When Food Becomes a Stand-In for Love: Understanding the Link Between Food Issues and the Mother Wound

So many women silently battle with food — the bingeing, the restriction, the cravings that feel impossible to control. But the truth is, these patterns have little to do with willpower and everything to do with the Mother Wound. Our earliest experience of love was food: milk, warmth, touch, safety. When that early nurturance was inconsistent or unavailable, our nervous system learned to seek comfort from food in ways people couldn’t provide. This heartfelt exploration reveals why food issues are not personal failings, but survival patterns — and how healing the Mother Wound allows our relationship with food to finally soften, balance, and return to nourishment.