122: Grief and Loss Have Overwhelmed my Food Addiction and Binge Eating

The Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross Show: Binge Eating Disorder, Stress Eating, Emotional Eating, Food Addiction

Grief following the death of a loved one is well studied and understood. Researchers have documented an initial period of numbness, followed by sadness or depression and then reorganization and recovery. Grief in this case is used to describe how we react to loss - physically, emotionally, behaviorally and cognitively. It is not uncommon when we experience a loss that we default to old behaviors such as binge eating, obsessing about food and emotional eating. The emotions associated with grief can feel overwhelming and we may reach for the comfort of our old friend – food.

In this podcast you will learn:

1. Why is there no time limit on grief?
2. What are “normal” responses to grief?
3. What role does food play in the grieving process?