Tag Archives: addiction

Food Addictions on the Rachael Ray Show

Tune in this Thursday, October 21 to the Rachael Ray Show to learn all about food addictions with Freaky Eater’s Dr. Mike Dow.

Imagine eating nothing but burgers for nearly 30 years. Freaky Eater’s Dr. Mike Dow takes you inside the scary world of food addictions and tells you how to stop them before it’s too late. (more…)

Posted on October 18, 2023 by heather

How to Cope with a Sugar Addiction

sugar cubesSugar seems like such an innocent substance. It’s often one of the main ingredients in many of our comfort foods, from cake and cookies to ice cream and pudding. But it actually has serious addictive qualities.

Studies have shown that sugar has the same effects on the brain as cocaine and heroin. People eat it compulsively, even when they know it’s bad for them and will prevent them from getting to long-term goals, like losing weight. Those who cut sugar out of their diets may even experience withdrawal symptoms.

Cutting down on sugar isn’t impossible, but it does require a strategy. Like overcoming many addictions, it’s more than a question of will power. You need to get to the emotional root that causes your unhealthy eating habits.

Here are five tips from Ph.D. Jeffery Rossman to help you fight a sugar addiction on a phycological level.

1. Be honest with yourself. Think about the times you eat that are not driven by hunger. Are you using sugar to cover up uncomfortable feelings? Are you cheering yourself up when you feel lonely? Are you eating when you feel bored? All of these things have non-food solutions, but they can be a little scary to face. Reach out to a friend, family member or even consider if you need professional help. (more…)

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Health Buzz

Exercise Addiction is Too Much of a Good Thing

Everywhere we look, we are told we are fat and need to lose weight. For the majority, that constant drone from the TV and magazines goes ignored, but for a growing number, fitting in a workout isn’t just no-big-deal, it’s non-negotiable.

With the emphasis on fitness, calories and weight loss, eating and exercise disorders emerge as many turn from a healthy consciousness of food and exercise turns to an unhealthy obsession. But when is that line crossed? When does making your workouts a priority go from a healthy habit to a dangerous punishment?

Professionals recommend getting 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week, but many are racking up 3-6 hours daily between morning runs, yoga classes and trips to the gym. To those on the outside, their dedication to fitness is awe-inspiring, but to those affected, exercise addiction is a dangerous and unhealthy disorder. (more…)

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Kelly

Fatty Foods as Addictive as Cocaine, Study Says

Realistically, everyone knows that fatty foods are bad for health. There’s a reason that the old saying says, “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips”, after all. A new study has gone a step further and the research indicates that these calorie and fat laden foods may be as addictive as cocaine in the workings of your brain.

Scientists at the Scripps University allowed lab rats to gorge on cake frosting and sweet treats, as well as bacon and sausage, with unlimited, round the clock access. They discovered that this triggered addiction-like responses in their brains. To maintain their food-induced highs, the rats consumed more and more fatty treats – and grew obese in the process. Quite possibly the most startling evidence of the true nature of addiction was uncovered when the rats’ feet were zapped with electric shocks in an effort to dissuade their constant gnawing. The rats only paused briefly, even with the intense pain. (more…)

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Carmen

Tune In: The Man Who is Eating Himself to Death on Oprah

Image Courtesy of Oprah.com

Image via Oprah.com

Tune in this Thursday, January 21 to The Oprah Show to watch a young man whose food and drug addiction is risking his life.

In a life and death intervention episode, this 547-pound man is eating himself to death while also paving a path to true self-destruction with heroin and cocaine. (more…)
Posted on January 18, 2024 by heather

Is Eating Really an Addiction?

cheese crackersAddiction has been on my mind between watching Confessions of a Shopaholic for the first (and last) time and reading Vaughn Bell’s article on the subject. I absolutely agree that the word addiction has been loosely applied to a plethora of enjoyable activities in common culture. I am hopeful that these so-called addictions will not be added to the new Diagnostic and Statistics Manual, which is to be published May 2024; however, Vaughn Bell’s article informed me about a treatment facility that has opened to treat “internet addiction.” The article does a great job of explaining what defines an addiction both technically and in popular culture.

As a therapist, I stick to the DSM to determine if something truly qualifies as a disorder. There is no diagnostic criteria for eating addiction. However, I also consider how helpful it is or is not to think about overeating in terms of an addiction. It could be beneficial to consider overeating an “addiction” if it helps someone take this behavior seriously. (more…)

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

Diet Cycling Leads to Anxiety, Overeating, and Withdrawal

yoyo dietAs if you needed another reason to avoid dieting, new research shows that the “cycling” on and off of diets can stress the brain’s system and cause anxiety, overeating, and withdrawal. If you’ve ever been on a diet where you restrict your food intake and avoid specific foods, but allow “cheat days” to release the restrictions, that process can be very dangerous.

Animal studies show that when diet restrictions are lifted, they ate less and their anxiety was lower than when they were required to eat diet food. In addition, the act of cycle dieting raises a stress-related hormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) to five times the amount of non-dieters. This hormone is related to stress, anxiety, and fear. The high levels of CRF give the feeling of being “stressed” when sweet foods were avoided. The researchers indicated these mechanisms correspond to the ‘dark side’ of addiction to drugs of abuse or ethanol, supporting the idea that the brain shows addiction-like adaptations to intermittent eating of palatable food. (more…)

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Rebecca

Whitney Houston’s Journey to Health

Possessing some of the most powerful vocals in pop music, Whitney Houston is back on the music scene as she debuted her highly anticipated new album “I Look to You” on August 31, 2024.whitney houston i look to you

Set to appear on the season premiere of Oprah, a two-day event starting September 14, as the “music interview of the decade,” Whitney will answer some of Oprah‘s toughest questions on her life, including her drug abuse, divorce and the inspiration behind her long-awaited sixth album. (more…)

Posted on September 8, 2023 by heather

OTC Treatment for Trichotillomania

Trick uh till uh mania… Trichotillomania is traditionally one of the most difficult psychological disorders to say, one that is difficult for many to understand, and one that has been difficult to treat. Research published this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry introduces a possible new treatment that is currently available over the counter as a vitamin supplement.pulling hair

Trichotillomania is classified as an impulse control disorder in the DSM-IV; however, some consider it self-injury, a tic, or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. When someone suffers from trichotillomania they experience urges to pull out their hair; this can be hair from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or any body hair. Generally sufferers experience tension building with a desire to pull that is relieved once they have pulled the hair out. Pulling tends to increase during times of high stress and may disappear entirely during times of low stress. Pulling can result in bald patches or complete absence of hair in certain areas of the body. In some cases sufferers are also driven to bite the bulb at the root of the hair, chew on, or even swallow hair. (more…)

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Why Nutrition and Exercise are Essential to Mental Health

pillsWhy would a mental health therapist write and talk about nutrition, exercise, and weight loss? Believe it or not, these are very common subjects in group and individual therapy, as well as coaching. One of the reasons I have chosen to use a sliding-fee scale rather than insurance reimbursements in my private practice is to allow my clients to focus on the goals that are most meaningful to them. Weight loss and health improvement are very important goals to many, allowing them to increase energy and improve self-esteem.

Improving physical energy habits, including sleep, diet, and exercise, is often the first line of attack against the most common mental health concerns of anxiety and depression. Often, counselors must address such topics as part of a treatment plan when a client experiences the common side effect of weight gain as a result of taking medications to fight depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic symptoms, etc. In some cases, anti-depressant medication may be an optional tool to allow a client the extra boost needed to do the therapeutic work that can bring him or her out of that depression. (more…)

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

Sugar as Addictive as Cocaine and Heroin?

A new study has shown a relation between sugar and addiction. This study, conducted at Princeton University, has found evidence of how sugar affects brain functions the same way as cocaine and heroin do. Bart Hoebel, Princeton psychology professor, conducted this research by examining how sugar effects the brains of rats. The researchers were able to find that a sugar binge alters brain function and fuels the desire for more sweets. These alterations closely resemble the functions of a brain addicted to cocaine or heroin. When sugar was denied, the same withdrawal psychological and physical symptoms were seen in the sugar deprived rats just like the cocaine and heroin deprived rats. (more…)

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Kinsey