Emotional Non-Eaters

I'm finding it very hard to stomach at the moment the difference in support that the medical profession gives emotional eaters vs that of emotional non-eaters (anorexics and bulimics).

Does anyone else have any experience with dealing with the medical profession in these areas?

My doctor just says to me "well stop eating"; he offers no further advise. I always ask him if he says the same to emotional non-eaters and he says - no he locks them up and force feeds them (Which is obviously a joke but he does offer a 10 week in-course to help them).

Also how did you get around your emotional need to eat while on shakes. (though I might cross post this question next week on CD)

A good post!

I've found the medical profession totally unhelpful when it comes to emotional eating. It's like they don't even acknowledge it exists. The only 'help' I've ever been offered is a referral to a dietician or Xenical pills.
Neither would be of any use - I KNOW what foods are good or bad when trying to lose weight; I've researched extensively on metabolic syndrome and diabetes (two things I have) and what foods that make them worse. It's not my knowledge of WHAT to eat that's the problem, it's WHY I have a compulsion to stand by a bin and shovel excessive amounts of stuff down my throat whenever life events are overwhelming me.
And as for Xenical - well, let's not go there!

With CD, I've found it actually HELPS with emotional eating as it's an 'all or nothing' diet with very narrow rails.
Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, I can't just have a little bit, followed by a bit more, then the whole packet. I can't have ANYTHING - period.

It's like 'breaking the law' and my head seems to be able to accept that. When I was on CD in 2006, I sole sourced from March to December and didn't binge once. A minor miracle.
I'm hoping it'll be the same this time.

In our LL counselling we spend lots of sessions looking at what triggers our eating, including emotional eating. We also complete thought records and use CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) and TA (Transaction Analysis) to talk ourselves through the emotion and decide on the best course of behaviour (ie NOT EATING!). I've found them both VERY powerful and as a result, I think that for the first time ever, I'm not going to put the weight back on (like I did on other diets in the past). Mainly because my BRAIN has changed, not just my body!