Ever heard of DRUNKOREXIA?
I hadn’t until the other night when I was scrolling through my Google feed looking at the “news.”
As I read the article I’d clicked on, I began to wonder if I had drunkorexia.
Turns out, I did!
From WebMD:
Drunkorexia or alcohol anorexia is a non-medical slang term that refers to restricting food calories to compensate for the calories consumed from drinking alcohol.
After escaping the abuse of my 18 year marriage, I began drinking heavily to numb the frustration of the post separation abuse and the pain of the parent alienation that I encountered.
At first, I was really into craft beers. While I loved the wheaty flavor of the weiss brews, my waist line did not so much. Within a few short months, bloating and weight gain became problematic. Out of sheer vanity, I quickly dropped the beer and replaced it with red wine.
It seemed classier anyway to have a glass of red wine beside me as I was grading papers. All the other teachers at school talked about having a glass of wine after teaching all day.
But I wasn’t just drinking A GLASS.
A glass didn’t drown out the anguish of my children refusing to talk to me because I’d “broken up the family and hurt Dad.” (Classic narcissist, he’s the victim and I’m the bad guy.)
I was drinking so much to anesthetize the feelings.
And, still gaining weight.
That’s when I started cutting out food, to “save” my calories.
The more I drank, the less I ate.
I justified drinking MORE red wine because it was HEART HEALTHY.
Often, when I got too drunk, then I’d give in and eat late at night – which is the WORST possible time to eat if you are trying to lose weight! That’s actually what sumo wrestlers do to GAIN weight!
Sometimes the room was spinning so much, I’d have to purge the alcohol floating in my stomach.
Neither was a healthy option.
So why is drunkorexia a health risk?
🍷Overconsumption of alcohol can occur when you eat too little or don’t eat at all before drinking alcohol.
🍷Your body is not getting the nutrients it needs from food to help you metabolize the alcohol.
🍷When uncontrolled, drunkorexia can lead to other health problems like acid reflux and esophageal disorders, or other eating disorders.
About 6 months before I finally gave up alcohol, I was diagnosed with an esophageal disorder. The doctor told me that I needed to give up my favorite things… alcohol, sparkling water, and caffiene.
(I’d say 1 out of 3 – I quick drinking alcohol – was a good start. I’m still working on decreasing my daily sparkling water and coffee. A girl’s gotta have some indulgences!)
I’m grateful today that I have healthier ways of dealing with my big feelings and that I don’t have to turn to a drink to get through them.
If you or a loved one are experiencing an interference with alcohol, seek help from a doctor, a local treatment center, or a 12 Step program.
