Binge and Emotional Eating
Food meets our most basic need for fuel, but it can also become a substitution for other needs that are more emotional.
Most people have experienced positive feelings associated with food, such as soothing, love, and celebration; however when someone struggles with emotional eating, they often struggle with using food to cope with much deeper emotions. Emotional eating allows the person to experience numbing, or even a sense of control over feelings that seem intolerable.
Individuals with Binge Eating Disorder have episodes of binge eating at least once a week. However, they may binge eat more often — even daily. The individual will consume a larger amount of food than normal during a short period of time. They often feel “out of control” when engaged in the binge, feeling they cannot stop themselves from eating.
