Q. When I'm stressed, I keep binge eating. How can I resolve this?

Stress-induced binge eating is seen through two main mechanisms in Traditional Korean Medicine. The first is 'liver qi stagnation' (gan qi yu jie) type. Stress obstructs the liver's dredging and draining function, causing rising fire that erupts as uncontrollable binge eating. This presents with emotional swings, chest tightness, and abdominal distension. The second is 'spleen deficiency with phlegm-fluid' (pi xu tan yin) type. Prolonged stress weakens the spleen's transport function, so food is not properly digested and transforms into phlegm-fluid. The body craves energy, leading to constant eating—especially sweets and carbs—with post-meal fatigue, a white tongue coating, and loose or heavy stools. Treatment differs accordingly: for liver qi stagnation, herbs like Bupleurum (chai hu) and Cyperus (xiang fu zi) are used with acupuncture at LV3 (tai chong) and LI4 (he gu) to soothe the liver and move qi. For spleen deficiency with phlegm-fluid, herbs like Atractylodes (bai zhu), Tangerine peel (chen pi), and Pinellia (ban xia) strengthen the spleen and resolve phlegm, with acupuncture at ST36 (zu san li) and SP9 (yin ling quan). Rather than suppressing the binge behavior, we prioritize understanding why the body sends that signal. Herbal medicine and acupuncture are foundational, with lifestyle and dietary adjustments added as needed. In our clinic, we never force 'just hold on'; instead, we rebalance the body so the binge urge naturally diminishes. A visit includes consultation, pulse and tongue diagnosis to accurately classify your pattern and create a personalized plan.