The Role of the Nervous System in Extreme Hunger

The role of the nervous system is often overlooked in eating disorder recovery.

Understanding how it works can be a very helpful part of making peace with extreme hunger, especially if you are also neurodivergent.

This post explains how my eating disorder acted as an unconscious attempt to manipulate the state of my nervous system, as well as how trauma influences extreme hunger.

Growing up undiagnosed autistic...

...in a neurotypical world was an incredibly confusing and frightening experience.

Knowing I was different – yet not knowing why – made me feel trapped.

I was trapped and I had no way to escape.

That was until an eating disorder entered my life.

By controlling my diet, adhering to an exercise regimen, and always saying no when someone offered me food, I was able to transcend into an alternate reality like never before.

The best part about this alternate reality?

It was predictable.

No more dealing with foreign social cues, constantly questioning my decisions, or needing to "put myself out there."

Unlike in the overwhelming social world, the rules in my little snowglobe of a universe were crystal clear – all I had to do was abide by my eating disorder's demands and I couldn't possibly be doing anything "wrong."

Even though I clung to controlling food as a way to feel safe, my years of engaging with the ED were riddled with anxiety.

That's because I wasn't actually safe – the control was an illusion.

Once I realized this and decided I wanted to recover from my eating disorder, I sought out others' stories.

Looking for answers in eating disorder recovery

I read blog posts, watched YouTube videos, and bought books about ED recovery.

But it was mostly the same advice. Advice like...

👉 "You need to get out of energy deficit"

👉 "You need to challenge your fear foods"

👉 "You need to make peace with weight gain"

...and while these statements definitely are a vital part of the eating disorder recovery process, a key element was missing: nervous system regulation.

Autism, eating disorders, and nervous system dysregulation

I'm sure you've heard of "fight-or-flight" and "rest-and-digest" mode before.

These refer to specific states of nervous system activation – which has consistently been found to be dysregulated in both autistic people as well as those with eating disorders.

Because it influences every single biological process, the nervous system plays a vital role in digestion, mood, metabolism, and more.

No wonder digestive issues, mood disorders, and metabolic abnormalities are so common in the neurodivergent and ED communities!

One of the most common causes of a dysregulated nervous system is trauma.

When most people think about trauma, they think: sexual abuse, being hit as a child, being neglected, you get the gist.

Engaging in an eating disorder is also a form of trauma.

Just think about it: food restriction is one of the biggest threats to human survival. So if you're constantly reinforcing this threat, your body will remember.

As trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk says, "the body keeps the score!"

Increased hunger of any kind is your body's way of bringing you back to safety. Because only when we're safe, can we function to the best of our abilities.

My newest book How to Beat Extreme Hunger provides you with the tools to find that safety in a way that's:

🌈 trauma-informed

🌈 neurodiversity-affirming

🌈 gender-inclusive

Being in a never-ending state of fight-or-flight mode is exhausting. It's not sustainable. But most importantly, you deserve better.

To learn how to find freedom from restriction so you can cultivate safety and abundance in all areas of your life, grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger here!