Episode 54: Trauma, Emotions and Food Behaviours

The reason I’m talking about trauma today is because it can be a huge part of our relationship with food and our body image.Trauma is not necessarily the event that happens. It’s how it gets stored physically, and psychologically.Trauma impacts the capacity to make sense of the past, inward sensations (body sensations), environmental (outside sensations), and the stories you tell yourself (what meaning you create).How it gets stored in our nervous systems can lead to consequences such as fatigue, dissociation from the body, depression, anxiety etc.Trauma can leave us repeating loops to reinforce the view of self and the world. If you learned you’re not good enough, you’re not safe, you’re a failure, you’ll subconciously repeat situations to reinforce that. This is where I see the connection between trauma and dieting.When we choose to deprive and restrict ourselves from food, and as research supports, we’ll inevitably emotionally eat, binge eat and “fall off the plan” which reinforces the belief, “I’m a failure” and “I can’t trust myself.”I think food obsession (dieting) is an attempt to feel in control in some way when there’s something you’re experiencing that feels out of control such as bad marriage or terrible boss at work. Dieting, or food and exercise obsession can provide an element of control.Dieting might be a way of calming your nervous system and food might be the only source of pleasure for you that feels safe or accessible.What to Do Instead:The first step is to get honest about your relationship with food. Do you fall into the on/off wagon pattern, or perfectionism around food, or feeling out of control? What need is this meeting? What thoughts are you reinforcing about yourself? Is your current relationship with food actually serving your emotional and mental health?If you need more support in your relationship with food and learning to trust yourself, I have a new offer coming early 2023 which will include an option for 1:1 coaching sessions with me.Make sure you stay in the know by joining my email list and you’ll get the freebie, Top 5 Reasons Your Diet Keeps Failing.What you’ll learn in this episode:Understand what trauma isExamples of complex trauma and why you’re stuck in the fight or freeze stateThe connection between trauma and dietingWhat you can do to begin healing your food and body traumaTop 5 Reasons Your Diet Keeps Failing