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If you have a food addiction, you’ve likely had a lot of ups and downs emotionally. The disorder may prevent you from enjoying the life that you had before it developed. Getting treatment is the safest way of breaking food addiction cycles like this. Fortunately, food addiction help is available when you know how to find it.
An Overview of Food Addiction
Food is a basic human need and has a vital role in your overall wellness. Along with fueling your body, eating produces feelings of pleasure through smell, sight, touch, and taste. Although this reaction is normal, there’s a point when it isn’t.
If you have a food addiction, then your body overreacts to the stimulus that certain foods provide. Your brain produces a heightened chemical reaction that induces more intense pleasure than normal. In fact, the reaction is comparable to the chemical response that occurs with drug addiction. Food addiction isn’t yet an official disorder, but it features a lot of similarities to substance abuse. The reason is that it triggers the same reward center in the brain, which requires food addiction help to resolve.
As a result, you depend on how eating certain foods makes you feel. The dependence likely controls your eating habits, so you may eat even though you aren’t hungry. Also, you might eat more than you need to meet your nutritional needs and to feel satisfied.
Because of this behavior, you could develop physical and emotional side effects. For example, you may become obese or have heart disease and digestive problems. Depression and low self-esteem are other side effects of food addiction. Going to a binge eating disorder treatment center in Alabama can help you manage the addiction and heal.
Finding the Right Food Addiction Help
You can find the resources that you need to deal with food addiction in a couple of ways. One of these is to seek help from your family doctor. In fact, your healthcare provider can determine the foods to which you have the strongest addiction. Then, you can begin to stop eating those foods.
If necessary, your doctor can refer you to an eating disorder treatment center. Otherwise, you can perform an internet search to find a specialized facility in your area. However, there’s more to finding the right care than using a referral or internet search.
The level of care that you need will depend on several factors. Some of these include the severity of your condition, how long you can commit to treatment, and your budget. Thankfully, outpatient and inpatient programs are available.
Despite that, going to a residential eating disorder treatment center like Magnolia Creek is often the better decision. On average, this type of facility has a higher rate of ongoing success. Along with offering 24-hour support, it uses a range of treatments. Some examples include:
- Nutritional education and counseling
- Trauma therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
The goal of all food addiction treatment is to help people make healthy lifestyle changes. Drinking plenty of water and eating three balanced meals each day are just two examples. Others include waiting for food cravings to diminish, preparing meals at home, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep.
Food Addiction Treatment Is Available for You
You don’t have to continue down the destructive path of food addiction. Treatment that addresses your specific needs is available now.
Don’t hesitate to find the food addiction help that’s right for you. Give Magnolia Creek a call today at 205-509-2642 to start the recovery process.
