People don’t develop disorders for no reason. Compulsive eating, excessive drinking, chain-smoking and lack of physical activity are all bad habits acquired over a period of time and in response to certain experiences and situations.
Of course, most people don’t abuse their health on purpose. Hardly anyone would say that he or she eats badly, drinks or smokes to get sick or die young. Usually, the roots of self-destructive behavior are hidden. Unhealthy lifestyle habits can simply be symptoms of stress at work, in relationships, over personal loss or financial problems.
Stress Ranks Among the Most Common Causes
For Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits
Expecting people to pull themselves together and learn to cope is not enough. In any case, willpower can only achieve so much. No matter how well our survival strategies may serve us for the time being, in the long run they will have to be replaced with real stress management measures. The inability or unwillingness to confront difficulties in constructive ways can only produce additional dysfunctional responses. It also diminishes the strength needed to deal effectively with the tasks at hand.
By contrast, the experience of self-control can be very empowering. How do you feel after a brisk walk, a run or a good work-out? What happens when you look in the mirror and like what you see? You may think you can take on the world – right?
I have counseled countless people who were able to get back in shape and become healthy again because they had seemingly unrelated self-empowering experiences. One female client got her groove back by learning to build motorcycles from scratch, which she accomplished without any formal training as a mechanic. Without noticing at first, she lost weight, gained physical strength and morphed into an all-around happy person. She never planned for any of this, but it was the strategy that worked for her.
Most people are not so lucky to find such a happy ending. Their struggles can last for a lifetime. But every positive step they take matters nevertheless.
To all those who keep trying, I say, don’t give up. Observe your eating habits, your alcohol consumption or drug use the next time you encounter a stress-producing situation. Ask yourself, what are your spontaneous reactions? Pay close attention to your cravings and examine what alternative solutions you may have at your disposal. The trick is not to avoid stressful situations but to be able to control your reactions to them. Build motorcycles, if you have to…
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- Week Five: Connecting the Dots Between Stress and Eating Disorders
- Stress and Anxiety
- Kids can gain weight in response to stress
- What’s Your Relationship with Food?
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