ptsd and overeating

[ohjoy]

I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of post tramatic stress disorder being the cause of an overeating problem? I lost a baby and have ballooned off the charts because I can not stop eating. Is this a true medical condition?

[SWM]

I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of post tramatic stress disorder being the cause of an overeating problem? I lost a baby and have ballooned off the charts because I can not stop eating. Is this a true medical condition?

What makes you think you have PTSD?

[Shell]

I think overeating can be a symptom of many things such as stress or depression.  Depression may be intertwined with PTSD.

Miscarriages (I'm guessing this is how you lost your baby?) or any other traumatic events may lead to PTSD, but it's very important to avoid self diagnosing.  The reason I say this is because you may be suffering from acute stress disorder OR PTSD.  A very small percentage of women suffer PTSD after miscarriages, not to say that it isn't what you're suffering, but it's important to seek a professional opinion so that appropriate treatment can take place.

Actute stress disorder and PTSD symptoms are mostly alike.  However, PTSD symptoms last much longer and may or may not appear immediately after the event.  In many cases, PTSD symptoms might not surface until 6 months after.

Back to overeating - it is definitely a symptom of some form of stress.  When suffering overwhelming stress, people find many different outlets which vary from overeating to cutting.  However, the degrees to which people take these symptoms as well as the length of time and the triggers associated with are all factors needed to be considered in order to make an appropriate diagnosis.

[seekinghga]

I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of post tramatic stress disorder being the cause of an overeating problem? I lost a baby and have ballooned off the charts because I can not stop eating. Is this a true medical condition?

It is.  Many people deal with grief in many ways.  Some cry to their spouse/family.  Some get down on their knees and scream angrily to God, "WHY!!!??".

In your case this process of processing the grief has taken the form of overindulgence.  Any malady of this form must be met with the strictest of introspection.  Then, when it is seen as a problem, and not simply a consequence of life, can it be made an objective target.  Willpower is always the most effective tool, followed by therapy as a second.

Loss of a child, even pre-natal fatality, is one of the greatest forms of loss that any human can experience.  Having supportive friends and family is paramount.  If this is not possible, then looking to God can be a viable substitute.  Ultimately, it comes down to the individual's ability to cope with such problems that leads to the best solution.  Work through it, eschew denial, and you will be alright.  Over-eating is just a knee-jerk response, it does no actual good.  You know that or else you wouldn't have looked for help or started this thread.  It falls on the ingenium of the individual to best determine the ways of overcoming this.  Either willpower (the best option) or counseling, though counseling is equally practical in these matters.