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A groundbreaking book! A solid road map to recovery from the use of food as a coping strategy. (Learn more)  Interactive On-line Program Join Now! Gut ReactionBy Grania Litwin, Times Colonist Tuesday February 16th 1999
Compulsive eating behavior is a defense me chanism, says Michelle Morand. "When you feel severe anxiety, terror or loss, you feel it in the pit of your stomach," explained the Victoria Counsellor. "And when you want to stuff those feelings, you eat. "Eating keeps you from feeling your feelings added Morand who will teach a six week course called Letting Go of Compulsive Eating, starting March 11 1999 at Commonwealth Place and costing $80.00. Morand, a compulsive eater herself for many years who now counsels others, says the behavior is often rooted in abuse and insecurity. "My own recovery required me to look at personal experiences and heal them." And while she explains the behavior insulates people from painful feelings, "a much healthier way to deal with feelings is to acknowledge them." When people co me to see her, they always expect her to give them a diet, but that's not the point. "Food is not the issue, feelings are the issue." That's why her counselling sessions focus on everything but food-and she simply suggests her clients adopt natural eating habits: "Eating when you're hungry, until you're full. No restriction, no good or bad foods, no labels." "Most have been dealing with compulsive eating behavior since they were children and they are finally coming to terms with the abuse they have gone through. So me ti me s it's sexual, so me ti me s it's physical. It may have been a very domineering parent, or a perfectionist. "I never place bla me . "I simply help my clients look at the fear, rejection, abandon me nt, frustration, whatever they feel, and acknowledge what happened. We move forward, not back." Morand herself started eating compulsively at age 10. I was not overweight but my mother was obsessed with her own weight and started me on a diet. I was a child just trying to be a child, but that action made me think I was not good enough, I didn't me asure up." Morand left ho me at 15 and tried every diet there was. She joined diet centres, signed up for weight programs, "and the more I thought about the food, the more obsessed I beca me . "I was so out of control by the ti me I was 20 that I gained 30 pounds in two months and I was working my but off in the gym. One day I saw a brochure about compulsive eating and went to a Vancouver counsellor na me d Marie Cochrane . "I waited for her to hand me a diet, but instead she said: 'Let's put food aside for a minute. Tell me what's going on in your life.' " During the next three years Morand gradually started feeling better about herself, losing weight, and studying with Cochrane, eventually taking a degree in psychology and becoming a registered counsellor. "Recovery is not a short process. "I have a client right now who wants to lose 100 pounds for a wedding in August but I'm very honest with her. She'll need a radical shift about herself before that happens. My recovery took years and it was a continuous affirmation of who I am as a person, and who I can be. Morand, who charges $50 per hour for private counselling sessions and less for groups, says that after a few sessions, her clients can no longer blindly binge. "One of the pieces of ho me work I give them is to ask themselves: Am I hungry or am I feeling so me thing? Once they start to understand the motivation things change. "They learn that if they are feeling sad, they should call a friend, talk it over, or have a good cry"-not donuts. Morand says it's marvelous to see what happens to people once they are free of compulsive eating. "They have all this energy to put towards other things." Her own turning point ca me one morning when she got out of bed and began churning about what to wear. All her clothes were tight and unflattering. "I suddenly had this fear: What if I'm still dealing with this in five years? I was wasting all this energy worrying, and it scared me . I didn't want to feel like that anymore." Articles are published at The CEDRIC Centre website for information and tracking purposes, they feature qoutes from our counsllors and information about our work. We are not responsible for the content of any article and can only assume responsibility for direct qoutes. |
Michelle Morand
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Food is not the Problem: Deal with what is!
