Food can be a wonderful way to show you love someone. It’s communal. It’s celebratory.  For many of us, it’s connected to happy times with family or times of celebration in many cultures; tamales at Christmas, gulab jamun at Diwali, niangao at Lunar New Year. Partly because of this, we come to connect food with warmth and caring. For many people, food provides comfort, especially during difficult times. It’s incredibly easy to self-soothe ourselves with food; it’s so very accessible. You’ve undoubtedly heard of “stress eating.” There are plenty of stereotypes and tropes about reaching for a pint of ice cream after a breakup or when something goes wrong. But there’s a difference between these sarcastic tropes and real emotional eating. Emotional eating occurs when you use food to cope with negative emotions rather than working through them effectively. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the causes of emotional eating. It can be a hard thing to admit to yourself, so recognizing some of the causes and signs can serve as a wake-up call that you deserve help. 

1. Unconscious Eating

Emotional eating can also be unconscious eating. You might not know why you’re reaching for food when you aren’t physically hungry, but you know it provides a sense of comfort. People who eat emotionally often view food as their only source of pleasure. You might reach for something unhealthy after a stressful day or when life feels overwhelming. If it’s the only thing that helps to reduce your stress or make you feel calm, it could be a slippery slope into the world of emotional eating.

2. Distraction

No one wants to deal with difficult feelings. However, some people are more prone to try to avoid negative feelings than others. That can cause them to turn to unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms—including overeating. If you use food as a way to distract yourself from your own unpleasant thoughts and feelings, that’s a sign of emotional eating. Unfortunately, emotions will always demand to be felt. The “cloak” of distraction will eventually fade away, and you could be left with more serious health issues as well as unprocessed emotions. 

3. No Introspective Awareness

Have you ever felt “numb,” or as though something was off, but you couldn’t put your finger on it? You might be dealing with a lack of introspective awareness. Essentially, that means you don’t fully realize how you feel. When you’re not sure how you feel, turning to food can provide a sense of comfort. You might not be physically hungry, but food can feel like a way to ground yourself and your thoughts, even if it’s only a temporary fix. 

4. Relationship Issues

Yes, the old stereotype is true. A lot of people turn to food when they’re struggling in their relationship. It’s more than just a pint of ice cream here and there. You might be dealing with things like broken trust, infidelity, or even self-confidence issues in your relationship. All of those things can cause you to turn to food for comfort rather than working things out with your partner. 

You might even think that things can’t be fixed, and you’re not sure what steps to take. If your relationship ends, your life will change, and that can be a scary thing to comprehend. That’s where food steps in and provides a temporary distraction—but it’s not a long-term solution. 

5. Emotional Dysregulation

Emotional dysregulation is a disorder that causes a person to have poorly-regulated emotional responses. Your emotions might be more intense than the average person and your behaviors in response likely don’t fall into the “traditional” ways of coping. As a result, emotional eating might become a normal habit as you use it to manage your extreme emotions. This is a condition that should be diagnosed by a mental health professional. 

No matter what the case, seeking out professional help will benefit you. Emotional eating can lead to physical health issues, and it can cause any emotional or mental health struggles you’re dealing with to worsen. If you’re giving in to emotional eating, contact a therapist. You can learn to manage your emotions more effectively, and you don’t have to do it alone.

About: Chanderbhan Psychological Services is a therapy practice located in Laredo, Texas. We help individuals and couples who are struggling in different areas of their lives gain the clarity they need to grow and change. We also offer telehealth to individuals located in the wider State of Texas. To read blogs on mental health and relationships, visit our website.