Written by: Ema Grant, MS, LPC
Most of us struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with food. We attempt to micromanage every bite, consume enough to cause physical or emotional pain, or gauge our self-worth by our weight. How do we break cycles of food-related guilt and shame?
Facts are Friends: We may need more information to make better choices. An elimination protocol, with a doctor’s leadership, can teach us what foods work for our bodies and what foods cause distress. This information can empower us to make fact-based rather than feelings-based dietary choices.
New Skills: If we are going to stop using food to comfort emotional distress, we have to develop new ways to self-soothe and reward. We may need to try new coping skills, change some habits, or even start seeing a therapist. Finding ways to alleviate sadness, anger, fear, and even joy without food can be freeing and empowering.
Sometimes It’s Worth It: Some foods will always be so special and delicious that the physical or emotional consequences are worth it. Some foods that we turn to when upset become so physically problematic that they’re no longer worth it. By asking ourselves if it’s worth it, we can feel more in control of our decisions to indulge.
By separating our food choices from our emotional needs and self-worth, we can finally experience freedom in what we decide to consume. We can experience the reality that what we eat or don’t eat does not have the power to take away our resiliency, strength, and autonomy.
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Ema is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Arizona and graduated with a master’s in professional counseling from Grand Canyon University. As part of the Evolve Counseling team, Ema specializes in treating trauma, grief, and life transitions in adolescence through adulthood.