binging on sweets after rape — is also a very common response to trauma. It’s not about “lack of willpower” or a moral failing; it’s your body and mind trying to cope with overwhelming stress, fear, or emotional pain. Here’s why this can happen:

1. Comfort and self-soothing:
   Sweet foods trigger dopamine and serotonin, chemicals in the brain that temporarily make us feel good. After trauma, your body craves that quick “lift” because your nervous system is in overdrive.
2. Regaining control:
   Trauma often leaves you feeling powerless. Eating — especially foods you crave — can feel like something you can control, even if just in a small way.
3. Emotional regulation:
   Trauma can make emotions intense and unpredictable. Binging on sweets is sometimes an unconscious way to manage anxiety, sadness, or anger when your nervous system is flooded.
4. Body memory and stress response:
   Trauma changes how your body responds to stress. Cortisol and other stress hormones can increase cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods because your body is on “high alert” and seeking quick energy.
5. Shame and secrecy:
   Often, binging happens in private, because trauma can also make people feel isolated or ashamed. This secrecy can reinforce the behavior as a coping mechanism.

It’s important to know: this isn’t “weakness.” It’s a natural reaction to something your mind and body weren’t prepared for.