ADHD and Binge Eating: why you need a different playbook
As a mental health therapist specializing in the intersection of eating disorders and neurospiciness, I often work with clients who feel trapped in a frustrating cycle of chaotic eating. If you have ADHD and find yourself struggling with Binge Eating Disorder (BED), I want to offer you a different perspective:
You are not broken, and you do not lack willpower.
The connection between ADHD and binge eating is rooted deeply in neurobiology. It is not a character flaw; it is a physiological attempt by your brain to find balance, stimulation, and soothing. Understanding why your brain reaches for food is the first step toward compassion and lasting change.
Why the Overlap? It’s Not Just "Inattention"
Research shows a significant overlap between adults with ADHD and those with BED. Under the deficit model, we might look at "symptoms" like impulsivity as the problem. However, through a neurodiversity lens, we can see that the ADHD brain has a unique operating system that processes reward, emotion, and internal signals differently.
1. The Dopamine Difference (Not Deficit)
The ADHD brain is a high-energy engine that runs on interest and stimulation. It operates with different baseline levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation and reward processing.
When the ADHD brain is under-stimulated (bored) or overwhelmed, it actively seeks a way to regulate. Food, specifically highly palatable food rich in sugar and fat, is one of the fastest, most reliable tools available to:
Stimulate: Provide the intense sensory input the brain craves to "wake up" the prefrontal cortex.
Soothe: flood the system with dopamine to manage restlessness or distress.
The binge is often a functional attempt to “self-medicate” a nervous system that is seeking regulation.
2. High-Velocity Processing (Impulsivity)
What is often labeled as "impulsivity" is actually a brain that processes information at high velocity. The ADHD brain is built for spontaneity and quick action. Think about a Ferrari with the brakes of a tricycle. It is incredibly hard to stop or even slow down. In the context of food, the gap between thought ("I want that") and action ("I’m eating that") is incredibly short.
The "brakes" (response inhibition) require a lot of executive function fuel. When you are tired or stressed, those brakes are even harder to engage, leading to immediate consumption before the long-term consequences can be processed.
3. Intense Emotional Experience
Many ADHDers experience emotions at a higher volume than the neurotypical population. This is sometimes called emotional lability or is connected to Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).
Food serves as a highly effective, non-verbal emotional dampener. It creates a "numbing" effect that allows the brain to temporarily check out from overwhelming feelings of shame, anxiety, or frustration.
4. Interoception Challenges (The "Forgetfulness")
ADHD impacts interoception which is the ability to feel what is happening inside your body. You aren't "forgetting" to eat because you are disorganized; your brain is likely hyper-focusing on other stimuli and filtering out hunger cues until they become emergencies.
The Crash: You go from "I'm fine" to "I am starving and need energy now." This physiological state of emergency triggers a biological drive to consume high-calorie foods rapidly. Similarly you might not realize you need to pee until it is already a strong even painful urgent sensation!
Moving Toward Healing: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach
Healing BED when you have ADHD doesn't mean "fixing" your brain, it means building a life and a way of eating that supports it.
1. Support Your Nervous System
Since the eating behaviors are often driven by a need for regulation, we start by supporting the ADHD brain.
Medication Awareness: If you utilize medication, we can review how it impacts your appetite. The goal is stability, not suppression. In my practice I make a point at working with prescribers who have a deep understanding and care for neurospicy patients. If you are not set up with a prescribers and you need to, Im here to support you until you find the right fit for you.
Scaffolding Executive Function: We stop relying on willpower and start using external supports. This means using alarms, visual cues, and flexible structures to ensure you are fed before the crash happens. I love this work in session! This is where I get to use my own creative side as I understand your needs and your life better. Together we come up with strategies, tools that you will test outside of therapy and report back.
2. "ADHD-Friendly" Nourishment
We focus on adding nutrition that stabilizes the brain, rather than restricting foods. Here are four key strategies:
Prioritize Protein and Fiber Anchors Think of protein and fiber as stabilizing forces for your brain. By keeping your blood sugar steady, you prevent the sharp energy crashes that often trigger the ADHD brain's desperate search for a quick dopamine hit.
Practice Mechanical Eating Because ADHD can make internal hunger cues (interoception) difficult to read, relying on your stomach to tell you when to eat is often unreliable. Instead, eat on a schedule (roughly every 3 to 4 hours) regardless of whether you "feel" hungry. This bypasses the interoception gap and prevents your body from entering the "starvation mode" that drives urgent, chaotic eating.
Stock Low-Friction Snacks When executive function is low, we naturally gravitate toward the easiest option. Lower the "cost" of making a nourishing choice by removing barriers. Keep high-protein snacks like cheese sticks, nuts, or protein bars visible and ready to eat. If you don't have to prepare it, you are significantly more likely to choose it during a low-energy moment.
Utilize Sensory Micro-doses Bingeing often happens at high velocity. You can "pump the brakes" by practicing small moments of sensory engagement. Focus intensely on the texture, temperature, or taste of a specific bite for just a few seconds. This act of sensory grounding can interrupt the autopilot mode and help you reconnect with the present moment. Your “brakes” will become stronger the more your practice this.
3. Emotional Regulation & Parts Work
Oftentimes food is a temporary fix for emotional intensity. Long-term healing involves learning to sit with the "too much-ness" of our feelings.
The "Pause": When the urge hits, we try to insert a dopamine-replacement activity. Cold water on the face, loud music, or movement can provide the stimulation the brain is screaming for without the shame spiral of the binge.
Compassion over Shame: We must move away from the idea that the binge is a moral failing. It is a coping mechanism of an unmet need.
4. An Integrated Professional Approach
This dual diagnosis requires specialized care. As a therapist, I integrate several powerful frameworks:
Internal Family Systems (IFS) & DBT
We use IFS to identify the "parts" of you that drive the binge. We don't try to destroy the "bingeing part": we recognize that it is trying to protect you or help you function. We also use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to build the "distress tolerance" muscles needed to ride out intense urges.
The Body Trust® Framework
As a Body Trust Certified Provider, I work from a Body Trust framework (explained below) as well as a Health At Every Size (HAES) perspective. We reject the rigidity of diet culture, which is particularly harmful to the "all-or-nothing" thinking patterns of ADHD.
The Body Trust Framework focuses on:
Release: Letting go of the rigid rules and shame that fuel the restrict-binge cycle.
Restore: Re-learning to listen to your body's signals (improving interoception), so you can pee before it's an emergency and eat before you are starving.
Reclaim: Defining health on your own terms, free from societal "shoulds."
Reside: Learning to inhabit your body with compassion. Much of this work involves processing the grief: grief for the body you thought you "should" have, or the years spent warring against your own biology.
My Role in Your Recovery
My work integrates emotional regulation tools with anti-diet principles to treat the root neurobiological causes of your struggle. I often collaborate with Body Trust-aligned Registered Dietitians to help you handle the logistics of meal composition and timing in a way that respects your unique brain wiring.
The journey to healing is not about becoming neurotypical; it’s about understanding your user manual so you can stop fighting yourself.
You are worth the effort.
Are you ready to explore a journey that works with your brain instead of against it? Book a free consultation with me today.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding your specific health needs.
