Many time people don't exercise or eat heathy because they have addictions that prevent them to do it...
Here is an interesting fact that is a taboo for many: One out of three women have been sexually abused and many of these women are abused by their relatives.
I was watching an interview with Dr. Gabor Mate who is an author and a doctor specializing in drug addictions. He was saying that in his career he has not met one female patient who is struggling with a drug addiction that has not been sexually abused.
Gabor Mate explains and uncovers many myths about addictions in his books and interviews. He asserts that addictions are a combination of people’s susceptibility and behavior. In other words, people become addicted because of their traumas.
Mate further explains that people who are sexually abused conclude that there is something wrong with them...
This may lead these people to experience pain and being anxious, so they use drugs to cope with their pain or anxiety.
The truth is that some of my clients have been brave enough to share with me their tragedies; some were abused by their grandfather and others by their own dad. It is sad and there are a lot of underlying factors in this situation. Only people with a higher comprehensive mind can understand this issue.
I think the statistics are based on people who report their sexual abuse, and there may be more who do not want to share.
The act of the abuse becomes a trauma for the abused woman...
It is impossible to forget and the reality is that she will never forget.
There are two main ways, in my opinion, that the abused women can handle their feelings:
One is to ignore it, with negative feelings, and find destructive behaviors, such as irresponsible sex, drugs or overeating to coupe.
Some of my clients, for example, are anxious and they feel they need to hide or run from things. They don’t know what, but it is causing them to overeat or over drink alcohol. I think recommending an exercise and eating plan for them is a superficial way to try to help them get in shape or lose weight. I compare this to putting a band-aid on an infected wound hoping that it will heal on its own. The wound needs to be disinfected and treated before healing. In order for these women to heal they need to overcome their first problem- the abuse they have suffered before they can approach a healthy life. However, an exercise and eating plan will help, but it is not what a sexually abused person needs to be completely successful in their weight loss program...
For sustainable weight loss...
The second thing that a sexually abused person can choose is to understand that they need help. There are many women who have overcome their past and are able to continue with their lives without choosing destructive behaviors. Joyce Meyers is a great example. She is the author of many books and is the president of Joyce Meyer Ministries. She talks about how she overcame her abuse openly in books and interviews and helps a lot of other people to deal with their own experiences.
I have been through pain and depression. This is the biggest reason why I can empathize with many of my clients. I support them and give them tools to start their healing. I have read a lot about the subjects of depression, addictions, traumas, mind control and the list goes on. However, I have never been sexually abused. Therefore, the best I can do is to refer them to capable psychologist who has had similar experiences and worked with many clients with similar experiences. Also, I recommend that they should follow writers like Joyce Meyers, who disclose their struggles and explain how they overcome their issue. There are many authors who are open to sharing their stories and teach the steps they took to overcome such problems.
Sometimes the solution is not an eating or exercise plan. In this case the best thing is to find out if the problem is a trauma, accept the problem, ask for help and follow all the steps to heal from the trauma. After the healing process starts, a eating and exercise plan is the easiest step to follow for sustainable weight loss.