Do I really have an addiction?

I don't necessarily believe in food addiction, however, I do believe that emotions play a role. I am in no way qualified to to diagnose what may be wrong with you, but since you came to an internet message board instead of a doctor, here goes......lol. I absolutely believe that you could be using food as a coping mechanism. I went through a divorce that left me a single dad of three and let me tell ya, I had some serious issues. I used work and activity to cope, I threw myself into work and keeping my kids involved in things. I was trying to make sense of my new world. That's what I think you are doing, trying to order your new world. And I believe anyone would agree that food is comforting and having a stockpile is reassuring. No, I don't think you have an addiction, I think life kicked you around and you are just trying to get back up and dust off. I would suggest just trying to make conscious choice about food and not beat yourself up when you just can't do what is normal. Concentrate on developing a healthy relationship with food.

Now, that will be $149.95 for counseling.


Seriously, good luck to you. You will be fine..

I feel I have this to an extent, always thinking about what you are going to eat next, and my mother suffers with food addiction. I would reccomend a nutritionist and a good therapist. They will help you find coping mechanisms and routines that will help with your addiction. Also maybe writing down a list of what you have in your pantry and keeping it with you when you shop will keep you from over buying. You could cross off what you use and update as needed. I know it sounds tedious, but maybe it would help.

I love when people start stuff with please don't bash
anyways the answer is yes

Not an expert here, but to me it doesn't sound like an addiction, so much as you're just feeling a bit obsessed with food/food preparation at the moment. Obsessions can develop as a way to cope with anxiety and do serve some kind of purpose. It could be a distraction so that you don't have to think about other things in your life, or something to make you feel secure during what is obviously a time of emotional and practical upheaval. It's natural to want to take care of the people you love, and one of the ways we do that is with food. You're newly single, so you've become the sole (or at least main) "provider" for your child, so of course you're going to be focused on that.

I also think that it's the nature of dieting, and calorie counting in particular. If you're prone to obsessive thinking, then measuring and tracking all your food definitely plays into that. I know it has done for me. You might be interested to look up the "scarcity model" and how it related to dieting. For a lot of people, as soon as they start restricting their intake, they want to binge. For others, it makes them want to hoard food. They just feel better knowing there's plenty there. I'm sure that could also be connected to your recent life changes.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, unless it really does begin to negatively impact your life, in which case, it might be an idea to talk it over with someone. Honestly though, it sounds like it might just be a temporary reaction to what's going on in your life right now.

It does sound like more of a coping mechanism right now, but if you find yourself eating more, or eating when you are not hungry just to fill the time, or make yourself feel better, then you could certainly end up with a food addiction as well.
The stockpiling of food is definitely a security thing. When my father died 10 years ago, I began hoarding. I didn't realize it until yrs later that it was my grief, trying to fill the void. But it did become a huge problem for me and took awhile to overcome it.

Try to interact socially with people as much as you can, and don't always make that interaction involve food.
It is very easy to fall into the pattern of feeding others to please them, and thinking perhaps then they wont leave like your husband did. (Our minds can get very tricky when we are dealing with a loss)

It is a good thing that you are recognizing a new problem behavior. That is the first step in figuring out why it is there and how to control it.

Ah, and 'control'. That is certainly a buzzword. When we feel out of control in one area of our life, we try to control other areas to compensate. I know this from years of experience!

You are going to be ok. Life will be different than it was, but different doesn't mean bad. Think of it as a clean slate. You get to start a new life with just you and the kids and you can make that life whatever you want it to be. My girls and I took trips to Vegas, Disney World, and learned how to ski in the 2 years after my divorce. And I also became lead singer in a classic rock band. lol. The sky is the limit for you. Enjoy your new life and new opportunities!

I have honestly found that if I start craving something sugary, or salty, that simply going and getting my mind and hands busy on something else truly, honestly helps.