We also eat when we are bored, and the boredom maybe leads us to think deeply about things that we’d rather not face, the food keeps us occupied. Thats my experience of it anyway.
I find sometimes now, if I am watching TV or listening to music or reading a book, I can’t let the subject take my mind up completely and that frightens me I know it sounds silly because my mind wanders to thoughts about my future and life and death and really deep issues that frighten me. But if I am eating, I am occupied, completely, even something little, I enjoy the taste and the sensation and I don’t stop to worry, not once.
I am not an ‘emotional eater’ in that I am not overweight because of this. But I have a problem with food in that way and I have taken notice of it.
But then when I realise I am doing it I barely eat anything for weeks and that makes me feel in control and is also another way to occupy my mind. It’s really odd. I can’t be happy ‘between’ the two extremes/