Potty Training and Ho-Ho's

I've been watching our 2 year old go through the potty training process around our house. Running around naked, peeing on the couch and finally... FINALLY doing his job in the plastic cabode. It's been funny watching him become self aware. He used to just let go without regard thanks to Pampers, but now he's learning to be aware of bodily funcions. Thank God there comes a time when we no longer have to hold our manhood and dance when we have to go. Hopefully I will reach that point soon. Kind of embarrassing when the person next to you at the gas station wonders why a grown man is doing the pee shiver dance and holding himself... uh.. anyway...

I wonder at what point we become self aware. Certainly there are some things that come early. Hunger, thirst and yes peeing. But at what point and after what research, study and training do we become self aware of deeper issues like depression, irritability turning to anger or insecurities?

I bring all this up because I just realized that when I get stressed I like to eat. It's a relaxer, maybe even a defense mechanism to just climb on the couch with a package of hoho's and suck the cream filling out while my stress goes away. Great - I've identified why I'm fat... now I just have to redirect that I guess.

I read this article and most of the website for that matter. Interesting if you are into that kind of stuff, which I am self aware that I am.

How do you handle stress? Or better yet, what are you self aware of???