The Dangers of Stress Eating

When you think of stress eating, does it seem harmless? You are not hurting anyone, right? All you are trying to do is manage your anxiety and stress with a much less dangerous substance than drugs or alcohol. But is that true? Is eating excess food a harmless activity? Is there a danger to stress eating?

Effects of stress eating

Overconsuming food and eating foods lacking in nutrients can take a toll on the body. Everything from your digestive system to your emotional state can change when stress eating becomes a habit. This habit feeds off your thoughts and emotions until stress eating becomes an impossible urge to overcome. But you can overcome stress eating with counseling and techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

The following is a list of common conditions that can develop from stress eating and eating disorders.

High blood pressure.

For the body to digest food, blood rushes from other areas to the stomach to process the food and store excess as fat. This process naturally lowers your blood pressure unless the meal contains sodium and added sugars. This combination raises blood pressure and increases heart rate. When more fat is stored, you increase your risk of weight gain, and the extra weight will raise your blood pressure. High blood pressure for long periods can damage the arteries, heart, and kidneys.

High cholesterol.

Fatty deposits in your arteries can form clots when you have high cholesterol. These clots reduce blood flow in the blood vessels and break off, traveling to the lungs or brain. You can suffer a heart attack or stroke from high cholesterol. Check with your physician about the likelihood of you developing high cholesterol. Family history, genetics, and past and current behaviors can contribute to the condition.

Diabetes.

Although Type I diabetics are born with the condition, Type II diabetes is preventable. When you stress eat and flood the body with extra carbs, the pancreas works overtime to manage the burden of producing insulin as the body converts carbs into glucose.

Insulin is your body’s answer to glucose by providing cells with glucose energy. However, you can become insulin resistant, and the cells will no longer respond. As a result, you may feel tired, hungry, and thirsty more often, have blurred vision, and experience tingling in the hands and feet. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to death.

Obesity.

As more and more fat is stored, weight begins to creep on. You may be able to counteract the weight gain with exercise for a while, but eventually, the extra calories and hormonal changes will cause a higher number on the scale, and your clothes will no longer fit.

Obesity leads to many other physical conditions and increases heart attack and stroke risk. If your BMI has you listed in the overweight or obesity categories, seek the advice of your primary care physician about how much weight you should safely lose to maintain health.

Depression and anxiety.

Depression and anxiety can trigger stress eating, yet eating for emotional reasons can also result in feelings of depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and emptiness. It is a vicious cycle and, if left untreated, can lead to thoughts of self-harm, poor body image, low self-esteem, and suicidal ideations.

If you are having these emotions or suicidal thoughts, contact help immediately. Stress eating and disordered eating are treatable, and counseling can help. With treatment, your care team will ensure initially that your physical body is on the path to healing and then work on your mental health.

Take control.

If your stress eating feels out of control, or you engage in other behaviors to control your weight, like overexercising or purging, it is time to take back control. Stress eating can be beaten with changes in mindset and emotions. By changing these two components, you can change your behavior.

Talk therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are powerful psychotherapy methods used for various mental health conditions and have been found effective in breaking the cycle of stress and binge eating. Ask a counselor if these techniques would help you. Your counselor will customize a plan based on your preferences, symptoms, and behavioral patterns.

Getting help with disordered eating.

Stress eating can lead to disordered eating. When you stress eat, you may restrict calories or skip meals to fix the binge. Binge eating and bulimia can result from the habit of stress eating, and both eating disorders can be deadly if left untreated.

Contact our office today at Richardson Christian Counseling in Texas to schedule an appointment with a Christian counselor specializing in the spectrum of eating behavior.