I maintain a regular schedule for eating. They say the bowel is trainable, to some degree. Mine is trained to eat a small meal every 3 hours. I do suffer increased symptoms if I vary much from this. I'm beginning to think stress is far more than a contributing factor to IBS. I'm not quite to the point of declaring a major theory yet, but I'm getting there. The therapist from whom I learned RSA breathing technique turned me on to a doctor who is treating lower back pain as a stress-related disorder. I was diagnosed 7 years ago with a bad L-5 disk, rehabbed back to health 2 years ago, and am again laid up this summer with a ribbon of fire down my left leg. This doctor, John Sarno, presents a pretty convincing case that both IBS and the back problem are due to the long term effects of stress, which we know can have physical consequences. If true, this stands the "structural" diagnosis on its head, and opens up a possible avenue of treatment for both conditions. I'm just getting to the meat of the book now (Mind Over Back Pain), and will keep you posted on whether this is the Grail that I think it is. Is it possible that I could manufacture back pain so severe that I black out? I already know I manufactured abdominal pain sufficient to have to be taken to the emergency room by ambulance. How much of a stretch is it to think we, each of us, has the power to heal ourselves if only we have the right information?


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2003)

I have an Axis II disorder but it is not an eating disorder.


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## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

Evie, Everyone has an axis II diagnosis. Whether or not it's a problem is a matter of degree. you can have a little axis II disorder or a big one tha interferes with your life.Bada


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