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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by super on January 24, 2001, at 14:53:52
I get obsessed with particular foods. The obsession will last for a variable amount of time (though usually one month or more) and I will want to eat that food everyday. Sometimes the foods are relatively healthy (I went through a burrito phase) and other times unhealthy (I'm currently craving chocolate every day).
I will also binge on these foods sometimes. When I try not to binge, I can't stop thinking about the food. I have to eat some of it in order to relax and get the thoughts out of my mind.
I also obsess about food more generally, for example, I feel a strong need to eat before I go to sleep and when I have insomnia, I will eat constantly. Also, I have spent hours thinking about what to make for dinner.
Anyone else have this problem? I'm scared to loose control of my weight and don't like it when I feel like I have to exercise just because my eating has been out of control. However, the more I think about how to get my eating under control, the worse the intrusive thoughts seem to get.
Posted by Rzip on January 25, 2001, at 12:11:39
In reply to obsessing about food, posted by super on January 24, 2001, at 14:53:52
Super,
Cognitive behavior therapy is found to be more effective in treating OCD than that of SSRI drugs. Original article is in the ARCH General Psychiatry (Vol. 53, Feb 1996). This is a very popular magazine, so you should be able to find it in any Universities. The article is by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and et. The title is "Systematic Changes in Cerebral Glucose Metabolic Rate After Successful Behavior Modification Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". I certainly do not have the qualifications to diagnose you with OCD. But since this is something that bothers you and interfers with your lifestyle. My advice is to go see a professional and put some happiness and control back into your life.
Statistically significant studies have shown that BMT (Behavior Modification Treatment) is at least equally as effective as medicine. I would argue that it is a safer treatment plan (therapy that is) than any drug on the market. Why? Because no one really knows much about any of the medicines currently being used to treat mental illness. Proof: check out the PB board. Seriously through, it wasn't until after WWII (1940s) that people realized that the scientific method can be applied to the mental health field. What this means is that all the studies being done in psychiatry is all too primitive, in comparison with the treatments for somatic diseases. Although, there are some instances, like Lithium for Bipolar where the medication is way more effective than psychotherapy. It is kind of hard to conduct therapy on someone who is maniac and out of perception. I don't know why I am writing so much.
Anyway, the point I wanted to bring to your attention is that BMT has proven to decrease glucose metabolic rates in the right head of the caudate nucleus (part of the brain). So, in this case affective therapy actually rewires the cortico-striato-thalamic (a brain region feedback pathway), which is the cause of OCD. A feedback pathway goes something like this Part A sends a signal to Part B to act out (in this case, think about eating). Under "normal" conditions, Part B is supposed to tell Part C that "Yes! The eating thought has been acknowledged. And no, we do not need another signal to think about food". So, Part C then loops back to Part A and tells it not to send another eating signal to Part B. Do you see the circular pattern? In patients with OCD, the looping back from Part C to Part A (or Part B to Part C) is turned off. Like in an electricity series circuit board, all switches should be ON. When one of the switches is not on, the electricity is not able to feedback upon itself. However, the electricity and the wiring is still there. I probably lost you already. I am trying to explain the signal pathways of OCD.
Just try to understand, in OCD cases, a part of your brain (Part A) is always sending signals to another part (Part B) to do think about food. BMT, psychotherapy has been shown to turn back on the signal pathway between Part B and Part C. And finally, the looping back of Part C to Part A.
Key point: Go in for BMT professional help.
- Rzip
Posted by mars on January 25, 2001, at 12:32:51
In reply to obsessing about food, posted by super on January 24, 2001, at 14:53:52
Hi Super ~
I totally will have short term infatuations with certain foods. This month it's nuts and popcorn. I was eating way too much of both, so then I found smaller packages of the nuts and switched to low-fat popcorn. The dangerous time, of course, is when I'm in the store. I wish I could have a little alarm that would go off when I approach the supermarket to remind me to BEWARE. (The silent, vibrating kind might, ahem, be the least embarassing.)
Another trick I've tried if I want to binge on something: I'll go on the internet and look at as many pictures of that food as I can - but I keep surfing until I realize that I am so, so glad that I have not binged. It sounds weird, but it works for me. I wanted chocolate so badly around the holidays, and was ready to get bagfuls, so I looked at the Godiva site. I imagined eating every damn Godiva chocolate there is, over and over. My craving wore off totally - it took a lotta clicking, but I was sooooo glad I hadn't eaten all the chocolate I would have done otherwise. It was like I got the "I wish I hadn't done that" feeling without the having-done-it calories.
Wish I had more helpful advice. I grew up with one parent who compulsively over-ate and the other who was anorexic, so as you can imagine I have a few food issues myself.
best,
mary
p.s. chromium picolinate has helped mucho with my sugar cravings - i'm not sure whether it's the placebo effect or not, but i'm not arguing with it. sugar's always been a huge downfall and aside from the calories it messes up my mood really badly. i've been taking the supplement since the early 1990's.
Posted by super on January 25, 2001, at 13:10:19
In reply to Behavior Modification Treatment helps with OCD » super, posted by Rzip on January 25, 2001, at 12:11:39
Rzip and Mars,
Thanks for all the great suggestions! I will try out both of your ideas, and get back to you.
super
> Super,
>
> Cognitive behavior therapy is found to be more effective in treating OCD than that of SSRI drugs. Original article is in the ARCH General Psychiatry (Vol. 53, Feb 1996). This is a very popular magazine, so you should be able to find it in any Universities. The article is by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and et. The title is "Systematic Changes in Cerebral Glucose Metabolic Rate After Successful Behavior Modification Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". I certainly do not have the qualifications to diagnose you with OCD. But since this is something that bothers you and interfers with your lifestyle. My advice is to go see a professional and put some happiness and control back into your life.
>
> Statistically significant studies have shown that BMT (Behavior Modification Treatment) is at least equally as effective as medicine. I would argue that it is a safer treatment plan (therapy that is) than any drug on the market. Why? Because no one really knows much about any of the medicines currently being used to treat mental illness. Proof: check out the PB board. Seriously through, it wasn't until after WWII (1940s) that people realized that the scientific method can be applied to the mental health field. What this means is that all the studies being done in psychiatry is all too primitive, in comparison with the treatments for somatic diseases. Although, there are some instances, like Lithium for Bipolar where the medication is way more effective than psychotherapy. It is kind of hard to conduct therapy on someone who is maniac and out of perception. I don't know why I am writing so much.
>
> Anyway, the point I wanted to bring to your attention is that BMT has proven to decrease glucose metabolic rates in the right head of the caudate nucleus (part of the brain). So, in this case affective therapy actually rewires the cortico-striato-thalamic (a brain region feedback pathway), which is the cause of OCD. A feedback pathway goes something like this Part A sends a signal to Part B to act out (in this case, think about eating). Under "normal" conditions, Part B is supposed to tell Part C that "Yes! The eating thought has been acknowledged. And no, we do not need another signal to think about food". So, Part C then loops back to Part A and tells it not to send another eating signal to Part B. Do you see the circular pattern? In patients with OCD, the looping back from Part C to Part A (or Part B to Part C) is turned off. Like in an electricity series circuit board, all switches should be ON. When one of the switches is not on, the electricity is not able to feedback upon itself. However, the electricity and the wiring is still there. I probably lost you already. I am trying to explain the signal pathways of OCD.
>
> Just try to understand, in OCD cases, a part of your brain (Part A) is always sending signals to another part (Part B) to do think about food. BMT, psychotherapy has been shown to turn back on the signal pathway between Part B and Part C. And finally, the looping back of Part C to Part A.
>
> Key point: Go in for BMT professional help.
>
> - Rzip
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