Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The thing about food...

So our bodies, these amazing gorgeous vessels, hold everything. Everything. All our stuff. Really. Like, all of it. When we are sad and don't tell anyone, that sadness gets stored in our bodies. When we are angry and don't communicate, that anger gets stored in our bodies. When we have scary and uncomfortable experiences... you guessed it, that fear hangs out in our bodies.

We end up with all of these emotions in our bodies that are filling us to the rim and are truly overwhelming to even think about. Like the closet you keep promising to clean out, but it's just way too huge a task to even start, so you don't, and then it just keeps getting more and more out of control and you become less and less likely to tackle it. Ya, this is like that.

Instead of taking on the massive and sometimes painful task of cleaning out our bodies, sharing our feelings and being…wait for it... vulnerable, SO many amazing beings just push it all away and cover it all up. It’s a good trick actually, it’s called denial.

For an unbelievable number of people, the cover-up of choice is food. The thing about food for so many amazing people is that it’s the perfect solid, dense, thick nothing-is-getting-past-this-sucker cover up. First, we push all the emotions and experiences that we aren't ready to release, we don’t want to talk about, and we don’t want to admit down into the depths of our bodies. Then we throw a bunch of food that we likely aren’t physically hungry for on top of them. Then, we win. ‘Cause the only feeling we have accessible is fullness. "I feel full.” No need to deal with any of the other feelings because fullness is here to save the day! Ya, you bet you're full-of everything other than food in the first place. Congratulations. Denial and suppression of your amazing perfect human feeling self…accomplished.

Oh, an important point... this doesn't just relate to those of you out there who have sadness, hurt, and anger. It's also for those of you who have unachieved potential, unmet self confidence, unaccomplished goals, etc. When we suppress anything, whether it’s a horrible trauma, a crappy break up, or an amazing part of ourselves that we haven't yet introduced to the world....we get full. And for human beings, it’s way easier to be full of food, than of feelings.

Here is the big announcement my loves… the food doesn’t make the feelings go away, it just tricks you into thinking they have. I’m not saying never again down a pint of double chocolate chunk after a royally crappy day… I’m just asking you to think about it.

Love love love,
Brooke.

Send your questions to soapboxtherapy@gmail.com Your identity will be private!!!

2 comments:

  1. I would personally like to blame our mothers.They always blame the mothers, my mom says, " no one gave me a f---ing manual to raise you two." I just remember that when I was young child, I wasn't rewarded all the time with hugs or "good jobs" but rather, here's a cookie, here's a bag of flamming hot cheetos (drool). My mouth still salivates, call me pavlov. So I think as kids we learn that feeling good is related to eating fatty stuff and feeeeeeling full/satisfied. So instead of carrying other core values in our heads we carry it as brooke said it, in our guts/butt and face. Food is hard to escape though, its everywhere, at work for Happy Mondays, tuesday friday..birthdays, baptisms, bbqs.

    What about our society though, let's move beyong mommie, " Loose 20 inches in 20 mins for just 200,000 dollars." Such a perfectionist way of living, perfectionism just rolls you, literally onto eating disorderville, population: everyone. Being a gay man, gay MEN also feed into this perfectionist standard and only find acceptance in having 29" waist and pec implants.

    But yes overall, the big F word, feelings, is hard to deal with. Its not to say once you identify and express your feelings you will miraculously be a superstar, but you can be at a handicap, just like breaking your leg or arm, or both! So how do we get intouch w/ our feelings?

    What about a feeling blog on men vs. women? Let us know wht you think, sorry if I rambled. I'm at work...:)

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  2. Everytime I read one of these posts, I'm like damn, you're talking to me right? how did you get in my head?

    So maybe that burrito wont cure everything... good to know

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