I remember a time after my gruesome car accident that left me bedridden for a year, the weight started to pile up. It was not just the fact, that I wasn’t able to exercise much, it was also a stress response that had me long for the candy box.

When people go through something really tough and traumatic, it can mess with their normal ways of dealing with pressure. This can make people turn to food for comfort, or sometimes to alcohol, or even both.

Imagine you’ve had a really bad day, and you reach for a big box of ice cream to feel better.

For someone who’s experienced trauma, this kind of comfort eating can happen a lot, not just on bad days, but as a regular way to cope with ongoing distress and bad feelings. This way, a binge eater is born who has no control over his/her food intake. Food becomes a kind of emotional band-aid and such a person needs many strips of band aides to feel somewhat OK.

On the flip side, some people might start eating like sparrows because controlling their food intake makes them feel like they have more control over their life. This can sometimes lead to not eating enough, which is also unhealthy. Very often, such a person comes to me because they experience anorexia and notice their periods have stopped and their futility dried out.

Traumatic experiences can also mess with the brain’s happiness chemicals, the Dopamines. The brain is not able to produce this “happy hormone” in sufficient amounts and the person can fall into depression and despair.

Foods that are sugary or salty or fatty can stimulate the brain to release the feel good hormone and we can feel great momentarily. Although the Dopamine produced by food gives the person instant satisfaction and an unnatural high – and a deep low when the hormone wears off.

For someone who’s feeling a lot of emotional pain from trauma, eating can be a quick way to get a happiness boost, but it might lead them to rely too much on unhealthy foods. Processed food with their overload on sugar, salt and fat, are the villains in destroying not only the figure, but also the health. One of the byproducts of this kind of diet is diabetes 2, an epidemic disease in the Western world. Not only can diabetes lead to heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease, eye damage that can lead to blindness, and hearing loss.

Another unwanted side effect is the easy storage of fat, especially around the stomach, that cannot even be defeated with exercise.

Trauma and poor stress management can also make a person feel hungrier than usual. This can make it harder to choose healthy foods and leads easy to gain weight.

I have a lot of practice with people who are dealing with trauma and related eating habits. It’s important to be kind and understanding, never judgmental, and be a very attentive listener. Everybody comes from different places, but the bottom line is always the same: untreated PTSD. It’s not just about changing what they eat, but also about helping them handle their emotions and stress in a healthier way. That’s where hypnotherapy can really make a difference, by addressing both the mind and body together.

This approach makes it easier for everyone involved to understand why these eating habits are happening and how they can be changed in a supportive and caring way.

It is never the fault of my client, but the fault of circumstances outside their control. When an individual turns to food for comfort during stressful or emotional times, these patterns usually are rooted in deeper, unresolved issues.

When food serves as more than just nourishment—it becomes a problem and dieting alone is not going to cut to the chase.

Trauma can leave a lasting imprint on a person’s psyche, manifesting through various behaviors, including poor eating habits.

I’ve used EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in my work with clients who have trauma-related eating issues, focusing on processing memories that lead to unhealthy eating and poor life style choices. EMDR offers a path to healing deep wounds by reprocessing the traumatic memories that influence the eating behaviors of a client. EMDR can help reduce their emotional hold, allowing them to move beyond past pain.

My client Sharon suffered from an unspeakable childhood trauma that still haunted her at 56. A grandmother to four children and mother of two, Sharon was seeing me to overcome trauma-related eating habits that destroyed her health and happiness. At her highest weight of 265 lbs, she had a hard time moving, suffered from Diabetes 2, and survived two heart attacks already.

We spent a lot of time in conventional talk therapy because Sharon had to verbalize her pain, but it was really when I started using hypnotherapy and EMDR, two processes that directly address the subconscious mind, transformation in her relationship with food and her overall well-being became obvious.

Sharon was not the only one who recovered beautifully.

I’ve witnessed remarkable transformations, huge weight losses and renewed licenses to live freely again.

One client, for instance, overcame her nightly binge-eating habits after we targeted and processed early childhood neglect. Through EMDR, she was able to reconnect with her body’s actual needs, leading to sustained weight loss and improved self-esteem.

It is important to address emotional roots in achieving sustainable weight management and a healthier life.

As clients heal their past traumas, they not only improve their relationship with food but also open the door to a fuller, healthier life.

What I’ve been doing with EASY WEIGHT LOSS with EVIE is not just about losing weight—it’s about gaining freedom from the emotional burdens of the past.

If you find yourself struggling with similar issues, consider reaching out to me. Healing is possible, and it begins with understanding and addressing the root causes of your actions.

If you’re ready to explore how EMDR and hypnotherapy could assist you in your journey toward healing and healthy eating, contact me today.

Together, we can uncover the emotional triggers behind your eating habits and help you build a nourishing relationship with food and yourself.