The Hidden Link: How Trauma Fuels Eating Disorders

“I don’t know why I have such a complicated relationship with food.”

“It’s not about the food—I just feel out of control.”

“I use food to cope, but I don’t even know what I’m coping with.”

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. While eating disorders are often seen as issues of willpower or body image, many people struggling with disordered eating have a deeper, hidden wound—unresolved trauma.

In fact, research shows that up to 75% of individuals with eating disorders have a history of trauma. Whether it’s childhood neglect, emotional abuse, bullying, or a significant life event, trauma leaves a lasting imprint—and for many, food becomes a way to survive the pain.

So, how exactly are eating disorders connected to trauma? And more importantly, how can you begin to heal?

What Is Trauma, and How Does It Impact the Body?

Trauma isn’t just about what happened to you—it’s about how it changed you. It’s any experience that overwhelms your ability to cope, leaving you feeling unsafe, powerless, or disconnected.

🔹 Big “T” Trauma: Assault, abuse, accidents, sudden loss, severe neglect.
🔹 Little “t” Trauma: Chronic criticism, feeling unseen, bullying, emotional invalidation.

Trauma isn’t just stored in the mind—it’s stored in the body and nervous system. When the body experiences a threat, the nervous system goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode to survive. But when trauma isn’t processed, the brain stays stuck in survival mode—and for many, food becomes a way to regulate emotions and regain control.

How Trauma Leads to Disordered Eating

1️⃣ Food Becomes a Way to Numb Emotional Pain

For many trauma survivors, emotions like fear, shame, and grief feel unbearable. Restricting food, bingeing, or purging can become a coping mechanism to escape emotional overwhelm.

🔹 Restriction (Anorexia, Orthorexia): A way to regain control when life feels chaotic.
🔹 Binge Eating: A way to self-soothe and suppress painful emotions.
🔹 Bulimia: A cycle of bingeing and purging to numb distress, followed by guilt.

💡 Example: A survivor of childhood neglect might subconsciously restrict food as a way to “disappear” or gain control over a world that once felt unsafe.

2️⃣ The Body Becomes the Battleground for Unprocessed Trauma

Many survivors of trauma develop body image distress because their body feels like a source of pain, shame, or betrayal. Some may try to shrink themselves through food restriction, while others may binge as a way to disconnect from their body entirely.

🔹 Survivors of sexual trauma may develop eating disorders as a way to regain autonomy over their body.
🔹 Those with childhood trauma may develop a deep sense of unworthiness, leading to cycles of self-punishment through food.

💡 Example: Someone who was bullied about their weight as a child might internalize the belief, “I’m only worthy if I’m thin,” leading to a lifetime of restrictive eating patterns.

3️⃣ Dieting & Control Become a False Sense of Safety

For trauma survivors, control is everything. When life feels unpredictable, controlling food and weight can create a false sense of stability.

🔹 Restricting food can create a temporary sense of order and control.
🔹 Bingeing can create a numbing effect, blocking out emotions.
🔹 Obsessive calorie counting or exercising can become a form of self-discipline to compensate for feeling out of control.

💡 Example: A person who grew up in an unpredictable home environment may develop rigid eating patterns because controlling food feels safer than facing emotional uncertainty.

Breaking the Cycle: Healing Trauma & Your Relationship with Food

The good news? You don’t have to stay trapped in this cycle. Healing is possible.

Here’s where to start:

1️⃣ Recognize That It’s Not About the Food

Eating disorders are not about vanity or lack of willpower—they are deeply rooted in emotional survival. Understanding that your eating behaviors may be trauma responses is the first step toward healing.

2️⃣ Process the Trauma, Not Just the Eating Disorder

Many people try to treat an eating disorder with behavioral changes alone, but if the trauma beneath it isn’t addressed, the cycle will continue. Therapies like Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), EMDR, and trauma-informed approaches help process the emotional wounds at the core of disordered eating.

3️⃣ Develop Safe, Healthy Coping Strategies

Since eating disorders often develop as a way to regulate emotions, healing involves finding new ways to cope with distress. This might include:

✅ Mindful self-compassion – Learning to be kind to yourself instead of punishing your body.
✅ Emotional regulation techniques – Using grounding exercises, deep breathing, or journaling to process emotions safely.
✅ Therapy that focuses on attachment & emotional healing – EFT and other trauma-focused therapies help rebuild a sense of safety.

You Deserve to Heal—And You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

If you’re struggling with disordered eating and suspect trauma might be at the root, you’re not broken—and your pain makes sense. Your relationship with food is not the problem—it’s a symptom of something deeper.

In my practice, I help clients not only heal their relationship with food but also process the trauma that keeps them stuck in cycles of self-doubt, shame, and fear.

You deserve a life free from the pain of trauma and disordered eating. If you’re ready to begin your healing journey, I’m here to help.