“I am addicted to junk food. Should I see an addiction psychiatrist?”
I have been binge eating, and I tend to eat a lot of junk food--especially when I'm stressed. Can an addiction psychiatrist help me?
2 Answers
Thank you for your bravery and seeking advice. If you have constant thoughts (cravings) with continuing life consequences from the behavior, yet still seek the item or object and simply cannot get enough of it, that meets the criteria for addiction.
1- More and more of your time and daily routine is spent thinking, procuring, consuming them cycle back to thinking, procuring....
2- Despite negative life consequences you continue us to participate in the behavior
3- You simply cannot get enough, or are developing tolerance you most likely have an addiction.
I would suggest to you, it is not uncommon to become addicted to food (the category or type is secondary). Food addiction is very prevalent in our culture, frequently clustered with
other self harming behaviors such as too little food (anorexia) or purging after consuming (bulimia) all categorized as having an eating disorder. I would agree with your query and advise you to seek help from a health care professional qualified and experienced with eating disorders. There are also 12-step recovery groups for eating disorders you can access.
1- More and more of your time and daily routine is spent thinking, procuring, consuming them cycle back to thinking, procuring....
2- Despite negative life consequences you continue us to participate in the behavior
3- You simply cannot get enough, or are developing tolerance you most likely have an addiction.
I would suggest to you, it is not uncommon to become addicted to food (the category or type is secondary). Food addiction is very prevalent in our culture, frequently clustered with
other self harming behaviors such as too little food (anorexia) or purging after consuming (bulimia) all categorized as having an eating disorder. I would agree with your query and advise you to seek help from a health care professional qualified and experienced with eating disorders. There are also 12-step recovery groups for eating disorders you can access.
There is a psychiatric condition known as Binge Eating Disorder. It is 90% effective treatment with a medication, a stimulant, called Vyvanse. Supportive therapy is often suggested.
