Happiness and Disregulated Eaters

Disregulated eaters tend to think they’ll be happy when this or that happens—when they find a life partner, become “normal” eaters, lose weight, land the perfect job, can slow down, or retire. But will these occurrences really bring happiness? And, if not, what will? According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, psychology professor at the University of California-Riverside and author of THE MYTHS OF HAPPINESS, “These things—marriage, family, wealth—do make people happy, but the effect is often not as long-lasting as people expect. And when the ‘thrill’ wears off and life gets back to everyday experiences, we think there’s something wrong.” (“What makes you happy isn’t what you might think,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 2/26/13) This sentiment reminds me of what happens when people lose weight. They’re on cloud nine for a while feeling triumphant, checking out their slimmer bodies in every mirror, buying new clothes, basking in the glow of compliments—until the newness of it all wears off and they face the same old life they had before their weight loss. They’re still in the same job, with the same friends, and still facing the same problems, whatever they are.  Lyubomirsky notes that “…happiness to a large extent resides inside us”…it’s our responses to life’s challenges that “govern their repercussions.” The article explains that “New research in the growing field of positive psychology—empirical studies of positi...
Source: Normal Eating - Category: Eating Disorders Authors: Source Type: blogs