Hello, I went through something that made me feel down every day. I didn’t know what to do about the situation but ever since I got out of it I still think about it I try to distract myself with other things, but lately I noticed that I have been gaining weight. I am not sure if I have an eating disorder or anything that’s why I want to know if there’s anything that sounds familiar. I never ate this much before all I think about is food, I don’t feel full anymore. I can’t control myself from wanting to eat something. Whenever I’m at home I can’t help but not just feel like eating.
Here’s what to do first:
- Thank you for reaching out to our Teen Central community. It seems you’re going through a difficult time right now, second guessing what may be a problem, an eating disorder or some other underline concern. It takes courage to reach out. Be proud of yourself for doing so.
- Check out Teen Central website for helpful information concerning health and food awareness. Under the Learn page check out the Eating Disorders, Body Images, and Wellness articles. Click here to learn more about nutrition. Or here if you want to be more active. The Tools page also has health related sources such as way to help track your activity or learn more about healthy foods. Don’t stop there, also read what’s in, “What’s New” it shares coping skills for stress and how to sleep better. Sleep plays a large part of our health and weight. Check it out.
- Is there anyone you would feel safe talking to about the situation you mentioned that had you feeling so down? You say you didn’t know what to do about it, but got yourself out of it. Is there a trusted adult, parent, older sibling, or another trusted friend that you can discuss that with? Reach out to them.
Consider this:
- Have you ever considered journaling? TeenCentral offers some journaling suggestions. While you are journaling your thoughts and feelings for the day you may also want to keep track of your eating habits and try to find the correlation. It’s a great way to look back on your progress.
- Try finding something active that you enjoy doing. This will help with some of your overwhelming feelings, and also get you some exercise. It doesn’t have to be anything too intense, just a simple walk or some yoga poses could help.
- Simple art projects to express creative expression can also keep your mind off of some of your overwhelming emotions. Like the many adult coloring books available, inexpensive crafting, and painting all have been found to be very therapeutic and rewarding. Try one of these things.
