IHCG – Teri Claassen's Blog
Imagine Hope Counselor
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Food addiction is a common issue these days. It is overtaking our society as obesity is becoming more common in adults and kids. Many don’t see that we have a huge “acceptable” addiction in our society…. FOOD!
The hardest part is that we have to eat food to live. Unlike an alcohol or drug addiction, food is a necessity in life, so you can’t completely cut it out of your life. Therefore, the relapse rate is high.
What makes someone a food addict? You might be a food addict if:
- You notice you are eating when you aren’t hungry
- You turn to food when you are experiencing strong emotions like sad, lonely, boredom, or even celebrating a happy thing. For example: “It’s been a bad day- let’s go get some ice cream” or “Let’s celebrate a good day and go out to eat”.
- You hide evidence of what you have eaten, lie, or keep secrets about your food intake
- You have “eater’s remorse” after eating
- You find yourself planning or obsessing about what you are going to eat next
- You are a “yo-yo” dieter and can never seem to really loose weight or keep it off
There are many other symptoms of food addiction, but if you find yourself relating to any of the above symptoms- you could have a food addiction.
Here at Imagine Hope we help people recover from food addiction all the time. The key thing is you HAVE to work on the underlying psychological issues of the addiction. Figuring out reasons “why” you eat is key. If those go untreated, you will keep the cycle going and food can control your life.
When treating food addiction, I help people start a “new relationship” with food. Changing your relationship with it can have a huge impact on how you think about it. You should eat to live- not live to eat.
Recovery from food addiction is a hard long road, but as you start to love and value yourself and your body, it gets easier. Reach out for help for your food addiction today- it’s time to be free of the power food has over your life!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Addiction, Healthy Living, Substance Abuse | No Comments »
Ever been caught in the midst of tunnel vision? All you can focus on is the thing in front of you. Everything else around you gets blurry. The noises are drowned out as if you can’t hear them.
Sounds like it might be a good thing when working on a project or at work huh? But think about the DANGER OF TUNNEL VISION when you are in a relationship.
Ever had your spouse lost in a show on TV, on their phone, or computer? If so, you know that tunnel vision if not a good thing!
People who operate in tunnel vision mode have trouble with multitasking and communication. Their partner might get easily resentful and feel lonely in the relationship. It is common for them to feel ignored and as if their partner cares more about what they are focused on than them.
For those of you who are tunnel vision thinkers, I invited you to step back and SEE what is going on around you. You might be hurting others unintentionally. I know you might not realize or be aware of this, but that is the problem. Step out of your shoes and into your partners. They need you to have a wider focus that includes them.
For the spouses who struggle with a tunnel visioned spouse, it is time to practice a voice. Share with your spouse how you feel and what you need. Try to watch your tone and not nag. Your presentation can make a big difference on whether or not they hear you. Try to affirm that your spouse’s strength in being able to focus so much on things, but let them know that it can be hard for you and invite them to connect with you.
Breaking this cycle can be hard, especially if the person needs tunnel vision in their job. They might need time and reminders to turn it off when they are with the family. Be patient and practice DAILY! You don’t want to wait until it is a huge issue in a relationship to fix this “potential relationship killer.” At that point it could be too late!
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Addiction, Communication, marriage, Marriage Counseling, Relationships | No Comments »
There are several times a week I say the words, “I know it may seem hard to believe, but if you just try this, things will start to get a little bit better.”
There are many words of advice that I give people who doubt that the outcome can bring better results. Some clients have trouble trusting and resist. Fear of failure, the unknown, and getting uncomfortable constantly get in people’s way when in the recovery process.
My husband had knee surgery last year. During his recovery, his therapist had to help him trust that his knee was strong again. He had been unable to use his leg for such a long time that he had to retrain his brain’s ability to trust that his leg was healed after surgery.
This was a huge turning point in his healing. Once he got through his fear that it would hurt, get re-injured, or that he would fall if he put pressure on it, he became confident again in using his leg.
Do you need to re-train your brain’s ability to trust in the recovery process? Are you holding back from doing what you know you should do because of fear? If so, it is time to start realizing that what you have believed was okay to do is what got you to where you are now. Maybe it is time to stretch yourself and trust. It could open a whole new world of possibilities for you!
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Addiction, Affairs, Codependency, Communication, Depression, Fear, Goals, Infidelity, marriage, Parenting, Perfectionism, Relationships, Substance Abuse | No Comments »
How many times in my life have I said these words to myself trying to convince myself to believe it… In college one of my friends even joked with me that I was as bad as Oprah with dieting.
My weight can fluctuate drastically within a matter of weeks. I’m great at gaining weight and I have tried to learn the many strategies to loosing it. Up and down. Up and down. My whole life.
I recently finished Lysa Terkeurst book about a faith-based perspective on food addiction and emotional over-eating called Made To Crave. There were many relatable stories and applicable ideas to work into my constant battle.
This quote was one of them: “Focusing only on what we’re giving up will make us feel constantly deprived. And deprivation leads to desperation, frustration, and failure. Instead, we have to focus on everything we’re gaining though this process. And see the gains as more valuable than the losses” (p.181).
I know the are many of you struggling the way I have through the years. All I can say is the one thing that finally clicked for me about 5 years ago is that I have to love myself more than I love food. I’m not saying I don’t still struggle. But it seems my struggles have become less intense and I am able to refocus before I’ve gone totally over board. Gaining a self-respect and love for myself has been better than any food tastes. It feels much more fulfilling than the taste of any food.
No matter the struggle you have, remember to treat yourself kindly in a physical and emotional way. Your body is with you every step of the way- treat it with love.
Written by Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC
Teri Claassen MSW, LCSW, LCAC is a licensed therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Teri enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, couples and relationship counseling. Teri also does family counseling, child counseling, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Westfield.
Posted in Addiction, Boundaries, Depression, Goals, Healthy Living | No Comments »
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