Posted by Racer on October 24, 2004, at 13:26:43
In reply to Re Alcoholism as Compared to Over-eating Disorders, posted by Allen770 on October 24, 2004, at 2:00:37
I'm very curious about why you have so many quotation marks in this post? It looks to me as if you've decided for yourself that binge eating disorder is not a real phenomenon, despite its inclusion in the DSM-IV?
At any rate, after discussing my anorexia with another poster on this board -- someone who always makes the sun shine for me (hi!) -- who struggles with alcoholism, I can safely say that I'm convinced the same sort of distress is involved for both of us. We may express our difficulties in different ways, but both of us suffer very similar disorders at baseline.
I don't think there's any real basis for considering the basis for the alcoholic beverages -- and vodka is no longer made from potatoes, it's all grain nowadays -- the point in both alcoholism and binge eating is to suppress the pain with a substance. The effects of alcohol are well enough known that I don't think it's worth mentioning them; and haven't you ever heard anyone refer to "food coma" or the like after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? That feeling of being so full you just want to hibernate for the winter? Binge eating can lead to a state very similar to intoxication for many people.
There are certainly parallels between alcoholism and eating disorders, not limited to binge eating disorder. I don't know that you can fully understand it without experiencing one or the other, though. You can only gain an intellectual, and therefore limited, insight into what is essentially an emotional phenomenon.
poster:Racer
thread:406544
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20041013/msgs/406648.html