Lisa Schlosberg embodies the new paradigm of health and healing from a heart-centered lens. She empowers her clients and global community to use their struggles with food and body image.
Many people find themselves struggling with emotional or disordered eating and often feel confused or ashamed by their patterns around food. But what if these eating behaviors are more than a lack of willpower or self-control? Groundbreaking research from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study has shown us that our early experiences of trauma can have profound, lasting effects on how we cope and self-soothe in adulthood. For many, this includes turning to food as a source of comfort and control.
In this article, we’ll explore why emotional and disordered eating often has roots in trauma and how we can start healing from a trauma-informed perspective, using guidance from ACE-based approaches.
The brain science of coping with food: Why food feels like relief
When we experience trauma, especially in childhood, when the brain is highly impressionable, it can fundamentally reshape the way we respond to stress and discomfort. Trauma alters the brain’s architecture, particularly the amygdala (the brain's “alarm system”) and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for regulating emotions and making rational decisions). These changes can make the brain more sensitive to stress, keeping us in a heightened state of alert that seeks comfort, predictability, and safety.
Food, especially foods rich in sugar and fat, has a unique ability to soothe this stress response. Eating can trigger dopamine and serotonin releases, creating temporary relief from anxiety, fear, or numbness. For instance, if you experienced a lot of instability growing up, food might have been one of the few sources of consistency in your life. Now, when stress or anxiety arises, your brain might instinctively seek out food to recreate that feeling of safety and stability. This survival-based response isn’t just about craving or enjoyment. It’s the brain’s way of self-soothing when it perceives a threat, whether that threat is physical or emotional.
The ACE study and how trauma shapes eating behaviors
The ACE study, a groundbreaking investigation by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente, revealed how childhood trauma significantly affects adult health. The study identified ten types of adverse experiences like neglect, abuse, and family dysfunction that have a cumulative impact on health, with higher ACE scores correlating to increased risk for mental health issues, chronic disease, and risky behaviors, including disordered eating. This includes the full spectrum of “disordered” habits, ranging from binge eating to restrictive eating, which are all valid ways of managing unresolved pain and finding a sense of control. This behavior isn’t just about craving. It’s an instinctive, trauma-rooted response that helps them feel safe.
In fact, the ACE study revealed a strong correlation between high ACE scores (a measure of adverse childhood experiences) and an increased likelihood of addictive behaviors, including food addiction. This helps explain why people with a history of trauma often find comfort in emotional eating. Their brains have learned early on that food can be a reliable way to ease emotional distress. Over time, this can lead to complex and persistent eating habits that feel almost like survival instincts. Imagine someone who grew up in an environment where their needs weren’t always met. As an adult, this person might feel compelled to keep food nearby ‘just in case,’ even if they aren’t hungry, because their brain has associated food with a sense of survival.
The scale of the struggle: Relating to food as an adaptive response
When we understand emotional eating as an adaptive response to trauma, we can see it for what it truly is: a survival mechanism. The brain, in its own wisdom, has learned to use food as a way to self-soothe in the face of overwhelming stress. There’s no shame in this; in fact, it’s proof of the brain’s resilience. However, if our goal is long-term peace and freedom in our relationship with food and our bodies, understanding this connection is the first step.
A client I worked with realized that she binged on sweets whenever she felt lonely. Once she understood this pattern, she saw that the food wasn’t truly addressing her loneliness. It was a temporary relief that masked the deeper need for connection. This awareness helped her take steps toward healthier coping mechanisms, like reaching out to friends or journaling about her emotions. Another client of mine shared that when she tried to stop eating emotionally, she felt overwhelmed by sadness and anxiety that she hadn’t felt in years. I explained that this was a form of ‘withdrawal,’ as her brain had been using food to numb those feelings. By practicing mindfulness and self-compassion, she learned to breathe through those sensations and manage her emotions without reaching for food.
Healing from a trauma-informed perspective: What to do next
So, how can you begin to heal a “disordered” relationship with food? ACE-based guidelines and trauma-informed approaches offer us practical steps toward recovery and self-compassion.
1. Recognize your experience as valid and adaptive
The first step is to acknowledge that your eating habits have been adaptive responses to difficult experiences. This isn’t a failure on your part; it’s a testament to your brain’s capacity to survive.
It’s important to release any self-judgment or shame. You aren’t broken or flawed; your brain and body are doing exactly what they were designed to do in response to threats.
2. Build self-awareness and resilience through self-compassion
Resilience-building is key to overcoming trauma and the behaviors it triggers. Practices like mindfulness, self-compassion, and self-reflection can help create a sense of inner safety.
Developing a mindfulness practice can help you observe your eating habits and the emotions behind them without judgment. What are you truly feeling before, during, and after eating? Journaling, meditation, or simply noting your thoughts and emotions can give you insight into these patterns.
3. Consider trauma-informed therapy
Trauma-informed therapies, such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic experiencing, or trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, are valuable tools in working through unresolved trauma.
Therapy can help you identify and process the roots of your emotional eating, creating space for healthier, more conscious coping mechanisms. Working with a coach or therapist trained in trauma-informed practices can support you through this journey, helping you approach food with a sense of safety rather than survival.
4. Establish new, healthier coping mechanisms
Identify alternative ways to cope with emotions and stress that don’t involve food. Practices like deep breathing, meditation, movement, journaling, or connecting with others are all ways to ground yourself and find comfort.
Regularly creating space for self-care, even just a few minutes each day, can be a powerful way to foster emotional regulation and provide the brain with the safety it craves.
5. Remember that change may come with discomfort, not danger
As with any addictive behavior, creating a new relationship with food may come with moments of discomfort or even withdrawal. It’s normal to feel anxiety or even fear when stepping away from familiar habits.
When discomfort arises, remind yourself that you are safe and supported. Breathe through challenging moments and stay connected to your body. The goal isn’t to avoid discomfort altogether but to learn that you can move through it without harm.
Your path to freedom
Your relationship with food is an invitation to connect with yourself on a deeper level. By acknowledging the role trauma plays in emotional and disordered eating and by embracing a trauma-informed path to healing, you’re empowering yourself to create a more compassionate, peaceful connection with food and your body.
If you’d like more support in this journey, visit my website to learn about coaching programs designed to help you heal from disordered eating in a supportive, compassionate way. You can also listen to my free podcast to find additional support for finding peace, freedom, and self-compassion on your journey to a healthier relationship with yourself.
Lisa Schlosberg, Holistic Health Coach and Certified Personal Trainer
Lisa Schlosberg embodies the new paradigm of health and healing from a heart-centered lens. She empowers her clients and global community to use their struggles with food and body image as a path to rebuilding the mind-body connection so that they can access deeper authenticity, exercise personal power, and embody a life of freedom. Having lost and maintained 150 pounds for more than a decade by healing her relationship with food (through emotional healing, somatic experiencing, mindset shifts, and more), Lisa founded Out of the Cave, LLC., where she combines her comprehensive expertise as a Social Worker (LMSW), Certified Personal Trainer, Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Teacher.
