Adults Living with Type 2

[ko_bear]

I have several ways I deal with stress, but it seems like food is still a major one, even if I use my other coping strategies.  I just feel out of control right now, with eating, with spending, with lots of unhealthy things to deal with stress.  Any ideas please for how to deal with stress - without going to food.  Like I said, I have a lot of coping strategies, but feel so out of control right now that even when I do use them, I am not able to control my impulses to eat junk and spend money on stuff I don't really need.

[morrisolder]

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Ko_bear wrote:

I have several ways I deal with stress, but it seems like food is still a major one, even if I use my other coping strategies.  I just feel out of control right now, with eating, with spending, with lots of unhealthy things to deal with stress.  Any ideas please for how to deal with stress - without going to food.  Like I said, I have a lot of coping strategies, but feel so out of control right now that even when I do use them, I am not able to control my impulses to eat junk and spend money on stuff I don't really need.

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I guess that last sentence rules out shopping (for clothes, say, or houselhold items) as a way to relieve stress...

[ffmaya]

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Ko_bear wrote:

I have several ways I deal with stress, but it seems like food is still a major one, even if I use my other coping strategies.  I just feel out of control right now, with eating, with spending, with lots of unhealthy things to deal with stress.  Any ideas please for how to deal with stress - without going to food.  Like I said, I have a lot of coping strategies, but feel so out of control right now that even when I do use them, I am not able to control my impulses to eat junk and spend money on stuff I don't really need.

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I can only speak for myself.  I used to be an avid emotional eater.  I'd eat when upset, bored, tired, sad really any given time.  Since I started working out regularly after dx, I noticed that a vigorous (making me breath heavy) workout had a surprising, to me, relaxation effect.  It calms my mind like nothing else, I have tried yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, etc. with some success but nothing like heavy exercise.  Now when I feel any anxiety coming on, I increase my intensity a bit and voila, feeling a whole lot better.

I don't know if you workout regularly or not, but if you don't I would not suggest to work out with too high an intensity until your body adjusts to it.  As I said, this is what I have discovered as working well for me.  The nice bonus with it is that I hardly need my Clonazepam anymore.

[bugbarb]

I'm in similar shoes, so to speak.  I have a lot of stress and uncertainty in my life right now, so much so that my A1c went from 5.4 to 9 in the past couple of years.  

I am considering making exercising a priority, going to Overeaters Anonymous meetings and continuing to see my therapist.  Oh yes, decreasing or stopping eating peanut butter would be helpful.  I must address all aspects of myself, spiritual, physical and psychological in order to attain the balance that will allow me to stop depending upon food.

[LisaMarie528]

I, too, tend to use food as an emotional stabilizer. I like the idea of exercise. I do feel better after. Just have to get myself to do it more often. Wish my knees would let me do more. Another thingis browsing on this forum. Keeps me in mind of complications and reminds me that I am not alone in the struggle.