Willpower and Overeating - Eating Disorders Treatment Specialist

Willpower and Overeating

My Treatment Philosophy

Patricia Kyle Dennis, Ph.D.

You may want to believe that willpower will solve the problems of overeating, food

addiction,

feeling fat or overweight. You hope that if you muster up your willpower on

Monday morning and

keep it going, you will get your eating under control, lose all the

weight you would like to lose, and

your whole life will be better. It seems simple.

Think of the total number of pounds you have lost this way over the years—You have

proven to

yourself that you have tremendous willpower. So why do you, as well as 95%

of all dieters, regain

the weight?

It can be hard to admit that

overeating is a complex problem

. You may be aware that

you overeat

to counteract stress, anxiety, sadness, anger and loneliness. You may be

rebelling against

tremendous pressure to lose weight from others, society, and even

yourself. Depriving yourself of

food may feel scary and impossible to maintain. Losing

weight may present you with a new set of

problems you didn’t expect. You may find

yourself questioning the amount of energy you expend

on losing weight and coping with

plateaus and rebounds.

Recovery begins when you acknowledge that willpower has not worked.

hen you give

up the myth of willpower as a solution, you are in a better position to find more

effective, long-lasting solutions. You are free to listen to your body and use your

feelings to find a

pathway toward healing.

will help you with my

knowledge, skills, and

support.

Patricia Kyle Dennis PhD
Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Saint Louis, Missouri

Specialist in the
Treatment of
Eating Disorders

Psychotherapy for
Individuals
Families
Groups

I am happy to answer your questions about my services in St. Louis, Missouri.
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