Anxiety problems are one of the main reasons for consultation in psychology clinics. The effects of this can interfere in all areas of our lives, including our eating habits.

In many of the occasions in which a patient visits a nutrition and dietetics centre, it can be observed that underneath these bad eating habits there is a background associated with some kind of emotional disturbance, in which anxiety tends to play a leading role. In this article we will focus on eating for anxiety , a frequent alteration in the daily life of many people.

What does it mean to eat for anxiety?

When our eating habits and behaviors are conditioned by our mood, in this case an anxious mood, we can talk about emotional eating. However, these routines can also be affected by other moods, such as sadness.

In these cases, the person does not eat because he or she is hungry or feels a physical need, but rather does so to satisfy emotional needs . Eating is a behaviour that releases numerous neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, that make us feel good. Therefore, although feelings of guilt may appear later, the reward and the immediate feeling of well-being help to diminish the emotion of anguish that anxiety causes.

In this way, even if we are not always aware of it, it is very likely that on those days that are stressful or distressing for us we will end up eating unhealthy but feel good meals.

Although it is normal and even advisable to indulge from time to time, determining our diet on the basis of how we feel, or trying to cope with problems with food, can cause us to fall into a vicious circle that is very harmful to both our physical and mental health .

The main problem with eating out of anxiety is that this feeling of hunger cannot be appeased by food, but, as discussed above, we may end up feeling even worse than before.

Causes

Compulsive eating is a very typical symptom of anxiety states . When we look for temporary relief from negative emotions in food, we must understand that the problem does not lie in the act of eating or in the food itself, but in the anxiety itself. Therefore, if we are able to control it, it will be much easier for us to appease the urge to eat that it causes.

However, there are a number of reasons that facilitate this need for anxiety eating.

Inability to manage emotions

Traditionally we have been taught that negative emotions have no use beyond making us suffer; so it is better to hide, repress or contain them.
As a result, a large number of people are unable to manage their emotions in an appropriate and satisfactory manner. Hence, eating for anxiety is a very recurrent problem within the population.

2. Excessive self-control

Spending all day trying to suppress or control the urge to eat can end up causing a rebound effect where the person ends up eating large amounts of food in a very short space of time.

3. Food as an exclusive source of pleasure

Tasting a good meal is a not inconsiderable pleasure. However, when we only find well-being through it, making it “responsible” for our satisfaction , we are faced with a problem.

As discussed in the first point of the article, alleviating our anxiety or distress with food will only get us into a spiral of discomfort.

How do you differentiate it from “normal” hunger?

The need to eat caused by anxiety, or emotional hunger, tends to appear suddenly and with such a high intensity that on most occasions it is very difficult to resist it and differentiate it from a habitual physical hunger attack.

However, there are some signs that can help us identify whether this hunger is real or caused by our state of mind.

  • Appears unexpectedly and suddenly
  • It does not originate in the stomach , but our mind generates a series of mental images and representations of food, its taste, its texture, etc.
  • We eat automatically, without being aware of time or quantities.
  • They tend to crave a particular type of food or meal , almost always fatty or junk food.
  • We don’t feel satiated.
  • After eating, feelings of guilt, regret or shame appear.

How do you prevent this from happening?

Controlling these anxiety-induced bouts of hunger is no easy task. Hunger, emotions and feelings are not always easy to manage. However, here are some tips that can help you manage and reduce anxiety eating.

1. Seek professional help

Once it is determined that the sensations of hunger are not physical but emotional, and that anxiety is the great culprit that we cannot resist raiding the fridge in a compulsive way, it is advisable to ask for the help of a professional in psychology to help us manage and diminish the anxious symptoms and, therefore, the need to eat.

2. Identify situations or moments when hunger appears

Surely the need to eat is triggered by some event that has affected us on an emotional level. These events can be from work stress, bad news or a bad encounter or even due to the hormonal changes typical of the menstrual cycle.

If we are able to detect the moments when this sensation appears, it will be much easier for us to foresee them and to develop strategies that will help us avoid the compulsion to eat.

3. Learning to manage emotions

It is essential not to repress and keep negative emotions, but to perceive them as internal signs that there is something in our life that we must change or improve. Good emotional management, in which we find a satisfactory outlet for our emotions will decrease our levels of distress and tension and therefore our need to eat.

4. Find other types of rewards

Another key step in avoiding anxiety hunger is to look for other types of rewards that give us the same satisfaction without the negative consequences of compulsive eating.

5. Perform relaxation exercises

Carrying out exercises and relaxation techniques that help us decrease tension and calm our mood will have a direct and positive consequence on our anxiety levels.

6. Get enough sleep

In addition to increasing levels of tiredness and anxiety, not getting enough sleep also has a direct effect on our body, increasing levels of hunger. If we add to this the hunger caused by anxiety, which is enhanced by not sleeping, we again enter into an anxiety-sleep loop that will not benefit us in any of the above ways.

7. Exercise

Moderate physical exercise helps increase dopamine levels and relaxes accumulated tension, making it an essential ally in reducing anxiety levels.

8. Drink plenty of water

Increasing our daily water consumption will help keep hunger at bay. In addition, at times when it does appear, drinking water can help to temporarily reduce the intense feeling of hunger due to anxiety.

9. Keeping the mind busy

Trying to distract the mind in those moments when anxiety hunger appears can be a good coping strategy. Divert attention with activities such as reading, talking to someone or doing some pleasant activity can be very helpful.

Bibliographic references:

  • Fairburn, C.G. (1995). Overcoming Binge Eating. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Yanovski, S.Z. (1993). “Binge Eating Disorder: Current Knowledge and Future Directions”. Obesity Research.