EXPLORE THE IMPACTS
Food Insecurity
The experience of not knowing when or if your next meal will come can shape the brain and body in powerful ways. At its core, food insecurity triggers survival instincts deep in the brainstem—the part of the brain that prioritizes basic needs over everything else. For those who’ve lived with unreliable access to food, cravings, hoarding, or even aggressive behavior around eating aren’t simply habits—they’re hardwired responses to a perceived threat to survival. By recognizing these patterns as survival-driven rather than willful, we can approach food insecurity with empathy, patience, and strategies that restore both physical nourishment and a sense of safety.
Brain
This is a brainstem drive, which is the part of the brain furthest from the thinking brain. Seeing food, not having food, smelling food, all of these senses activated are felt in the body as intense drives. Think of the last time you had a craving for something and it was all you could think about. That is a drive. This drive takes precedent in your brain and body because they both “think” this is what you need right now for survival.
Body
When a person grows up without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable nutritious food they will experience “food insecurity.”
The person will crave and often fight for, steal or horde for what looks like to the trauma uninformed eye “no reason” and not know why they do it themselves. This person will seek foods high in fat, sugar & salt (junk food).
Behavioral Patterns
Since the brainstem is below the empathy center, people with food insecurity can become aggressive over food, especially “junk food.” (Please see the Brain & Body Sections of Food Insecurity).
Supports
SAFETY - EMPATHY - LOVE.
Healing happens in relationship and if the person feels connected and safe they are more likely to be able to calm themselves when issues of food insecurity come up.
Predict, practice plan B around any situation dealing with food.
This person ultimately needs patience and empathy as this is one of the most difficult issues to overcome. Help the person feel safe and always be WITH the person as they make food choices instead of having them make decisions on their own.
Never lock up or hide food- this will stimulate the fear response; instead have access to healthy snacks throughout the day. Have displays of fake food around the house (this can be calming as it reminds the brain that there is no longer a scarcity of food.