Binge Crazy: A Psychotherapist's Memoir of Food Addiction, Mental Illness, Obesity and Recovery

by Natalie Gold

If you or someone you know struggles with weight and/or eating-related issues, BINGE CRAZY is a compelling read. It offers both an experiential and professional view of what does and doesn’t work in the treatment of binge eating and overeating, along with valid insight into the disorder’s psychological and sociological origins.

In BINGE CRAZY, Natalie Gold’s story moves from a Toronto mental hospital to a taping of the David Frost show in London, England, spanning more than fifty years on two continents. “Binge Crazy is a true story of how I lost my mind and ultimately came to my senses,” says Gold, who has a private practice in Toronto and has led workshops on eating-related issues for more than ten years. “I now know I blamed binge eating and my mother for my misery. But really, my compulsion to overeat was just the symptom of a deeper unrest.”

Gold, a Registered Psychotherapist, is a graduate of Ryerson University, Toronto, holds a graduate certificate in Addiction and Mental Health, a post-graduate certificate in Gestalt Therapy, and is a member of the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists (OACCPP), and the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (AAGT).

355 pages, Paperback

Published November 22, 2018

About the author

Author and psychotherapist Natalie Gold lost her balance on the precarious diet-binge roller-coaster, with its extreme weight fluctuations, ultimate obesity, low self-esteem, and dishonest relationships. Ten months in a Toronto mental hospital put her back on her feet. But recovery from food addiction and the painstaking process of forming new relationships with food, eating, herself (and everyone else) began when she got off sugar and white flour, thanks to a 12-step program. She lost weight, and gained clarity. But relapse led to Gestalt Therapy, a holistic and experiential treatment mode. A career as a singer preceded 25 years as a qualitative research consultant, mainly for the federal government. She then switched direction and acquired nine years of education and training to be a Gestalt therapist. She holds an honors B.A. in psychology, a Grad Certificate in Addictions and Mental Health, and a Post-Grad Certificate in Gestalt Therapy. In private practice since 2007, Natalie helps clients with disordered eating issues, especially the underlying anxiety and trauma. She has run groups and workshops in Toronto since 2002. BINGE CRAZY is her first book, and the basis for her chapter on severe food addiction in the Taylor & Francis textbook, “Processed Food Addiction, Foundations, Assessment and Recovery,” since she met all eleven substance use criteria in the definitive mental health reference, the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, APA, 2013). Reach her at changehappens.ca

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

From its captivating and unusual cover depicting delicious foods (from doughnuts to pizza) dangling on meat hooks to its unusual vantage point (from a psychotherapist's chair), it's evident that Binge Crazy: A Psychotherapist’s Memoir of Food Addiction, Mental Illness, Obesity and Recovery excels not in the usual survivor's perspective, but comes from a therapist's astute observations.

Crack the cover of Binge Crazy to discover that there is more than autobiography, here: and given that eating disorders are notoriously difficult to address and extremely tenacious, it's refreshing to see a set of insights about which approaches do and don't work in the treatment process.

Registered Psychotherapist Natalie Gold is no stranger to the experience, herself: she spent years struggling with binge eating and weaves her autobiography into the wider story of how she not only emerged victorious from a potentially fatal disorder, but created an effective recovery approach for others, as well.

By the time she was twenty-one she 'escaped' her life and self-destructive actions by entering a mental hospital. Decades later she's back to reveal her difficult path to recovery and outline the programs and routines that truly made a difference for her.

Binge Crazy is highly recommended for any who struggle with obesity or other eating disorders, and offers concrete ideas for addressing a problem that many similar books can only document. Its blend of autobiography and insights wraps all this in a cloak of personal experience that invites both binge eaters and their loved ones to read, relate, and understand the confusion surrounding losing weight, self-image, and family interactions.

[Joan Ifland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Processed food addiction explained

This book portrays the sheer misery of food addiction in detail. It moves through eras when food addiction was not understood and inappropriately treated. The author is the hero of the story. She perseveres and how's the great fortune to ultimately triumph over a serious mental illness. The book is worth reading for people who might think thatthey are somehow responsible for their disease. In that respect, it makes a very valuable contribution to the food addiction literature.

[Nancy L · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I found most profound about this book is Natalie Golds honesty and willingness to share her vulnerability so that all of us can better understand what goes on in the "crazy" mindset of a food addict or any type of addict for that matter. It was also helpful to see where her addictive tendencies began, through family dysfunction, and how she began to heal and pull herself out of the addiction by delving into her past and bringing new understanding and compassion to it. Anyone who has dealt with addiction, either personally or through another person, could benefit from this book. Thank you Natalie Gold for being so honest and sharing your story so that the rest of us can benefit from your journey.
Nancy P

[Rae McEwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a powerful and well written memoir about the difficulty of binge eating disorder. I appreciated the author's candor and her presentation of such a difficult and personal subject. I would recommend this book to both clinicians and sufferers who are looking for a better understanding of the phenomenon.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book discussing food addiction and mental illness. This book was very insightful, diving into the life of Natalie Gold who has dealt with both food addiction and mental illness. The book discusses Natalie's life experiences in great detail. This book would be particularly helpful for individuals suffering from childhood trauma and family dysfunction. In Binge Crazy, Natalie demonstrates how these situations lead to eating disorders. Natalie gets to the heart of the matter discussing the importance of "dealing with the pain at it's source." It became evident to me when reading the book that I have spent years not dealing with past pain/trauma and therefore it has "resulted in living only a half-life." Natalie offers multiple examples-physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual-on how she came to work through her food addiction and binge eating. Again, I'd highly recommend this book. Natalie, thank you for sharing your story and shedding light on the subject of food addiction and mental health.