One of the symptoms of trauma is depression.
It’s not news that some people who have gone through an unchecked traumatic experience may end up with depression.
A good number of people having a hard time with depression end up binge eating. Binge eating is the consumption of large quantity of food in a short period of time. It’s an eating disorder which needs therapy on its own.
The idea of eating when depressed is a psychological distraction from the problem one is facing at that point in time. Many times, people who eat too much do so not necessarily because they are hungry but because eating a variety of food will take the focus away from their problem.
The thought of the food you want to eat naturally releases a certain hormone known as dopamine. This is also called the ‘happy’ hormone.
Dopamine is the same hormone attached to the pleasure derived from sex so you can imagine how powerful the hormone can be. Imagine the happiness food will give to a person who wants to stay distracted from their pain?
Once your craving is being filled, you are introduced to a certain feeling that can aid as a distraction from your present negative emotions. Unfortunately, this is only for a moment. Your happy feeling will last as long as the food in front of you does. Understandably, there is a tendency to want to over-indulge so as to escape from your present circumstance.
Overindulgence in food will definitely serve as an escape but its rather unhealthy as over-eating itself has its side effects.
So, in order not to get caught up in the circle of binge eating and over indulging, its best to pay attention to whatever negative emotions you may be going through and face it in a healthy way. And if you are already caught up in the circle of binge eating, there is always a way out.
You are not alone.
Please seek help.
