Women and 'Binge thinking’:

There appears to be a biological basis for worry and anxiety in women. Research
has shown that females of all ages tend to worry more as well as experience more
intense worries than males. Women also tend to perceive more risk in situations
and grow more anxious than men. Research goes on to show that women take past e
xperiences as a template to which future events are based. That is, women believ
e that if it happened once before it is likely to happen again. In addition, res
earch shows that most women tend to focus on what might happen rather than what
will happen.
There is an inherent lack of control experienced during an attack of ‘binge thinki
ng’. This then results in feelings of anxiety which then is likely to result in a
Panic Attack. This Panic Attack or intense feeling of Panic is what is likely to
pre-dispossess one to a bout of ‘binge thinking’, and so the cycle continues, resul
ting in higher and higher levels of anxiety.
The biggest concern for most women is relationships- relationships with men, wit
h parents, with siblings, with friends and with co-workers. If the woman is a mo
ther, her concern would include her relationship with her child. Another signifi
cant concern facing most women is their relationship with their bodies. The othe
r concern that faces most modern women is finance- providing for themselves, the
ir old age, and their future children. Finance is becoming a shared concern toda
y rather than one that in the past traditionally plagued men. An interplay of th
e above that is relationships, body image and finance, is likely to describe mos
t women’s over-riding concerns and worries.
The concerns and worries that tend to get set aside in this fast paced world gen
erally tend to be the ones of greatest importance or significant impact. When we
have a lot to lose we need to be sure of what we are doing. In order to be sure
, we need to take time in a relaxed and calm manner to analyse and assess the si
tuation. When we have a great deal of demands placed upon us, we just don’t have t
he time to do this. As these concerns tend to be high priority they absorb signi
ficant levels of energy and time and consequently, require significant cognitive
effort when being ignored. This suppression of cognitions results in a rise in
anxiety levels, most instances subtle at first, so that one realises that one is
at breaking point only when one is breaking down. This break down can mimic a f
ull blown Panic Attack in intensity, cognition and physical symptoms such as pan
ic, restlessness, fear, anxiety, agitation, feelings of impending doom, sweating
, heart palpitations, tightness in chest, thoughts of being useless, hopeless an
d so forth.
In general all the above concepts have one thing in common- the capacity to dist
ract us from what is concerning us the most. Hence, we distract ourselves in ord
er to avoid doing the necessary work. Some of the cognitive tools we utilise can
be described as procrastination (put action off till later while we think/reaso
n/contemplate about it now), compartmentalisation (setting it aside neatly and b
ordering it off), ignoring and avoiding. Another mitigating factor in this scena
rio is perfectionism. If we choose to do everything perfectly, we will get nothi
ng done. Perfectionism reduces creativity, flexibility and risk taking. Hence, b
eing a perfectionist not only helps us avoid tackling the problem but also makes
it near impossible to resolve said problem to our satisfaction.
Serious psychological complications can arise from consistently using the above
mentioned means of coping such as serious relationship problems, social phobias,
stress disorders, anxiety disorders and mood disorders. In addition, such respo
nses within the body elicit the release of stress hormones that over time can ca
use serious damage to ones major organs. Worries and anxiety results in distress
in the body, individuals can develop pain in their joints, headaches, inflammat
ion etc due to excessive anxiety and worry. Mental activity, just like physical
activity, utilises significant amounts of energy. Hence, too much thinking over
a short period of time can be exhausting. In addition, a hyperactive stress resp
onse over time results in a feedback loop that encourages habitual behaviour rat
her than goal orientated or solution focused behaviour. As a result we get used
to avoiding the road less travelled.
When we leave important concerns and issues on the sidelines of our lives we are
likely to find that they take on a magnitude, velocity and effect beyond anythi
ng we could imagine. We find that the once manageable concern now appears to hav
e taken on a life of its own. It has grown exponentially, has reached the far co
rners of the earth and has developed a product greater than the sum of its parts
, so to speak. It has become Godzilla- and everyone knows about it! And further
more, everyone knows that it is your fault. Sound familiar, yes! The result - a
classic meltdown.
This meltdown is likely to be triggered by anything that shakes the status quo,
from a comment on the TV that brings back an old memory to witnessing the hatchi
ng of an egg in the nest on the tree outside your window. It could be the result
of a shock, a fender- bender, being passed over for a promotion or an epiphany
that ambushes you on Christmas Eve.
Stop! Take note. Orientate yourself to time, place and self. For instance, it is
11am on Sunday the 8 of November 2009. I am in my bedroom. I am well. I am sitt
ing on my bed. My arms, legs and the rest of my body is free of any pain or woun
ds. Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes. Take in a deep breath…breath in an
d out a few times. Filling your lungs- right down into your stomach each time. I
magine the air going in and out. Now say something positive to yourself such as
I am strong or I am able to handle anything that comes my way so all will be wel
l. Once you feel calmer open your eyes. Smile. Take a few more conscious breaths
in and out. Sit up tall. Now take out a pen and paper. Write down what was conc
erning you. This may take a little time, there may be many different things to w
rite down…be patient. Write it down. That’s all. Look at your list. Reorganise it, r
emove duplicates, put in categories if necessary etc. break it down into a few b
ullets. Now prioritise the list from the most important to the least important.
Your concerns are now manageable- when you are ready, start working to resolve t
he concern with the highest priority.
I would advise that rather than distracting oneself away from the concern one co
uld try making the experience of resolving the concern more pleasurable. It is i
mportant that we not avoid the concern but rather work towards resolution at all
times. It is important to note that we are trying to halt the meltdown not the
legitimate concern. So don’t fight the fact that you felt out of control and panic
ked, the moment it happened it became the past, it is now over- lay it to rest a
nd move on. Some other ways to switch off could be changing ones scene for insta
nce, a trip to the beach to gather ones thoughts or visiting a friend, talking a
bout ones emotions can be very helpful. Thinking of a funny memory or joke, laug
h.
In order to be psychologically healthy one needs to realise when one is in need
of help. If you feel that you can not cope, seek professional assistance. If you
have followed the above advice and appear to be coping- hang in there. Give you
r new way of coping a chance to settle and become habit. It takes 21 days of rep
eated action for behaviour to become a habit. Incorporate an activity with a spi
ritual element into your daily routine. Activities such as meditation, yoga, tai
chi etc are excellent choices. Meditation and relaxation are learnt states- the
more you practice these states the more likely you are to recognise tension in
your body and work to resolve it before it becomes a problem. In addition, an ac
tivity that involves mind and body will help calm the binge thinking loop becaus
e these activities involve concentration as well as movement. Hence, they involv
e your whole brain.
The template below is a fool proof method of managing ‘binge thinking’:
• Keep an on-going list of priorities- you are then always up-to-date with your li
fe.
• Work at resolving your concerns on the list- no procrastination, avoidance etc.
• Talk to a friend- sometimes things sound different when said out loud. Try it!
• Decide on an action- decisions have to be made in order to move forward.
• Put your resolution into action- in order for it to work it has to be put into a
ction.
• Evaluate the outcome- we need to know, where to from here?
• Re-assess the list and begin the loop again- that’s life, work with what you have.
Incorporate some of the elements utilised in the example I described above into
your daily living:
• Meditation
• Exercise
• Self hypnosis
• Live in the present
• Laugh and/or smile as often as possible
• Talk to a friend
• Utilise Cognitive Behavioural Techniques such as lists, goal setting, affirmatio
ns
• Be prepared- have a plan b
• Be patient
• Be flexible
• Have faith
• Love yourself!
Sherona Rawat
Clinical Psychologist
Comment provided for Cosmopolitan Magazine, February 2010