Overview:People with this type tend use food to medicate underlying feelings of anxiety, tension, nervousness, and fear. They tend to feel uncomfortable in their own skin. They may be plagued by feelings of panic, fear, and self-doubt, and suffer physical symptoms of anxiety as well, such as muscle tension, nail biting, headaches, abdominal pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and sore muscles. It is as if they have an overload of tension and emotion. People with this type tend to predict the worst and look to the future with fear. They may be excessively shy, easily startled, and freeze in emotionally charged situations.

SPECT findings: The SPECT finding in this type is increased activity in the basal ganglia, which is commonly caused by low levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA.

What doesn’t work:

Ignoring symptoms of anxiety.

What works:

Interventions to boost GABA are generally the most helpful.

Supplements to try:

• GABA Calming Support

Behavioral interventions:

The following changes in behavior may boost GABA and calm the brain to help anxious overeaters:

• Exercise.
• Try relaxation exercises, such as:
  • meditation
  • prayer
  • hypnosis
  • deep diaphragmatic breathing exercises
  • hand-warming techniques

• Kill the anxious ANTs.
• For sleep, try self-hypnosis, kava kava, or valerian root.