Unpacking Binge Eating
When I was binge eating, I googled everything that I could think of to figure out HOW TO STOP.
Every search led me to the same tips that never worked…because they didn't address the real root cause: restriction.
The unfortunate thing is that if I'd searched “how to stop restricting food”, I can promise the tips would have left me feeling broken too.
Healing restriction (which drives binge eating) is incredibly complex & nuanced.
It can be:
Physical (not eating enough food)
Mental (telling yourself that you can't have certain foods or eat at certain times)
Emotional (moralizing foods into categories of “good & bad”)
We can restrict uncomfortable emotions, rest, pleasure, connection, sex, and so many other parts of life that often correlate with our relationship with food.
Healing the restrict/binge cycle is by no means a “quick fix”- but that doesn't mean success can't come quickly.
YES, it's taken years of unpacking, rebuilding, questioning, tough conversations, & discomfort to finally settle into a binge-free life (which still feels strange some days, after spending so many years bingeing, feeling out of control & preoccupied with food)…
And there were different phases of my healing too.
I'll never forget exclaiming to my Therapist about 2 months into seriously doing the work “I HAVEN'T BINGED ONCE!!!! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE???”…
Followed by crying to them 2 weeks later that I'd had an episode.
Healing is messy.
As we say in recovery, “it often gets worse before it gets better”…but damn does it get better.
I had the opportunity to discuss the nuances of binge eating in a recent podcast episode with Oat Haus CEO, Ali Bonar. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, this is the link.
I hope that you find support + answers through the conversation.
