How Eating Disorders Impact Your Mental Health and Anger

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In today’s fast-paced, social-media-driven world, it’s easy to overlook how our relationship with food impacts our emotional well-being. Eating disorders—whether they involve restricting food, binge eating, or obsessively worrying about body image—affect much more than just physical health. These patterns of disordered eating can have serious consequences for mental health, especially when it comes to emotions like anger and frustration.

The Hidden Link Between Food and Emotions
We all experience stress, frustration, and anger at times. But have you ever considered how your eating habits might influence how you handle those emotions?
There is an acronym used in AA circles – HALT – meaning Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired…if you are in any one of those states, you need to pay attention. You’re more likely to act out or turn to an addiction if you’re experiencing any one of them. But, specifically, hungry. The minute your blood sugar level drops, your body will be going into an electric overdrive, you’ll be over-using your adrenals to get through the day – instead of real energy from food – and then you’ll be coursing stress chemicals through your system. This will most likely affect your sleep if you can’t tone it down and a vicious cycle ensues. Keeping a stable blood sugar level throughout the day is utterly crucial for managing life well. It seems so obvious, yet thousands of people will override their hunger signals daily, and then wonder why their emotions are so erratic.
For those people with more serious eating disorders, their emotional regulation is already distorted, making it difficult to keep feelings in check. Research shows poor nutrition can directly impact the brain, particularly in areas responsible for emotions. When you’re not nourishing your body properly, it becomes much more challenging to cope with any stress leading quickly to frustration and anger. This emotional dysregulation can lead to feeling easily irritated or even lashing out over seemingly minor things.

Imagine scrolling through social media and seeing countless images of “ideal” bodies and beauty standards. It’s no surprise that this can lead to dissatisfaction with your reflection. This dissatisfaction can then snowball into unhealthy mental static affecting eating patterns, which in turn wreak havoc on your mood and emotional balance.

Anger: Outward and Inward
Anger is one of the most common emotions linked to eating disorders, and it can manifest in a variety of ways. For some, this anger is directed outward—towards friends, family, or others. Small triggers may feel like massive offences, and minor disagreements can quickly escalate. You may find yourself picking fights or feeling irritated by things that wouldn’t usually bother you or you find it difficult to move past a hurt and brood for days.

But anger doesn’t just stop at external relationships. For many struggling with disordered eating, frustration often turns inward. You might feel angry at yourself for not looking the way you want, for eating something you “shouldn’t have,” or for feeling like you lack control over your body. This self-directed anger can deepen feelings of shame and guilt, creating a harmful cycle that feeds the disorder.

Finding Healthier Ways to Cope
The good news is that there are healthier ways to deal with anger, frustration, and stress—ways that don’t involve harming your body or lashing out at others. Practices like mindfulness, journaling, or seeking support from professional people who work with eating disorders can help you process emotions more healthily. For sure, this is not something that can be managed on one’s own. You need a healthy relatable adult that can offer guidance and support and sometimes this needs to be someone outside of the family network. Developing a better understanding of how eating disorders affect mental health is the first step towards creating a more balanced emotional life.
Many people who seek help for their eating disorders begin to realise just how deeply their eating habits are connected to their emotional state. Learning to nourish your body with food while finding emotional nourishment through self-care and therapy can transform your relationship with food and yourself. Again, you will need to find the appropriate professional care.

It’s Okay to Ask for Help
If you’re struggling with disordered eating and find that your emotions—especially anger—are complex to manage, know that you’re not alone. Seeking help from a professional, such as a therapist or support group, can significantly affect how you approach food and feelings. Most especially when these people have experienced the same challenges as you. You will value their insight and feedback.

Young people who have started their recovery often share that getting help has given them more control over their emotions. It’s perfectly okay to feel angry sometimes, but you don’t have to let that anger define you or dictate your relationship with food.

You Deserve to Feel Good
Your relationship with food and your body should build you up, not break you down. Disordered eating can cloud your judgment, but recovery is possible. By learning to manage your emotions more healthily, you can break the cycle of frustration, guilt, and shame.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, don’t wait to seek support. You deserve a healthy relationship with food, yourself, and emotions. It’s important to find a safe place/professional person where you can begin to examine the thought processes that want to deny you these things and this is something that will require safe holding, care and support.

Take Action
Remember, you are stronger than your anger. You deserve a life where food nourishes your body, not your frustrations.

If you or someone you care about is facing the challenges of an eating disorder, we highly recommend scheduling a one-hour assessment with Mike Fisher, Director of the British Association of Anger Management. His expertise can provide crucial guidance and support during this difficult time. Additionally, for further assistance and resources, please explore the dedicated helpline and advice available at https://www.eatingdisordersadvice.co.uk/