Eating, Drinking, Overthinking : The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression--and How Women Can Break Free

by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

Henry Holt, 2006.
Hardcover, 255 pages.
ISBN: 0805077103

Eating, Drinking, Overthinking : The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression--and How Women Can Break Free by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

There have been a number of books written about compulsive overeating, alcoholism and the devastating effects of negative self talk or ruminating. But Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema is the first to propose a comprehensive theory which she calls the "Toxic Triangle": where women suffer from all three conditions at once. Nolen-Hoeksema (author of Women Who Think Too Much) strongly believes that women's ability for self-analysis can be a handicap when they ruminate endlessly about the past or negative events instead of searching for solutions. Combine this habit with overeating or drinking too much alcohol and you have a disastrous mix. The author details a plan for breaking out of the toxic cycle, which includes stress-reduction techniques, journal-keeping, and the substitution of healthy habits for destructive ones. She also teaches problem-solving techniques and recommends that women teach their daughters these coping skills early in life. Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema's sensible approach is recommended for anyone (not just women) who feels that stress is slowly taking over her life and is having a negative effect on her health.

Eating, Drinking, Overthinking : The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression--and How Women Can Break Free is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the March, 2006 of The Internet Writing Journal.