Managing Your Negative Emotions to Stop Binge Eating

Binge eating is a form of disordered eating that involves the use of food as a coping mechanism for negative emotions.^[1] Finding better ways to regulate these emotions, without attempting to suppress them, can help you free yourself from the often-devastating cycle of binge eating.

Common Reasons for Binge Eating

The causes of binge eating can vary widely, but more commonly, it is a harmful coping mechanism for dealing with difficult emotions such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, boredom, disappointment, anger, and sadness. In these cases, bingeing can be an attempt to avoid, block, or control these feelings – akin to “stress eating,” but more extreme than usual.^[2]

According to the NIH, binge eating disorder arises from a combination of genetic factors, emotions (especially those related to body image), and cultural/social issues. It’s also linked to common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.^[3]

In addition, unhealthy, extreme dieting behaviors such as skipping meals or eating too little for your basic needs can lead to cycles of binge eating followed by food restriction, often in a cyclical manner.

Why Using Food to Manage or Control Negative Emotions Doesn’t Work

When experiencing negative emotions, eating may make you feel better temporarily, but it doesn’t address the underlying cause of the emotions, so it doesn’t resolve the problem at hand. As soon as the emotion you’re avoiding returns, you are likely to return to binge eating as a coping mechanism. This is particularly true since research shows that emotional eating is a learned behavior, and doing so increases the likelihood that you will eat emotionally in the future.^[4]

How Emotional Eating Can Be Harmful

Emotional eating can be harmful when it’s used as a consistent coping mechanism for stress, which can lead to a binge eating disorder. This disorder can lead to negative health outcomes such as worsened metabolic health^[5] and increased markers of inflammation.^[6] Binge eating is also associated with higher rates of depression, obesity, and drug use.^[7]

What to Do Instead of Emotional Eating

One of the most important steps to break free from emotional eating is to acquire a list of cathartic alternative behaviors to turn to when negative emotions arise. Some of our recommendations for overcoming binge eating include:^[8]

• Stress management techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, or meditation
• Check in with your hunger cues to make sure you’re physically hungry, rather than eating emotionally
• If you are genuinely hungry, choose satiating snacks with plenty of healthy fats, protein, and fiber to keep your blood sugar stable and to prevent ravenous hunger from triggering a binge
• Reach out to support systems such as family and friends, or consider joining a support group to connect with others who are dealing with similar challenges
• Keep yourself distracted with healthier activities that you enjoy, such as watching a movie, going for a walk, reading a book, or playing with a pet.

When to Seek Professional Help

A mental health professional can be an essential source of support and insight when dealing with genuine signs and symptoms of a binge eating disorder (rather than run-of-the-mill emotional eating), including:^[9]

• Eating large quantities in a limited span of time (i.e., just a few hours)
• Eating when not hungry or when already full
• Eating quickly during binges
• Eating to the point of uncomfortable fullness
• Eating in secret or alone due to shame/embarrassment
• Experiencing feelings of distress or guilt related to food intake.

Binge eating disorder treatment can help you heal your relationship with food and your body image – you deserve to eat satisfying, nourishing meals without losing control and bingeing, and without getting stuck in alternating cycles of food restriction and overeating.