worry and overeating

Peggy, 27, has the sole financial and care-giving responsibility for her disabled husband, Ben, and whenever she worries about things – losing her job, getting into debt or Ben’s situation worsening – she overeats in a futile effort to make her feel better. It never does. She just ends up worrying that she’ll get so fat she can’t do half the work she does now.

"I’ve been a worrier and a binge eater for most of my life," explains Peggy. "My father deserted my mother, leaving her with seven kids to support – meaning she had to take on two jobs to support us – and being the eldest I took responsibility for the care of the other six kids and I didn’t have much of a life.”

“All that changed when I met Ben,” says Peggy. “We were so happy in the first year of our marriage, doing crazy things, and then he damaged his spinal cord, became a paraplegic and once again I became a care-giver, a worrier and a binge eater.”

"I know that just sitting here passively stuffing my face with food and stewing over something that may or may not happen is a silly thing to do," admits Peggy, "but it’s a hard habit to break.”

“I’m perfectly aware that if I allow this negative behavior to continue I will accomplish nothing other than poisoning my mind and my body – and, because I don't know whether things will get better or get worse, my fears and worries may very well end up escalating a situation out of all proportion – and in doing so making myself fatter than ever.”

“I guess worrying and overeating is a coping mechanism, a bad habit that I should be able to conquer,” says Peggy, “but so many bad things happen, one after the other, that sometimes I feel as paralyzed as Ben.”

"Rather than stewing and overeating, wasting precious time and energy worrying over something that may or may not happen, but most likely is not going to happen," concedes Peggy, "I suppose I should distract myself by doing something enjoyable – more enjoyable than eating – but what?”

“Ben is a paraplegic,” explains Peggy. “It’s difficult getting out with him and I would break his heart if I went out on my own – even to a gym – and left him alone.”

Read more about Peggy:

caring for disabled husband

trusting vs stewing

stewing on the job

hotheaded managers