Eating More Out of Control Now That I’m a Wife and Mother

Question:

I have been an over eating my whole life.. I just find for some reason now that i have a child and have been married for 3 years that it is more evident than ever before... i was able to control it somewhat when i was single ... i am totally out of control now... My question is ... are there any medications that can help control over eating..compulsive eating and what are they???

Answer:

From what you say, it sounds as though there is some connection between the changes in your life and changes in your eating behaviors. Although eating seems to have been a coping mechanism and perhaps a problem for you for some time, your new relationships with your husband and child seem to have had an impact on your relationships with your body and food.

Marriage, and childrearing can each be incredibly wonderful, but each also involves considerable stress. Partnership with another adult and parenting a child both require significant psychological adjustment throughout life, but especially in the beginning. When these stresses are mixed with joy it can be very difficult to recognize the pressures, losses, hurts, tensions and difficult feelings you may be dealing with at the same time. It is not surprising that you would turn to a familiar coping mechanism, eating, to help you through these intense transitional periods.

I recommend that you address your eating issues by working with a psychotherapist to identify why you are feeling so out of control recently and to help you discover and experiment with other ways of taking care of yourself. There may be ways that your husband can be helpful in dealing with these issues, by participating in couples therapy or supporting you in handling your stresses and feelings.

As you probably know, the phen-fen combination of medications, which many had been using for eating problems, has recently been removed from the market because of dangerous side effects. If you still want to pursue a medical approach, you will need a sensitive and experienced physician to assess your individual situation and treatment needs.