At Directions Counseling Group we believe that overeating is a symptom of a much larger problem. Overeating and obesity are rooted in a need for emotional fulfillment.

Food becomes the drug of choice for a compulsive overeater, and ends up becoming a very real but secondary problem. Ironically the very thing that we desire to fulfill our need for intimacy becomes a barrier to intimacy with others. The following symptom list can help you evaluate your need for counseling:

• Continuing to gain or maintain an overweight condition, despite numerous attempts to lose weight
• Wanting to eat alone or sneak food
• Feeling ashamed about what or how much you eat
• Feeling out of control when eating, or feeling emotionally numb during eating, wondering if you binged
• Finding it hard to believe how much you have eaten after you ate;
• Trouble concentrating when you know that there is leftover food that you could be eating;
• A history of joining and quitting various weight loss programs without success;
• Others, such as doctor, spouse or close friend, express concerns about your eating and or weight gain;
• Eating frequently to the point of becoming overfull and uncomfortable;
• Having a food hangover the day after a binge;
• Eating privately before going to a public function where food will be served;
• Overeating during or after emotional highs or lows, especially to cope with feelings of frustration, shame or anger;
• Obsessively weighing yourself or avoiding the scales altogether;