Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin
Understanding Emotional Eating Causes: What Food Cravings Mean Emotionally
If you're wondering about emotional eating causes, what food cravings mean emotionally, and how they impact your daily life, you're in the right place.
These may be subtle, complex, and often misunderstood, but gaining awareness can be your greatest tool in achieving a healthier relationship with food.
This article will shine a light not just on what emotional eating is, but more importantly, what it is not: it's not about food, but an unfavorable coping strategy born out of hidden triggers.
You'll learn that addressing these root causes can be the most effective way onward, all from a psychoanalytic perspective.
Table of Contents
- Unraveling the Truth behind Emotional Eating Causes: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
- How Emotions Play a Role in Emotional Eating
- Breaking the Cycle
- Connecting Emotion and Hunger: The Hungry Heart
- The Art of Mindful Eating
- A Practicable Approach to Mindful Eating
- Emotional Eating: A Misguided Coping Mechanism
- Underlying Reasons: Why Do We Resort to Emotional Eating?
- Understanding What Food Cravings Mean Emotionally
- The Food-Mood Formula
- Beth’s Story
- The Importance of Emotional Awareness
- Moving Forward with Compassion
- Addressing Misconceptions: Debunking Myths About Emotional Eating
- Identifying Emotional Triggers: The First Step to Healing
- Healing Requires Delving Deep into your Psyche
- Reclaim Control: Redirecting Negative Emotions
- A Closer Look at Your Emotional Landscape
- Understanding Your Relationship with Food
- Relinquishing Shame and Self-Judgement
- Seeking Help: A Courageous Step Forward
- Finding the Right Support
- Putting the Pieces Together
- Support Beyond Therapy
- Moving Forward with Hope
- Frequently Asked Questions
Unraveling the Truth behind Emotional Eating Causes: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
Unearthing the reality, it becomes visible that the triggers driving emotional eating transcend beyond mere hunger or longing for those mouth-watering cookies.
More accurately, emotional eating causes are rooted in your inner emotions and experiences. It's an attempt, not only to satiate an unfilled stomach, but to plug the voids that food simply can't help with.
Remember, you're not alone. This is a common coping mechanism employed by both women and men to grapple with their genuine feelings.
Let's dive into the basics, why do emotions play a key role in emotional eating? Remember that this is not about food; rather, it's about how your feelings make you turn to food as a comfort zone.
You tend to eat more, especially comfort food or junk food, during times of stress, sadness, anger, or even boredom. It's like an attempt to fill an emotional void with food. In the video below, I will show you the difference between overeating and bingeing.
How Emotions Play a Role in Emotional Eating
Stress as an Instigator
Stress, both physical and emotional, tends to be a leading instigator in emotional eating. When you're stressed out, your body produces higher levels of the hormone cortisol.
This hormone triggers cravings for salty, sweet, and fried foods—foods that give you a burst of energy and pleasure. The more uncontrolled stress in your life, the more likely you are to turn to food for emotional relief.
But it's also crucial to remember, emotional eating is not a sign of weakness. It's simply a coping mechanism.
Unexpressed Emotions as Underlying Culprits
Often, however, the biggest culprits are unexpressed feelings – those emotions you stifle or ignore. It could be the annoyance you felt at a friend's betrayal, the anger from a boss's criticism, or the sadness of feeling lonely.
We often tend to discount or underestimate how deeply these are affecting us, leading us to eat attempts to numb those feelings.
By recognizing these emotions, acknowledging them, and addressing them directly, you can break the cycle of emotional eating.
It's not an overnight process, but recognizing that the problem is not about food but about emotions is a significant step forward to understanding emotional eating causes and how to break the cycle.
Breaking the Cycle
The road to breaking the emotional eating cycle can be daunting, but remember, it's all about taking baby steps.
It's about learning new coping skills, recognizing triggers, managing stress differently, and forming a healthier relationship with food.
Most importantly, it's a journey of self-discovery, self-growth, and gaining emotional intelligence. And remember, you're not alone on this journey. It's possible to overcome emotional eating and, trust me, it's nothing short of empowering.
Break free from the guilt of emotional eating and find balance with food with this video:
Connecting Emotion and Hunger: The Hungry Heart
Having trouble differentiating between physical and emotional hunger? We've all been there! The thing to understand is that these two types of hunger are extremely different, but can sometimes coexist. Do not worry, let's break it down.
Physical hunger is about survival. You'll experience certain sensations in your body, such as hunger pangs, a growling stomach, or low energy. This type of hunger can be satiated – you feel nourished after a meal and are able to move on.
Emotional hunger, on the other hand, is about filling a void in your heart. Eating in response to this type of hunger rarely satisfies, with feelings of guilt and regret often succeeding the act of eating. Sound
familiar?
The Art of Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is a practice that can aid in disconnecting emotion from food, fostering a healthier relationship with eating. Intrigued? Good!
Have you ever found yourself in front of the fridge, staring blankly, reaching for that leftover pizza not because you're actually hungry – but because you're upset, or stressed? Well, you're not alone. This is exactly where the practice of mindful eating comes in. Let's dive into it!
So, what exactly does ‘mindful eating' mean? A good definition might be: Eating with intention and attention.
This means focusing on the foods you are eating, the way those foods engage your senses, how they make you feel etc.
It's about recognizing the difference between physical hunger – the body's way of telling us it needs fuel, and emotional hunger, which could be rooted in far deeper, often unexplored emotions.
A Practicable Approach to Mindful Eating
Okay, let's get practical. How do you actually practice mindful eating? Here are a few beginner tips:
First and foremost, it's essential to cultivate a general awareness of your emotions, triggers, and reactions. Understand that it's an on-going process. It's less about attaining perfection and more about acknowledging, exploring, and managing what's happening inside you. So, where do you begin?
1. Start with the very act of eating
Can you remember the last time you had a meal? Close your eyes, take a step back, and think about it. Better yet, think about the most recent time you found yourself emotionally eating.
You might see a vivid picture: the texture of your comfort food, the smell wafting in the air, your fingers wrapped around a fork, spoon, or perhaps a cookie.
Do you recall the emotions seeping in, shaping your experience? Most likely you don’t, because you weren’t eating – you were feeding.
2. The Different Between Eating and Feeding
Feeding is a mechanical act. It's consuming food, not because you're hungry or because you'll enjoy it, but because you are trying to fill a void.
A void that has little to do with your stomach and a lot to do with your emotions. It's the act of using food as an emotional band-aid.
When we “feed”, we bypass the purpose of mindful eating, we skip the joy, the satisfaction, and the connection food brings. We miss the essentials.
3. Eating: An Act of Nourishment & Enjoyment
On the other hand, eating is an act of nourishment. It's about more than just filling up your stomach – it's about taking pleasure in your food and acknowledging its role in your health and well-being.
Eating should not be a mindless act, devoured in the void of your emotions. The delicious crunch of a fresh apple, the delightful burst of flavor in a piece of dark chocolate – these are experiences to be savored, not gulped down in a hurricane of emotions.
Emotional Eating: A Misguided Coping Mechanism
Let’s be clear here. Emotional eating is not about the food. Rather, it’s about using food as a coping mechanism for your emotions. It's a way to distract and soothe yourself from the pain you're feeling.
But food is a temporary solution. Once you finish that last cookie or swallow the last spoonful of ice cream, the emotions are still there, lurking just below the surface.
Underlying Reasons: Why Do We Resort to Emotional Eating?
Now the question arises – why do we resort to emotional eating? Often, the reasons are complex and layered. Maybe it’s an unresolved traumatic event from your past.
Perhaps it's the daily stressors such as a demanding job or challenging relationships. Or it might be unexpressed emotions, pent up feelings that you’ve been bottling up for years.
Understanding these hidden triggers is the key to addressing and overcoming emotional eating. It's about dealing with the root of the problem, as opposed to just the symptom.
Understanding What Food Cravings Mean Emotionally
Have you ever wondered why certain food cravings hit you at specific moments? Those cravings are more than just a desire for a particular taste—they're messages about your inner world.
If you struggle with emotional eating and binge eating, it’s important to know there is a connection between food and your mood. Identifying the hidden triggers is the first step on the road to food freedom.
The Food-Mood Formula
Let's explore how various emotions manifest as particular food cravings. My signature Food-Mood Formula reveals the connection between specific emotional states and unmet needs. By tuning into these signals, you can address why you’re eating instead of focusing on what you’re eating.
- Smooth, Creamy Foods (e.g., ice cream, pudding): These foods often represent a desire for comfort and nurturing. When you feel overwhelmed or in need of comfort, you may gravitate toward these soothing textures as a way to self-soothe.
- Filling Foods (e.g., bread, pasta, pizza): These foods are associated with feelings of loneliness or emptiness. When you experience a void in your life—be it emotional or relational—you might unconsciously seek to fill that empty space with hearty, filling food.
- Crunchy Foods (e.g., chips, pretzels): A craving for crunchy snacks often correlates with forms of anger, such as annoyance, frustration, irritation or even rage. These foods can serve as an outlet for pent-up emotions, allowing you to express what you may not be able to articulate verbally.
Beth’s Story
Beth, a former stay-at-home mom, struggled with weight gain after becoming an empty nester. Despite financial stability and a happy family, she battled nighttime binge eating, particularly craving salty, crunchy foods like chips and popcorn.
Beth initially dismissed the idea that her food choices might be linked to suppressed anger. She insisted that she was “not an angry person.” I suggested that she was a person who might feel frustrated, irritated, or annoyed.
As our sessions progressed, Beth realized her cravings were connected to unresolved feelings about her husband’s long work hours. She had always prioritized family while he focused on his career. Now, with their children grown, Beth felt alone and resentful.
By acknowledging her true feelings and finding new ways of processing her emotions, Beth was able to overcome her nighttime eating habits.
Her situation illustrates how emotional eating often stems from unresolved personal conflicts rather than a lack of willpower or dietary issues.
The Importance of Emotional Awareness
Understanding what drives our food cravings is essential for breaking the cycle of emotional eating. I encourage you to engage in self-reflection:
- Ask Yourself: What emotions am I experiencing when I crave certain foods? Am I using food as a distraction from feelings like sadness, anger, or anxiety?
- Expressing Emotions: Instead of turning to food for comfort, find healthier outlets for your feelings. This might include journaling, talking to a friend, or engaging in creative activities that allow you to process your emotions constructively.
Moving Forward with Compassion
After an episode of binge eating or emotional eating, what do you tell yourself? Many people say something along the lines of, “I’m so disgusted with myself. How could I have done that?”
Yet if a friend confessed to binge eating an entire pizza and pint of ice cream, most of us would not say to that friend, “You’re disgusting. How could you have done that?”
We are often harsh to ourselves but treat friends and those we love with compassion and understanding. Showing ourselves the same compassion we show others is an essential part of healing.
Start by compassionately recognizing that by turning to food, you’re turning away from something else. Understanding “why” you’re eating instead of focusing on “what” you’re eating is an important step to making peace with food.
Addressing Misconceptions: Debunking Myths About Emotional Eating
Emotional eating is often shrouded in misunderstanding, leading to guilt and shame for those who struggle with it. By clarifying common myths, you can foster a more compassionate understanding of emotional eating and its relationship with cravings.
Myth 1: Emotional Eating is Just About Lacking Willpower
Reality: Many people believe emotional eating indicates a problem with willpower and control. Yet emotional eating is not a matter of willpower or self-control.
It’s not even the actual problem, but rather a negative solution for feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt, loneliness, and more.
Recognizing that emotional eating is a coping mechanism rather than a failure of willpower allows for a more empathetic approach to healing.
Myth 2: Cravings Are Always About Physical Hunger
Reality: Cravings are not always linked to physical hunger or needs; emotional states often drive them. When physically hungry, we are more easily satisfied by various foods.
When food “looks good” or “sounds good,” that signifies emotional hunger. For instance, when feeling stressed or sad, you might crave comfort foods —not because you are physically hungry, but because eating provides temporary relief from emotional discomfort.
Myth 3: You Can Just Stop Eating Emotionally
Reality: The “choice” to stop eating emotionally is just another way of talking about willpower. Yet, emotional eating is not about willpower, it’s about emotions.
As counterintuitive as it may sound, the only way to eliminate feelings is to experience and “feel” them. This means acknowledging and processing emotions rather than suppressing them with food. To break free of emotional eating, it’s necessary to identify and express feelings in healthier ways.
Myth 4: Healthy Eating Equals Emotional Stability
Reality: Many believe that if they eat healthily, they won't experience emotional cravings or struggles. While nutritious food is important for our physical well-being, it doesn't address the underlying reasons behind emotional eating.
It's not what you're eating that’s the problem; it's what's eating ‘at' you. Emotional eating isn't about food–it’s about eating to cope with difficult feelings.
A healthy diet won't resolve the conflicts, unmet needs, or unexpressed emotions that drive us to use food as a form of emotional self-regulation.
To overcome emotional eating, we need to dig deeper and address these root causes, cultivating a healthier relationship with both food and our feelings.
Cultivating a More Compassionate Understanding of Ourselves & Our Relationship with Food
By debunking these common myths about emotional eating and cravings, it’s possible to develop a compassionate understanding of ourselves and our relationship with food.
Recognizing that cravings often stem from emotional needs allows you to approach emotional eating with greater awareness and empathy. As you learn to address your inner world directly—rather than turning to food for comfort—you will break free from emotional eating for good..
Identifying Emotional Triggers: The First Step to Healing
Imagine this: You're having a stressful day at work – your clients are being difficult, your inbox is overflowing, and you have a presentation due tomorrow that you’re not ready for.
By the end of the day, you're a bundle of nerves. Emotional eating isn't far then, right? But underlying that seemingly harmless binge eating session is your emotional trigger, which in this case, is stress from work. Understanding this critically helps in sorting out the root cause of your emotional eating.
Different emotional triggers might be at play for different people. It’s not just stress or anxiety; it could be loneliness, anger, fear, or boredom. It’s a shadow boxing situation, in which you’re fighting with invisible opponents – your emotional triggers.
Healing Requires Delving Deep into your Psyche
Conquering your emotional triggers and thereby, your emotional eating habit, demands a deep dive into your mind. It might seem daunting at first and that’s perfectly okay. The journey towards self-healing is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and it requires taking one step at a time.
Psychoanalysis can act as a guiding light in this journey. It delves into your past, your deep-seated fears, your unresolved emotions, and gradually pushes you towards self-awareness, and ultimately, healing. Remember, it's not about judging yourself or feeling guilty; it's about understanding and acceptance.
Reclaim Control: Redirecting Negative Emotions
Another important aspect of breaking free from the clutches of emotional eating is redirecting your negative emotions. It's about accepting that it's okay to feel stressed or angry, and gradually learning how to channel these feelings constructively.
For instance, the next time you’re feeling stressed out, instead of reaching out for that bag of chips, why not try taking a short walk?
Or how about practicing mindful breathing or a short yoga session? You’d be surprised at how much relief these small steps can offer, and in turn, prevent the emotional eating cycle.
Remember, emotional eating is a symptom, not your identity. By understanding and addressing underlying emotional triggers, psychoanalytically, you’re paving your way towards healthier coping mechanisms and a happier, healthier you.
A Closer Look at Your Emotional Landscape
Begin by taking a closer look at your emotional landscape. What feelings tend to trigger bouts of emotional eating?
Do some emotions lead you more towards food than others? These emotions could be as obvious as stress or as elusive as boredom. The key here is to develop an acute sense of emotional awareness, i.e., mindfulness.
Understanding Your Relationship with Food
Next, take an honest look at your relationship with food. Do you eat to suppress emotions or do you feed your feelings? Remember, there's a stark difference between the two. Food can be a source of joy and a medium for social connection. But when used as a means to distract or numb emotional pain, it can lead down the path of emotional eating.
Relinquishing Shame and Self-Judgement
One of the difficult aspects of emotional eating is the shame and guilt that often accompanies it. But hear me when I say – you are not alone. Eating in response to emotions does not make you weak.
Nor does it define your worth. It's essential to relinquish shame and practice self-compassion, as you work towards understanding your triggers and emotional eating causes and reshaping your relationship with food.
Seeking Help: A Courageous Step Forward
The journey of overcoming emotional eating often requires more than willpower. It needs a supportive, understanding space where you can safely explore your emotions without judgement.
Seeking help, whether that's from a psychotherapist or a supportive loved one, is a courageous step – it's an affirmation of your worthiness and a testament to your resilience.
When you're prepared to seek help with emotional eating, you're saying to yourself: “I'm worth taking care of.” Embracing this mindset is pivotal in changing your relationship with food. It's an opportunity to cultivate self-compassion, and a chance to understand your emotions and their link to your eating habits
Finding the Right Support
Getting the right help is crucial when understanding emotional eating causes and grappling with emotional eating.
Look for a professional who understands both nutritional needs and emotional health – someone who uses a holistic approach.
Whether it's a psychotherapist, dietitian, or coach with a focus on eating disorders, getting the right help can make a significant difference in your recovery journey.
Putting the Pieces Together
The crossover of emotional health and nutritional needs can be complex, it's like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.
Often times, what you find is that the emotional eating is just the cover, and underneath are experiences and feelings that have remained unprocessed.
A trained professional can offer the perspective and tools you need to put the pieces together and establish healthier coping strategies.
Support Beyond Therapy
In addition to therapy, finding a support group where you can express your feelings and fears can be extraordinarily helpful.
Knowing that you're not alone in your journey, but surrounded by others who are going through the same experiences can provide an invaluable sense of understanding and compassion. These groups often provide practical advice, emotional support, and a non-judgemental environment.
Moving Forward with Hope
Remember, it's not just about controlling your relationship with food; it's about understanding and building a healthier relationship with your emotions.
This journey isn't a quick trip; it requires patience, compassion, and above all, hope. And consequently, the feeling of liberation you'll achieve from the bonds of emotional eating will make the journey worthwhile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here, we'll answer some of the most common questions asked about emotional eating and what food cravings mean emotionally, shedding light on what exactly it is and what often causes it from a psychoanalytic perspective.
Let's delve into some of these questions and explore their related insights. Understanding emotional eating is the first key step toward navigating this journey, recognizing your triggers, and adapting healthier coping mechanisms.
1. What is Emotional Eating?
Emotional eating is a habit of using food to cope with your feelings, instead of to satisfy your hunger.
It's a common reaction to a range of emotions, including stress, sadness, loneliness, and even boredom.
Eating in response to emotions can become a vicious cycle, leading to a sense of guilt and shame that only exacerbates the initial feeling you were trying to avoid.
2. Are there any recommended books about binge eating?
From a psychoanalytic viewpoint, this habit forms as an attempt to mask or alleviate emotional pain.
Food becomes the “medicine” of sorts, a quick fix to help numb the emotional discomfort. But like any other medication, the dose wears off eventually, and the initial problem – the negative feeling – remains lurking in the shadows, ready to strike again.
3. Is Emotional Eating the same as Binge Eating?
While emotional eating and binge eating share some similarities, they are not exactly the same.
Binge eating is a form of emotional eating, but emotional eating does not necessarily involve binge eating.
Emotional eating involves using food as a coping mechanism for emotional distress, while binge eating is characterized by consuming large quantities of food, often quickly and to the point of discomfort.
Both behaviors arise from complex emotional issues and are often interconnected, but the specificity of their behaviors differs slightly.
4. Can Emotional Eating lead to weight gain?
Yes, it commonly does. Unchecked emotional eating often leads to an unhealthy increase in calorie intake, which can result in weight gain.
However, it's important to remember that weight gain is not the main issue here, it's a byproduct. The real problem lies in the unresolved negative emotions that push someone into emotional eating.
This is why when addressing emotional eating, our focus should be on understanding and handling these emotional triggers rather than solely targeting the weight issue.
However, not everyone who struggles with binge eating gains weight. People who struggle with binge eating can be at a healthy weight.
5. How can I stop Emotional Eating?
Stopping emotional eating is not about sheer willpower; it's about understanding your emotions and learning new ways to cope with them.
As a psychoanalyst, I believe in developing a deeper understanding of our feelings and finding healthier ways to express and soothe them.
Sometimes, when confronted with an onslaught of emotions, you may turn to food not because you're hungry, but because you're reacting to a need for emotional release or a coping method.
Identifying Myriad Triggers
Identifying what causes emotional eating—what stressors or triggers entice you to use food as a way to distract yourself or numb emotional pain—is key.
Are there certain feelings that often lead to bouts of overeating? You might notice that you binge eat when you're stressed out, bored, lonely, or upset.
The key is to tune in and pay close attention to your emotions and behaviors. Once you create that awareness, the journey of transformation begins.
Being Curious and Finding Alternatives
From there, it's about being curious, not critical, and finding healthier ways to respond. Food is merely a short-term fix that distracts from the real issues at hand.
Rather than swallowing those emotions with a tub of ice cream, it’s important to cultivate a new relationship with yourself.
You have to identify what you’re feeling, learn new ways of expressing emotions and responding to yourself.
You might also consider reaching out to a friend, joining a support group, or even scheduling a visit with a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders.
Binge eating is a way of distracting from difficult emotions. Commonly recommended alternative distractions such as taking a walk, reading a novel, or exercising usually don’t work because let’s face it, they’re not as effective a distraction as eating. And more importantly, they don’t change the way you emotionally feel.
Ultimately, the only alternative to emotional eating is to cultivate a new relationship with your emotions.
Turning your inner critic into a friend, and responding to yourself with the same kindness and support you’d give those you love and care about, are two key ways to create change.
The Author
Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin is a renowned author and podcast host and one of the nation’s leading psychoanalysts known for the psychology of eating. Her signature message of, “It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating ‘at’ you” has resonated with hundreds of thousands of listeners from around the globe in 40 countries. As founder of The Binge Cure Method, she guides emotional eaters to create lasting food freedom so they can take back control of their lives and feel good in their bodies.
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