Ending the Internal War of Shame and Guilt after Binge Eating with these Somatic Resources

There are 3 parts to a binge eating experience.

The first part is the lead up.

This usually includes periods of restriction, high levels of stress, and living in a dysregulated state for extended periods of time. The growing alarm from your body that it's in danger leads to the urge to binge.

The next part is the binge eating itself.

Binge eating is different than overeating or emotional eating. I've discussed this before in previous episodes and as a reminder, overeating is a part of "normal" eating and we all do it sometimes. You may overeat when you emotionally eat and sometimes you emotionally eat and don't feel overly full at all. Emotional eating is often choosing food when you're not physically hungry. You may do this to avoid feeling something, you may do this out of curiosity, you may do this because you want to join in on eating with others. There are many many reasons emotional eating can occur and also something we all do at times.

Binge eating can include eating when you're not physically hungry, although let me caveat that with undereating or not eating all of the nutrition your body needs can also spark binge eating and this is more protective eating to make sure you stay alive and give your body what it needs. Binge eating also includes eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time, usually less than 2 hours, and a feeling like you can't stop eating. Lastly, to be considered binge eating, this is usually happening at least once a week for several months. So if it is a holiday and you find yourself eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time because you want to participate in the festivities and you don't engage in this behavior again, this would more be under the emotional eating criteria and not fall under binging.

The last part of the binge eating experience is the aftermath.

The aftermath of a binge eating experience can be disorienting and uncomfortable. Food supported you in coming out of a survival response. As you arrive back in your body, you can feel overwhelmed with how to support yourself in trying to process what occurred. Shame, inner criticism, and self judgment that arise in the aftermath are often coming from parts of you trying to regain control. If you shame and judge yourself enough, you might not do this again. If you criticize yourself harshly, that might keep you away from this behavior. Your emotional reaction make sense and there are other ways to practice being with yourself that include compassion, connection, and curiosity. So let's explore some somatic resources you can play with in the aftermath part of the binge.

1. Lie down on the floor.

I remember after a binge, I would feel so full it was hard to be in my body. The pressure in my belly felt like too much to be with. Sometimes it would even feel hard to breathe. Get down on the ground to feel the support of the floor beneath you. Put your hands on your belly and notice the inhale and the exhale of your breath. Even while you're feeling incredibly full, focus on the inhale and the exhale of your breath to show your body, you're here, you survived, and everything is going to be alright.

2. Express yourself.

Just because the binging part of the entire binge eating experience is complete doesn't mean that what was present in your body beforehand has gone away. Whatever dysregulation, emotions, and sensations were trying to be moved through you are still waiting for your attention. Express yourself in a way that resonates with you to tap into what your body is holding onto for you. This can include dancing, journaling, creating art, writing poetry or music, screaming, talking to someone or talking out loud to yourself. There is no right way to express yourself. Feel into what the expression impulse is for you.

3. Get moving.

Sometimes there can be an urge to hide yourself away after a binge. This often perpetuates the binge cycle as it gives your body the message that you're in danger and need to hide. Get out and get moving. Take a walk. Go for a hike. Go out dancing with friends. Go to a yoga class or a pilates class or a spinning class or whatever class sounds fun to you. This is absolutely not with the intention of trying to make up for the binge. It's about having fun in your body and experiencing your body not as the victim or perpetrator of binging but rather as a dynamic, multi-faceted, wise living being.

And last, this is not necessarily a somatic act, but I often recommend telling one person in your life what happened. Choose someone who is great as a coregulator, who you feel safe expressing yourself to them, and you trust that they can hold space for you and not tell anyone else about what you're going through. The intention here is to allow yourself to be seen and experience that you've done nothing wrong.

If you practice any of these somatic resources after a binge, email me at support@stephaniemara.com and let me know how it goes!

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