AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON TRAUMA-INDUCED OVEREATING

Overeating after a traumatic situation such as a car crash or sexual abuse can be an attempt to protect oneself and literally "cushion" the body. In sexual abuse, overeating might be a way of shielding the body from unwanted attention; eating too much leads to excess weight, which may repel unwanted attraction from others and seems to eliminate the threat of future abuse. Heaviness feels safer, which unconsciously drives the compulsive urge to eat. A similar phenomenon may occur in the case of a car crash; overeating provides comfort and safety, but also leads to an extra insulating layer of fat on the body. Fat is protective and eating after trauma may seem like an opportunity to protect the self.

Eating is also within your control; you always have a choice about the type and amount of food you put into your body, whether you realize it or not. Making the choice to eat and specifically overeat can provide comfort after trauma; not only does food cause blood sugar levels to rise, but it is also gives you back a sense of power. Each time you overeat, you are declaring to the world, "I'm in control here...I've got the power." It is not a health-promoting way of finding comfort, declaring power, or reclaiming control.

Healing trauma-induced overeating often requires a willingness to re-live and fully experience the traumatic event. The panic of trauma can become "frozen" in the body if not released and lead to all kind of imbalances, whether in your sleep, mood, relationships, or eating habits. An openness to confronting trauma and a full experience of its panic helps ease trauma-induced overeating. Finding the support of clinician can also be helpful as you face the painful wounds of trauma, and recognizing that anything can be traumatic, no matter how big or small, reveals the weight of seemingly innocuous memories.