Four Primary Emotions Behind Emotional Overeating!

In Doreen Virtue’s book, Constant Craving, she outlines the four primary emotions behind emotional overeating.

• Fear: Insecurity; walking on eggshells, generalized fears; abandonment fears; existential fears; control issues; sexual fears; worry; anxiety; depression; intimacy fears.

• Anger: Toward another person; toward an injustice; toward self; feeling betrayed; feeling ripped-off; feeling abused.

• Tension: Stress; frustration; old anger turned into bitterness or resentment; jealousy; impatience; overwork without an emotional release such as fun.

• Shame: Self-blame; low self-esteem; self-loathing; lack of trust in one’s own competence or goodness; assuming other people won’t like you; feeling less than others; feeling like you don’t deserve good.

Did you notice that these four primary emotions spell FATS? We know very definitively what happens when we consume too many fats, however that does't mean we're not to eat fats, but like everything else...moderation is key! Doreen continues by saying that when we bottle up our emotions, it’s akin to putting a cork on a vinegar-and-baking soda combination. The ignored emotion doesn’t go away; it intensifies. The more you ignore the stronger it grows.

When we ignore things in our lives that bother us they often manifest into something that can get out of control quickly. Evaluate where you are and make a change.