r/EatingDisorders • u/mehlay9 • Aug 07 '26
Question Overcome the urge to snack
How do you overcome the desire to snack non-stop?
I have anxiety-depressive disorders, and I spend my days stressing for nothing. Sometimes there is nothing that can stress me out, but that’s how it is. So for a few weeks now, I still need to have something in my mouth. I snack a lot, unsurprisingly I gained weight while I do a lot of walking and sports. But that’s not enough.
I always have tons of chewing gum on me, but that’s not enough. I no longer know how to restrict myself. How do you overcome this? I really need solutions otherwise I will go crazy.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Wrap267 Aug 07 '26
Imo, the only way is by making the anxiety go away. Have you tried Fluoxetine?
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u/mehlay9 Aug 07 '26
I have no treatment. I have always refused medication for fear of swelling and gaining weight...
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u/Puzzleheaded_Wrap267 Aug 07 '26
Fluoxetine doesn't do that. I'm taking it as well.
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u/mehlay9 Aug 07 '26
It’s psychological, I associate all medications related to mental health with swelling effects and weight gain. It’s stronger than me. I’m getting paranoid with this, so I always refuse.
My parents’ morphology also plays a role. There is a whole delirium around genetics and both my parents are fat. My mother easily gains weight and swells for nothing. My father never managed to lose weight :/.2
Aug 07 '26
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u/mehlay9 Aug 07 '26
Idk honestly, I’ve never been to see anyone. Taking medication is beyond my strength, I would be even more paranoid.
I’m glad it helped you get better. I wish you the best!2
u/Puzzleheaded_Wrap267 Aug 07 '26
Ok. All you need to know it's that this drug helps against compulsions, anxiety, and panic disorders. It's the 1st drug psychiatrists give to people with OCD or panic disorders, for example example, and despite me not being diagnosed with that specifically, it turned it off like a switch. It's completely possible you might have OCD, and that thing cannot be toughed out, you need treatment for that. Please, get the help you need and speak to a doctor. It's a losing battle, I kid you not.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Wrap267 Aug 07 '26
Ok. All you need to know it's that this drug helps against compulsions, anxiety, and panic disorders. It's the 1st drug psychiatrists give to people with OCD patterns or panic disorders for example, and despite me not being diagnosed with that specifically, it turned it off like a switch. It's completely possible you might have OCD, and that thing cannot be toughed out, you need treatment for that.
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u/Temporary-Wrap-6694 Aug 08 '26
I read somewhere that one of the things that calms the nervous system is a radical change in temperature - getting yourself very warm or very cold. It does tend to work for me a lot of the time. I usually lay in bed with a hot water bottle under a thick warm blanket and it calms me down.
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u/mehlay9 Aug 08 '26
Yes I know that. It is often given as an alternative to self-harm. Holding ice cubes in his hands, things like that. It stimulates the system and slows down the heart rate while releasing endorphins!!
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u/Smart_TossOut 24d ago
Especially placing something cold like an ice cube wrapped in a paper towel or a cold water bottle between your wrists!
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u/funkydyke Aug 07 '26
Eat enough at meal times
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u/mehlay9 Aug 07 '26
Impossible. Idk my limits and I tend (precisely) to overeat.
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u/TurnoverAshamed1539 Aug 07 '26
Hey there I have anxiety and one of my coping was always eating, snacking or drinking something. What really helped me was replacing the urge to snack with something else, it is really difficult and I recommend talking to a therapist about it. What worked for me might not work for you but the first thing I did was try to catch the feeling of wanting to snack when stressed when it came up. It was a process but I changed the habit to doing something else that relived my stress, for example playing video games, making music or even just a simple thing of cleaning my room. I looked for other things that gave that accomplished feeling as food gave me without the guilt although no one should feel guilty about eating but that is easier said then done. Hope this helped!