Restrictive Diets Are Traumatic and a Response To Trauma

If someone had told me the truth that going on Weight Watchers at 13 years old would lead to a lack of trust in your body, obsession with food for years to come, an intense fear of food and anxiety around what to eat, and a decade in the restrict-binge cycle, I’m curious if my smart little self would have said, “No thank you. I’ll find a different way to feel safe.” 

But now I know I was drawn to dieting as a response to other traumatic situations in my life. I was desperate to find some sense of control and be able to land safely into something that could hold me the way I needed to be.

And this is what I've seen in my private practice year after year is that restrictive dieting can be traumatic and be a response to trauma. 

In this week's Satiated Podcast episode, I chat about: 

• The similarities between dieting and trauma 
• Approaching food recovery the same way as trauma recovery
• How diets mimic a trauma response 
• The somatic wisdom and protection diets are trying to offer 

You can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/restrictive-diets-are-traumatic-and-a-response-to-trauma

Hope you enjoy it and talk to you more soon!

With Compassion and Empathy, 

Stephanie Mara Fox