The Hidden Link Between Trauma and Binge Eating
Have you ever reached for food not because you were hungry—but because you felt overwhelmed, anxious, or numb?
You're not alone. Emotional eating is incredibly common, and for many people, it’s more than just a habit—it’s a way to cope with something deeper.
In this blog, we’re exploring a connection that often goes unnoticed: the hidden link between emotional eating and unhealed trauma.
What Is Emotional Eating, Really?
Let’s start with what emotional eating actually is.
It’s when we eat not to satisfy hunger, but to manage emotions. Maybe it’s stress at work, a tough conversation, or that low-level sadness that sneaks in without warning. Food becomes a temporary escape—a way to comfort, soothe, or distract ourselves from feelings that feel too big to handle.
And while this can bring momentary relief, the deeper emotions remain. Often, we’re left feeling guilty, frustrated, or confused about why we did it in the first place.
Where Trauma Comes In
Trauma isn’t always what we think it is. It’s not just big, life-changing events like accidents or abuse. Trauma can also come from experiences that made us feel unsafe, unloved, or emotionally overwhelmed—especially if those feelings were never fully processed.
Here’s where the connection to emotional eating begins.
Many people who struggle with emotional eating are actually trying to manage the emotional residue of past trauma.
Food becomes a way to feel something—or to not feel anything at all.
Examples of trauma that can fuel emotional eating include:
Childhood neglect or inconsistent caregiving
Bullying or body shaming
Emotional abuse or invalidation
Loss, grief, or abandonment
Ongoing stress or pressure to “hold it all together”
These experiences often teach us that emotions are dangerous, embarrassing, or unacceptable. So instead of feeling them, we eat.
“Why Can’t I Just Stop?”
If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, please know this: emotional eating isn’t about willpower.
It’s a coping strategy your nervous system learned to help you survive emotional pain. Over time, it can become automatic. Your brain says, “I’m overwhelmed—let’s numb out,” and before you even realise it, you’re reaching for the pantry.
This isn’t a failure—it’s a survival response.
But the good news is, it can be changed.
Healing Means Going Deeper
To truly stop emotional eating, you have to go beyond surface-level fixes like calorie tracking or food rules. You need to understand why you’re eating emotionally in the first place—and that often means gently exploring your past.
Therapies like CBT-E (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders) and DBT-E (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders) are designed to do exactly that. These therapies help you:
Identify emotional triggers
Learn healthier ways to cope with stress or sadness
Break the shame cycle around food
Process and heal the underlying trauma that’s driving the behaviour
You Deserve to Feel Safe in Your Body Again
Imagine having the tools to manage your emotions without turning to food.
Imagine feeling more connected, more at peace, and more in control—not just around eating, but in your whole life.
That kind of healing is absolutely possible. And it often starts by recognising the link between your current struggles and your past experiences.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Ready to Start Healing?
If you see yourself in this story, know that support is available. Working with a psychologist who understands the link between trauma and emotional eating can make a world of difference.
At Your Self Space, Sydney-based psychologist Sherisse offers a safe, supportive space to explore what’s really going on underneath the surface. Together, we’ll help you understand your emotional patterns, build better coping tools, and finally feel at home in your body again.
You’re not broken. You’re healing. And this is your first step.
Visit the website to learn more or book an appointment with Sherisse today