Acupuncture for Eating Disorders in Lewes
Eating difficulties are rarely just about food. They often involve how we relate to our bodies, how we manage emotion, and how we respond to internal or external pressure. When eating feels difficult, disconnected, or out of control, acupuncture offers steady support for recovery and regulation — physically and emotionally.
In Chinese medicine, we don’t treat labels. We work with what your system is showing. That might mean strengthening digestion, calming the nervous system, improving sleep, or supporting emotional resilience. The aim is to support the system to regulate itself steadily — and lay the groundwork for lasting change.
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A Practical, Personal Approach
You might have a diagnosis like anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. Or you might simply be dealing with long-term stress around food, body image, or control. Wherever you're starting from, treatment is adapted to you.
Acupuncture initiates changes in the body consistent with recovery. At first, these changes tend to revert — the system returns to its habitual state. But as treatment continues and the body receives clear signals to adjust, regulation improves. The changes hold for longer and, over time, begin to stabilise.
What Acupuncture May Help With
Restrictive or compulsive eating behaviours
Digestive discomfort, bloating, or nausea
Emotional flatness, anxiety or overwhelm
Sleep disturbance or low energy
Nervous system overactivation and tension
Rebuilding connection to the body over time
These issues often overlap. Treatment supports both the physical symptoms and the deeper patterns that sit beneath them.
How Chinese Medicine Understands Eating Patterns
Eating difficulties often reflect deeper energetic imbalances across the organ systems — each corresponding to one of the classical Five Elements.
For example, disturbances in the Earth element (Spleen and Stomach) can lead to emotional instability, obsessive thinking, and difficulty establishing a stable foundation — both physically and psychologically. This undermines the ability to feel grounded and make clear decisions about nourishment, routine, and action.
When the Fire element (particularly the Heart) is dysregulated, it may present as anxiety, restlessness, and a strong compulsion to control one's environment — including food, people, routines, and outcomes. The system loses coherence, and the drive to regulate externally replaces the capacity to regulate internally.
What to Expect
Your first session includes a full consultation. We’ll look at how food and digestion fit into your overall health picture — including sleep, energy, emotional wellbeing, and any patterns of tension or exhaustion.
Treatment is quiet and non-invasive. Fine needles are placed in points that support digestion, calm the system, and bring the body back into balance. Over time, many people report a greater sense of stability — and a reduction in urgency, overwhelm, or detachment.
A Space for Ongoing Support
This work is not about quick change or surface fixes. Many people come after trying other routes, or after feeling dismissed by clinical systems. My approach is steady, respectful, and focused on creating the conditions for recovery over time.
Take the First Step
If food has become a source of struggle, and you're looking for a grounded, body-based way to support change, acupuncture may help.
Book a free 20-minute consultation to talk it through.