The Binge Cycle - What’s Actually Happening in the Brain

If you struggle with binge eating, you may feel like it makes no sense, and yet it continues to happen.

You might find yourself thinking about food constantly, promising yourself you won’t binge again, and then it’s as though something takes over and you find yourself binging again. The aftermath may come with difficult emotions - shame, guilt, frustration, remorse - and also confusion about why it keeps happening. They may turn into resolve that it won’t happen again… and yet….

What many people don’t realise is that binge eating follows a very predictable sequence of brain and emotional states. It isn’t random, and it isn’t a failure of willpower. Understanding this cycle and why it happens can be a relief in itself. It can also help you respond to urges with more awareness and self compassion.