Many of us have experienced intense sugar cravings. That need for something sweet, the irresistible pull towards chocolate, cake, or biscuits, especially during a stressful day.
Sugar stimulates the brain’s reward system, triggering the release of dopamine, a feel-good chemical that also plays a role in other addictive behaviours. This helps explain why sugary foods are often used not just to satisfy hunger, but to bring comfort, calm, or a quick boost of energy. Over time, this response can become a deeply ingrained pattern.
But does this mean sugar is addictive?
For most people, sugar is not chemically addictive in the same way as drugs or alcohol. Instead, it tends to function as a strong habit with addiction-like qualities, particularly when emotional or situational triggers are involved. A habit is a repeated behaviour, often linked to stress, boredom, tiredness, or routine. Addiction, on the other hand, involves a loss of control and continuing a behaviour despite negative consequences.
Although sugar may not cause physical dependence, the cycle of craving and reward can feel very similar and be just as difficult to change.
The pattern of sugar cravings
This pattern often looks something like this:
stress → sugar → temporary relief → crash → more stress
When we are under pressure, the emotional part of the brain becomes more active. This is the same part of the brain responsible for habits, comfort-seeking, and automatic behaviours. In these moments, reaching for sugar can feel like the quickest way to soothe discomfort or regain a sense of control.
Over time, these responses become learned patterns. The brain begins to associate certain feelings or situations with eating sugar, even when physical hunger is not present. This is why cravings can feel so powerful and appear suddenly, without much conscious thought.
The good news is that these patterns can change.
Becoming aware of what is driving the craving is an important first step. Often, the urge for sugar is less about the food itself and more about what the body or mind is asking for; rest, reassurance, distraction, or relief from emotional pressure.
When we are calmer and more balanced, we are better able to make thoughtful choices rather than reacting automatically. Shifting attention away from self-criticism and towards curiosity can be helpful. Instead of asking, “Why can’t I stop this?” it may be more useful to ask, “What is this craving trying to tell me?”
Changing how we talk to ourselves around food also plays a part. Labelling eating behaviours as “bad” or seeing cravings as a failure often increases stress, which can reinforce the very cycle we are trying to break. A more supportive internal dialogue can reduce pressure and make change feel more achievable.
So, the next time you notice a strong craving for sugar, it may be worth pausing for a moment and asking:
What do I really need right now?
Further support
How I can help you with solution focused hypnotherapy
Solution focused hypnotherapy can help by working with the part of the brain where habits and automatic responses are formed. When we are calm and relaxed, the intellectual part of the brain becomes more active, making it easier to recognise patterns and make different choices. Rather than focusing on what needs to stop, solution focused hypnotherapy encourages attention on how you want to feel and what you want to move towards. By reducing stress and increasing a sense of control, it can support healthier responses to cravings and help unhelpful patterns gradually loosen their grip.
Related blog posts that will help you
- Self talk and having a more positive conversation with yourself
- The link between Food and Good Mental Health
- How solution focused hypnotherapy can help you control your eating habits