How to Begin Recovery from Binge Eating When You Feel Stuck
Feeling stuck in binge eating recovery can be deeply frustrating, especially when you know what you “should” do, yet keep falling into the same cycle. You might promise yourself, “Tomorrow I’ll start fresh,” only to find yourself back in the pantry at night. Many people living with binge eating disorder (BED) feel frustrated by the question: “Why can’t I just stop?”
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Binge eating is not about a lack of willpower. It’s a complex emotional, biological, and psychological response to unmet needs and past experiences. Understanding what’s driving the behaviour is the first step toward healing. Recovery is possible, but it often begins not with restriction, but with compassion.
Why You Feel Stuck: The Science Beneath the Cycle
Binge eating often emerges as a coping mechanism, a way to soothe, numb, or find safety when emotions feel too overwhelming.
From a trauma-informed perspective, binge eating can represent survival strategies shaped early in life. If food became your way to self-soothe, find comfort, or regulate distress, it makes sense that your brain still turns there in moments of overwhelm.
Biologically, restriction, dieting, and shame trigger a rebound response. The brain’s hunger and reward systems become more sensitive, intensifying cravings and urges. This is why “just having more control” never works, because your body is fighting to protect you.
It’s not self-sabotage if it’s self-protection.
Research from the Butterfly Foundation and InsideOut Institute highlights that binge eating is one of the most common eating disorders in Australia, yet also one of the most misunderstood.
Practical Ways to Gently Begin Recovery
1. Step out of the diet cycle.
Restricting or punishing yourself after a binge only deepens shame and reinforces the pattern. Focus instead on nourishment, structure, and self-compassionate consistency.
2. Get curious, not critical.
After a binge, instead of “What’s wrong with me?” ask, “What was I feeling or needing before it happened?” This shift turns guilt into insight, a key step in trauma-informed recovery.
3. Build emotional safety.
Work on creating moments of grounded calm through mindfulness, connection, and body awareness. Safe relationships (including therapy) can help rewire your nervous system to experience safety without turning to food.
4. Challenge all-or-nothing thinking.
Recovery is not about perfect eating; it’s about building a more flexible, trusting relationship with your body. Small, consistent steps matter more than rigid plans. Recovery may not be about never bingeing again; it may be about feeling safer with yourself, your emotions, and your body. Maybe it is only then that binging will no longer serve a purpose.
5. Seek professional, evidence-based support.
Therapies like CBT-E, DBT, and Focal Psychodynamic Therapy are effective for binge eating disorder. A psychologist trained in eating disorders can help you explore the emotional, cognitive, and relational layers behind the behaviour while supporting you to reconnect with your body’s cues.
The Hope You Might Not Feel Yet
Recovery doesn’t happen in a straight line, but feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Every time you pause, reflect, or seek help, you’re breaking the automatic cycle and taking one small step toward freedom.
You deserve a life that’s not defined by food guilt or shame, one built on self-trust, compassion, and genuine nourishment.
Remember: You Can’t Heal What You Hate
You are not weak, broken, or out of control. You are doing your best with the tools you learned to survive. Recovery begins not when the bingeing stops, but when you stop turning against yourself. You deserve a life where food isn’t a battleground, where nourishment, rest, and safety coexist.
At recoverED Clinic, we work with clients from a trauma-informed and evidence-based lens to help individuals with binge eating and other eating disorders, available via telehealth across Australia.
If you’re feeling stuck, this is your sign: you don’t have to fight alone. Healing starts with one compassionate step. Contact us to see if we may be the right fit for you.
Helpful Resources (Australia) :
Note: The information provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and is NOT intended as medical /psychological advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for personalised guidance
