Emotional eating happens when we eat in response to emotions, such as sadness, stress, anxiety, or boredom, rather than physical hunger. This article will help you recognize the signs of emotional eating.
Common characteristics of emotional eating include:
- Eating until you feel uncomfortably full
- Consuming large amounts of food when you’re not physically hungry
- Eating much faster than usual
- Eating alone because you feel embarrassed about how much you ate
- Feeling disgusted, depressed, ashamed, or guilty after overeating
What triggers emotional eating?
Triggers vary from person to person and can be hard to identify. They might include receiving negative feedback, going through a breakup, or feeling anxious about an upcoming event. Whatever the cause, many of us know the temporary relief that comes from reaching for comfort food.
Why is Emotional Eating a Problem?
Emotional eating often serves as a coping mechanism for uncomfortable feelings. I remember times of high stress when I found myself rummaging through the kitchen for snacks—even though I wasn’t hungry.
When we try to escape our feelings, our minds send the message: “Danger—feeling bad is not okay.” This belief drives behaviors that push emotions away, but it can lead to serious consequences like obesity, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal issues, and type 2 diabetes.
What Can You Do About Emotional Eating?
In therapy, one common goal is learning skills to manage uncomfortable emotions instead of acting on them. Emotional eating often follows a cycle: short-term relief reinforces the behavior, making it harder to break.
By developing emotional regulation skills, you can reduce the urge to eat in response to feelings. In my next blog post, I’ll share practical strategies to help manage emotional eating.
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Therapy can be a safe space to work on having a more mindful approach our inner experience. If this post resonated, and you find that cognitive distortions are affecting your well-being feel free to reach out to schedule a FREE consultation.
