Loneliness

It’s a myth that you have to be alone to feel lonely – you can feel lonely in a relationship or in a crowd if you feel you can’t be authentic or you’re not getting your needs met. Sometimes, the solutions to loneliness are long-term, so it’s no surprise we look for a quicker fix by soothing the feelings with food. The trouble is, when it doesn’t make the feelings go away, you may respond by eating more, triggering a binge and remorse cycle that compounds the feelings of isolation – now there’s a secret that keeps you apart from others. You may be well aware that your feelings of disconnection are the source of your emotional eating, but loneliness can also creep up undetected. Food is a way of showing love in many families, so it makes sense that when you’re aware of a lack of love or connection, you soothe yourself with food. Given that it can be hard to admit to ourselves that we’re lonely, emotional eating can also serve the purpose of creating a secondary problem that can be easier to focus on instead of the loneliness.

Once you’ve got over the hurdle of accepting your loneliness, the next step is to talk about how you feel to others. Loneliness is complex but one aspect is simple – it’s not a problem that you can solve on your own!