Addiction series: Woman shares journey of overcoming food addiction
LOS ANGELES - The idea that a person can be addicted to food has recently gained support, which comes from brain imaging and other studies of the effects of compulsive overeating in pleasure centers in the brain.
Experiments in animals and humans show that, for some people, the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are also activated by food.
Related: Study reveals chocolate chip cookies are 'like cocaine'
Suffering from an eating disorder is more than just an obsession over food, Addiction Specialist and Licensed Therapist Kati Morton said.
"I think of food as a way to cope with something else going on. If I'm really stressed, I'm going to numb out with food. If my job isn't going well...I will numb out with food,” said Morton explained on her patient's reasoning.
“My eating disorder covered up what hurt the most. It was a distraction and numbed out what really, really hurt me," said Brittany Burgunder.
Burgunder, who was once a nationally ranked tennis player and loved horses, was a victim of bullying. She suffered from anxiety and depression and at the age of 13, was diagnosed with anorexia. She eventually hit a shocking weight of just 56 pounds.
Burgunder says her parents were basically planning her funeral, butt in the months to come, her relationship with food changed.
“I basically traded anorexia for a binge eating disorder. Before I knew it, I was binging every single day,” said Brittany.
In just one year, she gained more than 160 pounds.
“This cycle was vicious and it seemed never-ending,” said said. “It was destroying everything but at the same time I couldn't stop it.”
Morton revealed how people can get help.
“First, admit there is a problem and talk to a professional. Because it's not like drugs...when it comes to abstaining with food, it's almost we have relearn how to have a healthy relationship with it. So that means understanding why,” said Morton.
What about family and friends. What can they do?
“It’s just checking in talking to them and really listening. It can be difficult but don't judge, keep being there,” said Morton. "I can help pay the co-pay, I can take you, I can go to that first group therapy session you are nervous about," Morton said about ways to help.
Burgunder did get help and through therapy and nutrition counseling, she is now back to a healthy weight.
“Once I finally looked underneath my eating disorder... it was the most liberating, beautiful thing I ever did because I found myself and I found there was never anything wrong with me,” she said.
If you want to learn more about Brittany, she wrote a book about her journey called "Safety in Numbers: from 56 to 221 pounds. My Battle with Eating Disorders."
If you think you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please consult a professional. there are so many resources available to you including Food Addicts Anonymous. It is a twelve-step program for people with food addictions, that is patterned after the Alcoholics Anonymous program. It is based on the premise that some people are addicted to refined high-carbohydrate foods and need to abstain from those foods in order to avoid overconsumption.