Why Can’t I Stop Binging? What Women in Salt Lake City Should Know
Binge eating is something many women carry deep shame about. Many women in Salt Lake City who struggle with binge eating feel embarrassed to talk about it or share it with others. Because of that shame, they often keep the struggle to themselves and end up feeling stuck in a painful cycle of guilt, frustration, and self-blame. Through binge eating disorder treatment in Salt Lake City, I’ve had the privilege of working with women who feel confused about why binge eating keeps happening when they genuinely want it to stop.
People who binge eat are often misunderstood, both by others and by themselves. Many women tell me they can’t figure out why they keep bingeing when it makes them feel so terrible afterward. The truth is that binge eating rarely happens for simple reasons. There are often deeper emotional and behavioral patterns underneath the binge cycle, and understanding those patterns can be an important step toward finding relief from binge eating.
Reasons for binge eating
Everyone has a unique reason for binging. Your reason might not be on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s not valid.
1. Coping with emotions
Binge eating is often a way to deal with strong emotions. People sometimes turn to food when they're feeling stressed, sad, alone, anxious, or bored. Eating can give a brief distraction or comfort when feeling strong feelings. Subconsciously, people might resort to binging to numb their feelings because they are feeling too much. Binging may start out as emotional eating, but then it feels out of control.
2. Seeking pleasure
Binge eating triggers the release of certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, in the brain. Dopamine gives the feeling of pleasure and reward. When someone engages in binge eating, they experience a surge of dopamine, meaning it makes them feel good. Over time, the brain starts to link binge eating with feeling better, creating a powerful incentive to continue the behavior. People might be prone to binge eating when they don’t have many other sources of pleasure in their lives. Those with ADHD are more likely to use binging as a way of reward or binging but that doesn’t mean you have to have ADHD to use food as pleasure.
3.. Restrictive Eating Patterns:
People who binge eat believe it’s because they don’t have self-control or willpower when the truth is it’s because they are restricting. Strict diets or limiting and eliminating food groups can set the stage for binge eating. When your body is deprived of certain foods or nutrients, it can lead to intense cravings. These cravings may eventually overpower your self-control, resulting in binge eating episodes when they do allow themselves to eat. These cravings are the body’s way to get the nutrition and energy they need to survive and they also make you vulnerable to binge.
4. Trauma history
People with a history of trauma might turn to binge eating for a few reasons. Trauma, like experiencing a really difficult or painful event, can deeply affect how a person copes and feels. Binge eating might become a way to handle the intense emotions and memories connected to the trauma. Food can provide a temporary escape from those feelings. Also, binge eating triggers certain chemicals in the brain that make you feel better for a short while, offering relief from the distress that trauma brings.
5. Guilt and Shame:
Guilt and shame can actually contribute to binge eating in a few ways. When someone feels guilty about something they've done or the way they look, they might turn to food for comfort. Binge eating temporarily soothes those feelings, but it can also make them feel worse afterward. This can create a cycle where the guilt or shame from binge eating leads to more binge eating to escape those emotions.
6. Negative body image
Negative body image can lead to binge eating in several ways. When you don’t like the way you look it can bring up feelings of shame, sadness, and frustration. Binge eating might become a way to cope with these emotions, even though it's just temporary relief. After binge eating, guilt and shame often follow, making the negative body image feelings even worse. Comparing oneself to others or societal standards can make things harder too. Binge eating might offer a sense of comfort or distraction from these tough thoughts and feelings. It's like a cycle: feeling bad about the body, binge eating, and then feeling guilty.
“I can’t stop eating sweets”
I hear this from the women I work with all the time. They struggle with binging and don’t trust themselves around sweets. They wonder if something is wrong with them because they can’t seem to stop themselves. I need you to understand how normal it is to struggle with emotional eating or binge eating on this type of food. It can feel frustrating to feel like you have no control of yourself when it comes to sweets. However, if you have a history of dieting or if you’ve deemed sweets as “bad” or something to avoid, that just increases your cravings for them. Believe it or not, in order to stop the cycle of overeating or binging on sweets, you have to give yourself, as intutive eating states, unconditional permission to have this type of food. Stop forbidding yourself from having sweets and let yourself enjoy it. Don’t tell yourself this will be the last time you can have sweets because that will just fuel the cycle even more.
Binge eating disorder treatment in Salt Lake City, Utah can help you stop bingeing
Binge eating disorder treatment or therapy can be a powerful tool in helping you overcome binge eating. Through therapy, you can learn to understand the underlying reasons behind why you binge such as emotional triggers or negative thought patterns. A binge eating disorder therapist can provide you with coping skills to manage difficult emotions without turning to food. They'll guide you in using different ways to deal with stress, sadness, or anxiety. Therapy also helps you build a positive relationship with food and your body, focusing on mindful eating and self-compassion. With the support of a therapist, you can break the cycle of binge eating, address the root causes, and work towards lasting change in your eating habits and overall well-being.
Start working with a binge eating disorder therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah
You can stop binging and feel more in control again. You don’t have to keep feeling humiliated by the way you eat. Binge eating disorder treatment can help. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has a binge eating disorder therapist who can help you make peace with food. To begin counseling,Utah Eating Disorder Clinic follow the steps below:
Meet with an eating disorder therapist
Make peace with food
FAQ: Why Can’t I Stop Binging?
Why do I keep binge eating even when I promise myself I won’t?
Many women feel frustrated by this pattern. Binge eating often happens when your body or mind has been under too much pressure for too long. Restriction, emotional stress, and strict rules around food can all make binge urges stronger, even when you genuinely want to stop.
Does binge eating mean I have no self-control?
No. Many women who struggle with binge eating are actually very disciplined in other areas of their lives. Binge eating is often connected to emotional stress, dieting patterns, and trying to control food too strictly, rather than a lack of willpower.
Why do I feel so ashamed after I binge?
Shame is one of the most common emotions people experience after binge eating. Many women blame themselves or feel like something is wrong with them. In reality, shame is often part of what keeps the binge cycle going by making it harder to talk about the struggle or seek support.
Can therapy actually help me stop binge eating?
Yes. Binge eating disorder therapy focuses on understanding the emotional patterns, triggers, and beliefs about food that keep the binge cycle going. Many women begin to see meaningful change once they understand what is driving the behavior.
Can I get help for binge eating if I live in Salt Lake City?
Yes. If you live in Salt Lake City and struggle with binge eating, you can work with a therapist who specializes in binge eating disorder. I now offer online binge eating disorder therapy for women in Salt Lake City and throughout Utah, allowing you to receive support from home.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is an eating disorder therapist and founder of Maple Canyon Therapy, a therapy practice based in Utah. With a passion for helping women achieve better mental health. Ashlee holds a diverse educational background that equips her to provide the best support to the women she works with. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology, allowing her to delve into the intricacies of human behavior. Building on this foundation, Ashlee also obtained a Bachelor's degree in Family Life and Human Development, deepening her understanding of family dynamics and relationships. Her commitment to enhancing the lives of others led her to attain a Master's degree in Social Work where she focuses on providing therapy for women who struggle with anxiety and disordered eating.