What is Emotional Avoidance?
Emotional avoidance is a key topic in therapy—especially for those struggling with eating disorders. But what exactly is emotional avoidance, and why is it such a common roadblock to recovery?
What Is Emotional Avoidance?
In simple terms, emotional avoidance is the act of shutting down, suppressing, or ignoring uncomfortable emotions. This can be adaptive in certain contexts—for example, it might not be appropriate to fully process feelings of sadness, guilt, or anger in the middle of a work meeting or classroom setting. In healthy cases, emotional processing is delayed—not denied—and the individual circles back later to allow the emotion to run its course.
However, emotional avoidance becomes a problem when it stops being situational and becomes habitual. Over time, people may begin avoiding more emotions in more areas of life, until eventually they’ve numbed themselves to allemotions—both painful and pleasurable.
This is often where eating disorders emerge. Disordered behaviors become a coping mechanism, providing temporary relief from overwhelming feelings.
How Eating Disorders and Emotional Avoidance Intersect
A common example: a teen client might start skipping lunch at school due to social anxiety or perfectionism. At first, it may seem like an isolated behavior—just choosing to work through lunch. But gradually, the restriction becomes more pervasive. It starts happening at home, at social gatherings, or during emotionally charged moments with family and friends.
What began as a coping tool for anxiety morphs into a broader strategy for avoiding discomfort—and that avoidance can spiral into serious medical and emotional consequences.
Why Feeling Your Emotions Is Essential for Recovery
Recovery from an eating disorder involves more than just restoring food intake. It means rebuilding your relationship with emotions—learning to feel them, sit with them, and trust that they will pass.
This process is uncomfortable at first. Emotions bring with them physical sensations, distressing thoughts, and sometimes urges to disconnect. But with time, leaning into emotions teaches resilience, fosters meaningful connection, and makes space for genuine joy.
Emotions are meant to rise, peak, and pass. When we allow this natural rhythm to unfold, life feels richer, fuller, and more authentic. And yes—this is a huge part of what makes recovery worth it.
Ready to Begin Your Healing Journey?
At Empowering You, we understand the complex emotional landscape of eating disorders. Our therapists are trained to help you safely reconnect with your emotions and build healthy coping skills that support lasting recovery.
If you’re ready to feel more connected, resilient, and at peace in your body, reach out today to schedule a consultation. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
