Home for the Holidays
Editorial Perspective
The holiday months of November and December usually are filled with meals and parties. The foods and beverages high in sugar, fat and salt content which fill many tables with an over-abundance of food, contribute to the food addict’s challenge to lose or maintain a healthy weight.
Memories of warm kitchens, hot ovens, an abundance of food, family, friends and guests gathered to enjoy their time together may flood the mind during this season. I hope you are having many of these pleasant thoughts of “home” as this year comes to an end.
However, for many, their memories are of loss, loneliness, frustration, stress, anger and bitterness. These memories and associated flashbacks may cloud the thoughts and lead to “self-medicating” with excess food (particularly of the high calorie – low nutrition variety).
While overeating is a problem for multiplied millions who use food and beverages to escape negative emotions or enhance positive feelings, quite the opposite is true of many adolescent and young women as well as young men who suffer from eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa (see the feature article in this issue of the Journey to Life).
With this in mind, may I suggest that you be aware of your memories (whether “bad” or “good”) that lead to obsessive thinking, compulsive and addictive behaviors. With that awareness, I encourage you to find recovery help and/or continue recovery from the addictive, harmful habits that keep you “hooked.”
Whatever your situation, joys, sorrows and challenges might be – whether you celebrate with others or isolate and attempt through “comfort” food to forget some past memories, I hope you won’t forget that the “Reason for the Season is Jesus Christ” and His intention is for you to experience love, joy and peace.
Ray Nelson, MDiv, MSPH
adventistrecovery@gmail.com