Have you ever wondered about the root cause of your eating issues?
I honestly find this fascinating that there is such a complex, interweaving web of causes. After all, we are not just binary, robots. We are the products of nature and nurture, our cultural conditioning & societal constructs play a massive part in the causes.
I was desperate to find out the root cause of my binge eating, as I figured if I could just 'solve it', then I would be 'fixed' but turns out my black and white thinking, my rigid style of thought and my unrelenting, perfectionistic quest for the answer completely blindsided what was actually going on underneath.
Difficulties with understanding my sexual identity, who I was as a person when I wasn't my job, being diagnosed with ADHD at 35. Always finding I worked best in inclusive, 'neurospicy' environments. It turns out I am highly sensitive human, I have specific sensory needs and I struggled to fit into normal society.
My other eating disorder causes were my parents views around diet culture, I grew up in the late 90s/early 00s and I was product of what I could see around me (mainly Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera). My urges and compulsions to eat sugary, chocolatey food were dopamine hits mixed with me being able to disconnect from the painful feelings I was experiencing. Let's not forget the genetic component, 80% of eating issues have a genetic component, that's rather a lot. My Dad struggled with his own feelings too, he was a sensitive man.
If I was to name a specific type of person who comes to see me, they're generally the me of a few years ago.
You are:
Struggling to work out who you are, feeling othered, the odd one out, having different views about society.
Using food, restriction or compensatory behaviours as a mask for feelings.
You may have sought external validation through various diagnoses, ADHD, Autism, BPD, OCD, CPTSD to name but a few.
You may have had different types of therapy before through the NHS
You are longing for an answer to your eating difficulties
You hide behind a mask of anxiety - formally 'high functioning'
You may be unsure of where you sit on the gender and/or sexuality spectrum
There is an absolute intersection and link between identity and eating. I can help you explore what is happening underneath BUT it will take time. EMDR may take you there faster. There is still value in the CBT too, whether CBT-E or adapted CBT for ADHD/Autism.
It may be we need to explore identity work first, uncover the physiological aspects of eating e.g. eating regularly before we do any trauma processing with EMDR.
The next steps would be to book a 15 minute free introduction call to see how I can help you.
Here is the link to book and I look forward to meeting you online soon
If cost is an issue at this time, I offer biweekly seessions and check out my free content on all the usual social media platforms @iambeckygracetherapy
Becky Grace x
Norwich Pride
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