Healthy Guilt, Unhealthy Guilt
Your friends keep telling you to cut back on the chocolate, try for a healthy lunch, and exercise your poor excuse for a body out at least a couple of times a week. You never know when they'll call in with an invitation to their class reunion or wedding. So what do you do? You turn your guilt into guilt via food (and maybe drink). That's right- guilt is the ultimate source of food, which isn't so bad when it comes to health because it can protect itself with some fat and protein. The problem is, guilt is a powerful motivator, and we're not above using it against ourselves.
When it comes to food and eating disorders, the sky is the limit. No matter what your "issue" may be- from dieting to bulimia to overeating to anorexia- guilt will be the fuel that fills you up with food. But why?
Despite all of our current research on gastric bypass, there is still much we don't know about the biological motivations for overeating . What we do know is that people with eating disorders have a higher tolerance for delayed gratification, they're more sensitive to hunger and fullness cues, and they have higher levels of ghrelin and lower levels of leptin.
With the aid of cognitive techniques such as visualization and positive self-talk, it's possible to develop new, healthier attitudes about food. Why not visualize a healthy lunch menu? Try some positive self-talk for extra points. This type of mediation really does help the brain change its perspective on things . And with these negative cognitive attitudes toward food and eating, people can more easily turn unhealthy guilt into healthy guilt.
Guilt and healthy guilt are two different things; the former is completely irrational while the latter has some merit. Healthy guilt is guided by empathy, wisdom, and logic. It is motivated by compassion, self-respect, and a desire to be a better person. In contrast, unhealthy guilt is misguided thinking which leads to an irrational fear of being humiliated or abandoned (such as what happens with bulimics).
The difference between guilt and healthy guilt is important to understand because healthy guilt motivates us to improve and get better. Guilt without reason can cause major problems when it comes to eating, but healthy guilt with reason makes you feel better about yourself. Instead of using food as a means of punishment, use it as a motivator to achieve what you want out of life.
If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of experiencing unhealthy guilt, there are plenty of resources available. Try SupportGroups.com or the Binge Eating Disorder Association to help you out of the situation. Don't let guilt put you in a hole- dig yourself out of it.
In short, healthy guilt can be a positive thing while unhealthy guilt will only make your eating disorder worse.
Get creative and think of ways to stop unhealthy guilt in its tracks! For example, you could go for a walk after a big meal, or start a conversation with someone at the next table over. Make the choice to do something different; healthy guilt is good for you, unhealthy guilt is bad for you.
Happy eating and living!
All articles by Adam G. Brown can be found here . To learn more about Adam, visit his website and follow him on Facebook and Twitter . You can also contact him via e-mail at adam@journey2adam.com or on Twitter @adamgbrown .
Conclusion
Healthy guilt is verily a healthy emotion that motivates change. In contrast to unhealthy guilt, healthy guilt presents action-oriented options that lead towards improvement of one's well-being. However, this does not mean that healthy guilt is not also an indifferent emotion. Indeed, it is a mix of feelings ranging from the positive to the negative, which are all necessary for health and well-being. Healthy guilt should be viewed as an active emotion that affectively drives one to live life in a constructive manner .