1. Linda from Sydney Australia August 16, 2018 at 2:07 pm

   Hi Laurie,
   Thank you for another great episode. You are reading my mind, I have been in the same place myself. I have been looking at my impatience and my lack of purpose. I also believed I had no value. I have come to see, this is a lie.
   I have battled with alcohol dependancy and now facilitate workshops to help others with their alcohol addiction as well as facilitate Weight Watchers meetings. I have a full life, but it is never enough.
   I am 54 years old and have struggled with food obsessions since I was about 5 year’s old. I still remember eating the other kids leftovers at school. I have successfully lost and gained huge amounts of weight over the last 30 years,with the latest 45kg loss last October and really struggling to keep it off. My weight can fluctuate between 40 to 60kg overweight. My body can not handle these excesses.
   Keep up the great work Laurie, I have also experienced the loneliness of recovery, but believe we all have a purpose and we don’t even have to know what that is (how scary is that!) xoxoxo

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   1. Laurie@CompulsiveOvereatingDiary Post authorAugust 17, 2018 at 10:06 am

      Oh man Linda, I can so relate to the story you describe and I’m guessing you can understand why staying within 10 pounds while not dieting and NOT fluctuating 20 or 40 per year is a victory for me – even though I remain at a higher weight than I would like. I’m so glad you reached out to us (and happy Sue from the UK greeted you by name) so I hope that our virtual band of brave companions will help you quell any loneliness that may hound you from time to time as it has done for me. And now, since I know where you are from, you shall be Christened as BC Linda from Sydney. I never had a cross addiction with alcohol, but did find myself overspending and overworking in times of dieting past. As you say, many of the techniques we use to deal with feelings themselves directly, seems to help all of these addictive and compulsive behaviors. Now I tend to have much more balance in my life and don’t overdo too much – or if I do, I realize it is a marker for some underlying issue I need to look at. xoxoxox

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2. Jen December 14, 2018 at 8:11 am

   Hello Laurie,
   I am a new listener and had recently sent you a thank you of sorts on Facebook. I was listening to episode 15 and had an epiphany moment. This is my story, I was raised in an extremely abusive household and ran away and lived homeless from ages 14 to 17. I met my first husband at 14 and we had 2 beautiful children together. When my children were 10 and 4 years my husband passed away unexpectedly, sitting them down to tell them the news was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever had to do. In that same year my brother was murdered and life would never be the same. These events occurred 9 years ago now, and I realize I have not had time to grieve as I had to work multiple jobs to provide for my children with no life insurance and no savings being left in the wake of their fathers death. I went into debt to pay for a proper funeral so my children could find closure, Fast forward to current day and I am newly remarried to a wonderful man, work a full time job that I love, and am going to college. The past 3 years I have put on over 40 pounds and find myself unable to stop binge eating, it quiets my mind in a way. My epiphany moment came while listening to you, I had previously told myself that I ate because I was busy and stressed, I know realize that I have survivors guilt. My life is so good in every way now but I am guilty that my childrens father can not be here to see them grow, I am guilty that my brother who endured horrific abuse with me (and the only person on earth who understood me) will never see how beautiful life can be, so I eat to make myself suffer in some way. I am not saying these things to have a pity party, I am very happy to have had this breakthrough and I owe it to you and your podcast. I am unsure how to not feel guilty at having a good life and I am hopeful to one day get to that point. Your honesty and openness has brought me to tears while listening and if you can be brave so can I. I am so grateful to be able to listen to you and sometimes I find myself talking back! It is very much like having a friend who understands the shame with compulsive overeating, and your ability to speak about it is amazing to me. Thank you for all that you do.

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