can you get counselling for overeating from your gp????

[snowwonder]

i have been to gp before about my weight and all he says is eat less...

but i feel i have a real problem with food

i seem to think about it all day every day, and i am getting heavier and heavier, at my heaviest i have been 17.5 st, i am currently 15.9.... and i hate myself, maybe i should try hypnotherapy?
i am a lone parent and the kids would have to come with me

i dont know what answers i expect i am just wondering if anyone has had counselling for overeating

I'm not sure about counselling, but my dad has a very similar relationship to that which you describe. It's been of paramount importance that his GP is supportive, which he has been. The GP arranged weekly "weigh-ins" with the nurse which also included a little chat and encouragement, also an appointment with a dietician. It's been invaluable having the GP be proactive like this so it sounds like you should go back and get him to take you seriously. I also posted on another thread recently that my dad has had quite a bit of success with accupuncture to aid his willpower - he's quite a cynic about these sort of things but there is no doubting the weight is coming off. All the best.

snowwonder - I tried hypnotherapy for help with weightloss but it didn't help at all. I think it depends a lot on what your attutude towards hypnosis is. On reflection I shouldn't have tried it as I'm rather about it all so I guess that's why I got nothing from it! Duh eh?!

If this is the type of thing you want to try it may be cheaper and easier for you to try this Paul McKenna - I can make you thin

He uses NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)which seems very similar to hypnosis to me (I'm no expert though!) and consists of a book with lots of useful techniques plus a Cd that you could listen to when the children are in bed rather than having take them to an appt with you.

I've asked my GP for a referral for counselling but she said there is no provision for this on the NHS and suggested I contact CBT practitioners privately.

Hope you get somewhere with this.

Dear snowwonder,
Sorry to hear you don't like yourself (which women nowadays has healthy self image?). I understand overeating and after trying diets for years I found that the urge to eat never really goes away, especially when emotially low.
BUT I also am lucky and LOVE MOVING and SPORTS, so I try and replace the happy high from chocolate with happy high from workouts. Best are strenous walks or runs in nature. SPINNING classes are the ultimate joy. Ah - and dancing (even if it's at home alone)gives you a boost. Feel your body with all its wobbly bits and shake it. It's liberating. Also - boxing works wonders. Then have the Mars bar.
Now, whenever I'm down I'll try to be active. The occassional bing-out doesn't add too much, then. Is there any private counselling group in your area? For some people cognitive behavioural therapy can work.
Wishing you all the best,

Snowwonder I have had treatment in the past for eating disorders and overeating can be a disorder like any other. You can get counselling for it on the NHS but you might need to enlighten your GP.

Have a look at this website, which BTW also has a fantastic supportive discussion forum.

If you hate yourself then no amount of hypnotherapy can fix that. You need to talk it over with someone. Take care

Hi snowwonder, I really feel for you. I know what you're going through because I suffer from it too. I'm still overweight and still trying to lose it, but I think I have finally discovered the reason WHY I overeat. Understanding that is the key to changing your bad relationship with food.

After years of soul searching, I now know I overeat when I'm stressed, angry, or unhappy. Food relaxes me, makes it better, releases tension, takes the pain away .....etc, etc. But once the food is gone, the stresses of life are still there (of course!) and I feel even worse because I have to deal with the guilt of overeating and the subsequent weight gain.

For years when I was stressed, I would comfort myself by racing to the Supermarket on the way home from work to buy all my usual treats to enjoy that night. Crisps, peanuts, chocolate, haribo jellies, a big curry & naan bread and washed down with a half a bottle of wine or a few beers.

I know I can't do that anymore. I have to break the cycle. I have to stay in control of my eating otherwise my eating controls me. I still have 4 stone to lose (after having lost 4 stone). But its a slow slog. Most days are fine, but there are still plenty of days when I want to binge (I never purged, hence the weight gain).

I also went to my GP in January to get treatment for depression (I knew I was mildly depressed for many years, but I was too ashamed/embarrassed to ask for treatment). I have been on anti-depressants since January, and I do feel a lot better. However, it hasn't stopped me wanting to reach for food, unfortunately. I agree that most doctors haven't got a clue when confronted with this problem (mine suggested a food combining diet!).

I also think of it as a bad habit. I try to find other ways of coping when I want to reach for food. I enjoy listening to music, so I tend to do that now instead of reaching for the biscuit jar.

I hope some of this has helped you. Try Googling compulsive eating, as there are a few good websites. Try to make this the turning point in your life. Best of luck.

thankyou so much for your posts...

i have ordered some overeating books from amazon....
and i do plan to take control of this

i have the paul mckenna cd's somewhere, so i will dig them out....

i hate the way it controls me i think about food all the time....and it is awful

Snowwonder, you can take control back!

Think of it like a bad habit thats got way out of control. Habits can be changed. Its like any addiction - fags, alcohol, drugs, chocolate. Food has become your coping mechanism. You now need to find other ways of coping. The books will be the starting point.

I feel exactly the same about my relationship with food whichsounds very similar to yours - I disgust myself sometimes which is definitely not a healthy way to be feeling.

Well done re the books and CD. Paul McKenna seems to work for many people so good luck.

misspiggy- thanks for the reminder about the cd

giana... you have done fab losing 4 stone.. best of luck for 4 more i know you will get there

maybe we need a support thread..???

Hi I've just discovered a brilliant book called "Beyond Chocolate", there's a website too - www.beyondchocolate.co.uk. I've only had it a few days - has anyone else heard of it or read it?

that looks intresting, thankyou

have you started the book? what do you make of it

Paul McKenna makes a lot of sense.

As does Susie Orbach. This is a good book

I've only had it a few days but what I've read so far makes sense - that diet's don't work. It asks you to think about all the diets you've been on - low calorie, Slimming World, Weight Watchers, and the rest! They have two lists full! And it talks about doing things like eating the whole packet of penguin type biscuits and having to go out to buy some more to replace them, only to eat them as well. If you look on Amazon for the book you can read inside the first few pages. It all sounds sooooo familiar!!!

thanks i will do

i have bought the book by susie.....

i just wish i could have one bikkie like every one else and feel satisfied rather then needing more...

A support thread sounds like a great idea ...

What could we call it ? Any suggestions ?

i am not very good at coming up with names??? anyone

OverEaters Anonymous? x

ok deal.... i shall start it in weight loss section...