Eating, Drinking, Overthinking

In this summary you will learn

• How to understand the “toxic triangle”: overeating, binge drinking and negative thinking
• How societal pressures, biology and lack of self-regard can push women into these behaviors
• How to use practical skills to regain control of your life

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Why you should read Eating, Drinking, Overthinking

If you want to explore the Bermuda Triangle of issues where so many women’s feelings of self-worth vanish, getAbstract recommends this book by Yale psychology professor Susan Nolen-Hoeksema. The title describes the “toxic triangle” of eating disorders, excess alcohol and paralyzing worry, the combination of which is even more debilitating than the individual components. Women are particularly vulnerable to the toxic triangle because they learn “self-focused coping” mechanisms as young girls. Their belief that self-improvement can cure all ills, and their search for answers within their own minds and bodies often prohibits them from using the external problem-solving techniques that men employ. The author says that the way out of the toxic triangle is for women to use their emotional sensitivities to their own advantage. Alas, so many experts have written so much material about each of the triangle’s issues, that this work doesn’t feel as fresh as it might have, but Nolen-Hoeksema does a good job of delving into each issue and providing coping strategies to help women escape this triad of destructive habits.

About the Author

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema also wrote Women Who Think Too Much. A psychology professor at Yale University, she has researched mental-health issues in women for more than two decades.