Why Do So Many People Use Food as a Coping Mechanism?
For many of the people I work with, and for me, too, it was food.
Not because we’re weak.
But because we were screaming for comfort. For closeness. For control.
And food was the only thing that actually worked.
The Impact of Trauma on Appetite
What Happens When Food Is Your Only Coping Mechanism?
Exploring New Coping Mechanisms
Lived Experience: Food, Comfort, and Control
As I got older, it shifted.
The binging became control. Anorexia took hold.
I believed if I could shrink myself, I’d finally be enough, lovable, worthy, safe.
But it was never really about the food. It was about the pain.
The trauma. The abandonment. The need to feel held by something, anything.
Even if it hurt.
What I See in the Therapy Room
Healing Starts When You Understand Food as a Coping Mechanism
When clients come to me now, I don’t just see the eating disorder.
I see you.
I see the stress behind the binges. The trauma that shuts your appetite down.
The fear is that if you don’t control food, everything will unravel.
Whether it’s:
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Grief that hasn’t had space to be held,
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a relationship that’s more controlling than you realise,
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parents who expected perfection,
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or a new transition (university, motherhood, heartbreak) that’s knocked you sideways…
There is always something underneath the eating.
The Influence of Trauma on Eating Habits
Trauma and Appetite: A Nervous System Response
Trauma alters our relationship with food.
Some of us eat to feel something. Others restrict themselves to feeling nothing.
Either way, the nervous system is trying to protect you.
And food becomes the only coping tool left.
It soothes.
It regulates.
It creates a surge of dopamine that numbs out shame, loneliness, or overstimulation, especially if you’re neurodivergent.
This isn’t about willpower.
It’s about survival.
What Help Looks Like (Hint: It’s Not a Meal Plan Alone)
When we work together, I’m not here to take away your coping mechanism overnight.
I know what it feels like to have nothing else to cling to.
Instead, we slowly build other threads of safety.
Like:
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Regulating emotions without needing to restrict or binge
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Naming what age you feel in those overwhelmed moments
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Learning to spot the difference between hunger, boredom, and grief
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Understanding how trauma affects appetite and self-worth
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Using sensory-based tools (not just logic!) to feel calm again
Reclaiming Your Relationship with Food
There Is More to You Than the Eating Disorder
I know because I’ve lived it.
There was more to me than the girl who binged.
There was more to me than the woman who thought shrinking would bring love.
There’s more to you, too.
Recovery isn’t just about eating “normally.”
It’s about making sense of what you’ve lived through.
And gently, piece by piece, putting something better in its place.
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Meet Becky Stone
I’m Becky Stone, a qualified eating disorder therapist based in the UK. I work with both teens and adults, offering a calm and non-judgmental space to explore what recovery truly means, on your terms. With a background in supporting people through anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and body image struggles, I know how complex and personal this journey can be.
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