Diarrhea of the Mind: The Psychoanalytic Exploration of Binge Eating, Obesity, and the Lack of Containment

Binge eating disorder (BED) and obesity are often portrayed simply as problems of willpower or lack of discipline. However, from a psychoanalytic perspective, these issues are much deeper, tied to emotional regulation, psychological conflict, and unresolved developmental traumas. One particularly evocative metaphor that can be used to explore this phenomenon is the experience of diarrhea — not just the physical discomfort, but the emotional and mental turmoil it reflects.
In this blog post, we will explore the psychoanalytic meaning behind binge eating, obesity, and the metaphorical “diarrhea” of the mind. By focusing on the concept of containment — or its absence — we will examine how this lack of emotional holding can contribute to these disorders and how psychoanalytic work can help individuals move through these issues.
The Uncontained Mind: A Psyche in Flux
When we think of diarrhea, we imagine uncontrollable and overwhelming discharge — a physical eruption that offers no opportunity for containment. The same could be said about the emotional experience of many individuals who suffer from binge eating disorder. There’s a feeling of being „out of control,“ both physically and psychologically. The urge to binge, like the compulsion to relieve oneself when experiencing diarrhea, feels urgent, messy, and difficult to hold back.
In psychoanalytic terms, this experience can be linked to what Donald Winnicott, the renowned psychoanalyst, called containment. Winnicott theorized that the early mother-child relationship is essential in providing emotional containment. The mother’s ability to absorb and regulate the infant’s overwhelming feelings allows the child to feel emotionally secure. When this emotional holding is insufficient or inconsistent, the child may struggle with emotional regulation later in life.
In the case of binge eating, the lack of psychological containment can manifest as a desperate attempt to fill the emotional void or „contain“ difficult feelings through the act of eating. The physical consumption of food becomes a form of self-soothing, an attempt to restore a sense of balance and emotional security. But just as diarrhea can leave one feeling exhausted and violated, binge eating often leads to feelings of shame, self-loathing, and disgust — a cycle of trying to contain emotions that only leads to further emotional and physical chaos.
The Psychosomatic Connection: The Body Speaks What the Mind Cannot
Psychoanalysis has long been interested in the connection between the body and the mind, a dynamic known as psychosomatics. When emotional distress goes unprocessed or uncontained, the body often expresses this tension in somatic forms. In the case of obesity and binge eating, the body becomes the canvas on which unresolved psychological issues are painted.
For individuals with BED or obesity, food can serve as a surrogate for emotional experience. In this sense, eating becomes a form of acting out — an unconscious repetition of unresolved emotional conflicts. Just as the gastrointestinal system reacts uncontrollably in response to stress, so too can the eating patterns of a binge eater become a release valve for pent-up emotional distress. The body, in this sense, „speaks“ the emotional distress that the mind cannot articulate.
Psychoanalyst Herbert Rosenfeld’s work on psychic equivalence is particularly relevant here. He described how some patients, especially those with borderline or severe eating disorders, may use their bodies to symbolize their fragmented or chaotic sense of self. The „uncontained“ body, in the case of obesity, becomes a living metaphor for the mind’s inability to contain or regulate emotions. The body grows larger and more cumbersome, a physical representation of psychic fragmentation.
The Role of Containment in Psychoanalytic Treatment
The psychoanalytic process itself is about containment. The therapeutic relationship — through the analyst’s ability to listen, reflect, and absorb the patient’s feelings — becomes a microcosm of what Winnicott described as the holding environment. The patient’s anxieties, fears, and difficult emotions are contained within the safe space of the therapy room, where they can be explored and processed.
For those struggling with binge eating and obesity, the task in therapy is often to provide this emotional containment — something that was perhaps lacking in early relationships or earlier life experiences. The therapist’s role is not to judge the behavior of eating or the shape of the body, but rather to help the patient recognize that these physical manifestations are symbolic of deeper emotional conflicts. Through the therapeutic process, the patient can learn to face their feelings rather than drown them in food.
A key concept here is mentalization — the ability to reflect on one’s internal states and recognize that feelings, rather than behaviors, are the core of emotional distress. As the patient begins to mentalize, they can start to distinguish between the urge to binge and the underlying emotional experience that it is masking. This separation is vital in learning to regulate emotions without relying on food.
Working Through the “Diarrhea” of the Mind
So how do we work through the „diarrhea of the mind“ in the context of binge eating and obesity? First, we must acknowledge that these behaviors are not simply about a lack of self-control. They are often symbolic of deeper emotional processes — a search for containment, a desire to feel held when the psyche feels fragmented, or a need to fill a deep emotional void.
1. Creating a Holding Environment: The most essential work begins with creating a therapeutic relationship that offers emotional containment. This may take time, but through the safety and trust of the therapeutic space, individuals can begin to express and process their emotional turmoil without the need to act it out through food.
2. Exploring the Body as Symbol: Patients should be encouraged to explore their bodies as a reflection of their internal world. For example, how do they feel about their bodies? How does their physical self-image relate to their emotional experiences? A shift in how one perceives the body can help to change the pattern of overeating as an attempt to „hold“ emotional pain.
3. Developing Emotional Regulation Skills: Instead of relying on food to soothe or escape, patients must learn healthier ways of managing emotions. This might involve learning to sit with discomfort, exploring emotional vulnerability, and finding ways to express feelings constructively.
4. Mindful Eating: Encouraging patients to eat mindfully and with intention can help break the cycle of binge eating. By slowing down and becoming more aware of their hunger cues, patients can reestablish a connection between mind and body, one that’s no longer governed by emotional chaos or unconscious urges.
Healing the Gut and the Mind
In many ways, binge eating and obesity are a reflection of the struggle between the body and mind for control, containment, and expression. The metaphor of diarrhea helps us understand the overwhelming, uncontrollable nature of these disorders — both in the physical and emotional realms. By working through the psychosomatic connections and providing emotional containment in therapy, we can help individuals regain control, heal from emotional fragmentation, and find healthier ways of relating to both their bodies and their emotions.
Literature References:
• Winnicott, D. W. (1960). The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. International University Press.
• Rosenfeld, H. (1971). The Psychoanalytic Treatment of Psychotic States. International Universities Press.
• Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development. Routledge.