The Guilt Spiral

Recognize it for what it is: a trap. Guilt after eating triggers emotional distress, which triggers more eating for comfort, which triggers more guilt. The interrupt isn’t more guilt—it’s less. Acknowledge what happened, refuse to catastrophize, and move on immediately. One eating event, no matter how “bad,” is just one event. The spiral happens when you let guilt drive the next choice. This companion explores how the spiral works, why guilt backfires, the self-compassion research, how to interrupt at step two, and the immediate practice for breaking free. (4 min read)

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