I myself have had many nights after overtime where I finished instant noodles from the convenience store, even drinking the broth, only to regret it later. Stress‑induced binge eating is often less about weak willpower and more about a disrupted energy management system. In Korean medicine, this is seen as spleen deficiency (脾虛). When the spleen's digestive energy weakens, the body craves quick sugars, which leads to midnight fridge binges. Add phlegm‑fluid (痰飮) — a kind of metabolic waste — and the brain keeps sending false 'eat more' signals. The first 1–2 weeks are a concentrated period of clearing this phlegm and tonifying the spleen. Herbal medicine and acupuncture calm the stomach's hypersensitivity, so the number of midnight fridge openings noticeably decreases. By weeks 3–4, blood stasis (瘀血) that has formed from long‑term repeated bingeing resolves; this blockage of qi and blood allows post‑meal satiety to last longer naturally. After two months, the pattern of soothing emotions with food slowly breaks down, and you develop a constitution that digests stress in different ways. However, this process does not happen overnight. From my experience working with patients, those who try to stop perfectly from the start actually tend to binge even more. It is more important to check your body's changes slowly on a weekly basis. If you feel your chest tight even while reading this, why not just come to the clinic comfortably and let us take a look together?