Start Hitting The Gym
Studies indicate that adding exercise to your routine could prevent binge eating.
For instance, one 6-month study in 77 people showed that increasing weekly exercise frequency stopped binge eating in 81% of participants .
Another study in 84 women found that pairing cognitive behavioral therapy with regular exercise was significantly more effective at reducing the frequency of binge eating than therapy alone .
Plus, other research suggests that exercise can decrease stress levels and enhance mood to prevent emotional eating .
Walking, running, swimming, biking, and playing sports are just a few different forms of physical activity that can help relieve stress and reduce binge eating.
Summary Studies show that exercising can reduce the risk of binge eating and decrease stress levels.
What To Do When Things Escalate
Dealing with binge eating disorder may feel like an emotional roller coaster ride for your teen. If theres a co-occurring mental health issue, such as moderate to severe depression, the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors is quite high. Additionally, health complications may lead to a medical emergency if not monitored closely and addressed in a timely manner.
If your teen is becoming increasingly depressed or manic, actively suicidal, engaging in self-harm, physically weak, or exhibiting any type of medical distress, you must take immediate steps to ensure his or her safety and wellbeing. A visit to the nearest ER or a brief hospital stay may be necessary to stabilize any medical issues, keep your teen safe from self-harm, and / or get serious depressive symptoms under control.
Dont hesitate to reach out for help. You can:
- Contact your childs treatment provider asap
- Enlist the help of a close family member or friend for support or assistance
- Take your child to the nearest hospital emergency room
- Call 911
Binge Eating Can Be Coping Mechanism For Trauma
When trauma underlies a patients binge eating disorder, recovery cannot begin until the binge eating stops and long-term remission cannot occur until the trauma is addressed and alternate coping mechanisms are developed.
The underlying trauma may not be from an incredibly dramatic event such as witnessing a death, suffering a sexual assault, experiencing a serious car accident or being deployed in combat. It could be having a family pet die, losing a job, being forgotten at school or going through a divorce or difficult breakup. All can have the same effects: an increase in anxiety and frustration and, in some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder with its associated symptoms of nightmares, dissociation and avoidance.
Eating disorders, particularly binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa and the restrictive form of anorexia nervosa, all serve to alter mood and distract the person with the disorder from their trauma. The planning involved in hiding the purchase and consumption of vast quantities of food, creating excuses for missed meals, disguising purging, if that is a component, and avoiding social outings create a preoccupation that suppresses other thoughts and memories while providing a sense of control shattered by the traumatic event.
Lifelong recovery depends on working through each of step at the start of treatment and mastering them in the years that follow.
You May Like: What Is The Fear Of Bees Called
Stopping A Binge When It Hits
Despite your best efforts, the urge can still come upon you. Try these tactics to stop yourself. And have multiple approaches in your toolbox in case plan A fails.
Sit with the emotion. What are you feeling that makes you want to binge? Identify it, and accept it without judging the emotion or yourself. This will be hard at first. But emotions pass, and as you accept your feelings, youâll realize you donât have to binge to get rid of them.
Surf the urge. You may think your desire to binge will just continue to grow. But if you distract yourself with other things and get away from your food triggers, youâll see that feeling start to go away. Think of the urge as an ocean wave that will grow, but then wash away.
Distract yourself. Find something to take your mind and body away from food. You can, among other things:
- Play a game you really enjoy
- Go for a walk
Run A Behavioral Experiment
Make a prediction, If I allow myself dessert four nights this week, I will gain five pounds, and run an experiment to test it out. Weigh yourself at the beginning and the end of the week. Have dessert four nights this week. Check to see if your prediction came true.
Over time, you will see that a number of beliefs are not accurate. This is another CBT approach.
Recommended Reading: Which Organization Sets The Standards For Diagnosing Eating Disorders
Knowing The First Steps To Take
If youve been noticing signs that suggest your teen is struggling with binge eating disorder, take the following steps manage the situation and helping your teen:
1 Have a conversation with your teen. Let your teen know that you are genuinely concerned regarding the behaviors youve been observing. Assure him or her that you want to help in any way you can, and that youre there if he or she wants to talk about anything.
Expect the wall to go up. Individuals with eating disorders are often either in denial or highly reluctant to admit they have a problem. Your teen may become defensive. Instead of reacting, strive to avoid criticizing, shaming, or judging our teen in any way, as those tend to make things worse. If your teen does disclose symptoms that strongly suggest an eating disorder, strive to remain calm.
2 Set up an appointment for an evaluation. Your teens pediatrician or your family doctor can do an initial evaluation, including a physical examination to rule out any underlying medical issues that may be causing or contributing to your teens disordered eating.
3 Get your teen into treatment. Early intervention is crucial with eating disorders, as they become increasingly difficult to successfully treat if treatment is delayed.
Eating disorders are often addressed with a multi-faceted approach that often includes a combination of:
What Are Eating Disorders
Eating disorders involve extreme disturbances of eating habits, which can cause health consequences for the sufferers. There are three main types: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
These conditions have been shown to affect over 70 million people worldwide each year according to research, sample surveys, and studies. They can develop in both men and women but are most common in females.
Although eating disorders typically become evident during adolescence. They may not show up until much later or even earlier in life. Females tend to begin around age 11 while males do so on average at the age of 19. The symptoms for different types of eating disorders vary slightly.
Also Check: What Are The Three Stages Of Schizophrenia
Diagnosis Of Binge Eating Disorder
To diagnose binge eating disorder or other eating disorders, a doctor will need to:
- do a full physical examination
- do blood tests
- ask questions about your health, including your emotional health and wellbeing, medical history and lifestyle.
Understanding the warning signs and symptoms and seeking help as soon as possible will help your recovery.
How To Stop Binge Eating At Night
Night eating syndrome is sometimes confused with binge eating disorder. People with night eating syndrome may snack throughout the night, while people who struggle with binge eating eat a lot in one sitting.
Here are two tips to avoid binge eating at night:
- Make sure you eat enough at mealtimes. Sometimes people binge because theyre hungry from not eating enough. You can meet with a registered dietitian to get information about appropriate meal sizes so that youre physically satisfied.
- Check in with Your Feelings. Sometimes binge eating can be a way to try to deal with emotional hunger. If youre emotionally needing something, see if you can figure out what it is. Maybe youre feeling lonely, sad, or worried. Coping with your feelings can take away the urge to soothe yourself through food.
Don’t Miss: Does Pristiq Help With Anxiety
What Can I Do To Help A Loved One With Binge Eating Disorder
A person dealing with binge eating disorder may come up with effective ways of masking the behavior, often making it difficult to detect. If you suspect that someone you know may be struggling with binge eating disorder, you can encourage them to have an open discussion about it by sharing your concerns and providing the necessary support. You can also help them reach out to a professional and go with them to therapy sessions or doctors appointments.
Dealing with binge eating disorder isnt a character flaw. Overall, its important to promote a healthy body image, regardless of body shape or size. An eating disorder also wont necessarily go away with mere willpower. Treatment from a licensed mental health provider can help prevent health problems, increase your self-esteem, and improve your quality of life. Talkspace online therapy is an inexpensive and convenient way to get the help you need reach out today.
Recommended Treatments For Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, it is believed to affect 3.5% of women, 2% of men, and up to 1.6% of adolescents . It is characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating without the compensatory behaviors found in bulimia nervosa. Binge eating disorder was only recently classified as an official diagnosis. As such, knowledge about it lags behind that of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
It is important to note that BED is not something new. Prior to the publication of the DSM-5, binge eating disorder was listed in the appendix and could be diagnosed as an “Eating Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified” . Being identified as a distinct eating disorder means that individuals with this condition can receive more support and treatment. It also may result in further research on the condition and help reassure people that others share the same experience.
Although commonly thought to be a less severe eating disorder, binge eating disorder can cause significant emotional and physical distress and is associated with significant medical issues and an increased mortality rate.
Read Also: What Are The Three Stages Of Schizophrenia
Worried About Someone Speak Out
If you notice the warning signs of an eating disorder in a friend or family member, its important to speak up. You may be afraid that youre mistaken, or that youll say the wrong thing, or you might alienate the person. However, its important that you dont let these worries stop you from voicing your concerns.
People with eating disorders are often afraid to ask for help. Some are struggling just as much as you are to find a way to start a conversation about their problem, while others have such low self-esteem they simply dont feel that they deserve any help. Whatever the case, eating disorders will only get worse without treatment, and the physical and emotional damage can be severe. The sooner you start to help, the better their chances of recovery. While you cant force someone with an eating disorder to get better, having supportive relationships is vital to their recovery. Your love and encouragement can make all the difference.
Are There Any Guided Meditations To Help Me Be At My Best
Yes! Ive produced recordings of guided meditations to help you actually experience the power that lies with a compassionate state. They will help you shift your state towards more wellbeing. One of them is designed to let you drift off to sleep Yay!
Dont Miss: Can You Go To Urgent Care For Panic Attacks
Don’t Miss: What Are The Three Stages Of Schizophrenia
Community Discussion Share Your Thoughts Here
What can be the most challenging aspects of recovering from a relapse episode?
About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating.
Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.
As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Keep A Food And Mood Journal
Keeping a food and mood journal that tracks what you eat and how you feel can be an effective tool. It can help identify potential emotional and food triggers and promote healthier eating habits.
One study in 17 people showed that using an online self-help program that involved keeping a food diary was associated with fewer self-reported episodes of binge eating .
Several other studies also suggest that tracking your intake may be linked to increased weight loss and aid long-term weight management .
To get started, simply start recording what you eat and how you feel each day using either a journal or app.
Summary Food and mood journals can help identify triggers to address potential problems. Studies show that using a food diary is associated with fewer episodes of binge eating, as well as increased weight loss.
Recommended Reading: Side Effect Of Pristiq
Binge Eating Disorder According To The Dsm
The DSM-5 specifies diagnostic criteria that one must meet for a full diagnosis of a mental disorder. For BED, the following criteria are required for diagnosis:
- Eating, in a discrete period of time , an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances.
- A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode .
- Eating much more rapidly than normal.
- Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.
- Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry.
- Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating.
- Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterward.
Avoid Going Back To Old Patterns
Sometimes, its hard not to go back to older, familiar eating patterns when stressed. For some this may mean emotionally eating, while others may find comfort by restricting their eating. In both cases, its important to be aware of the use of food to manage those negative thoughts and feelings in the moment, these food behaviors may help you feel better, but not in the long run, advises Mendez.
Recommended Reading: Does Pristiq Help With Anxiety
Read Also: What Is The Meaning Of Phobia
What Does Bed Feel Like
Living with BED usually involves a preoccupation with food and eating, sometimes to the detriment of other facets of life.
You may feel constant anxiety about food and find ways to hide eating from others. There are cycles of anxiety when not bingeing, a sense of numbness during a binge, and immense shame after.
Bingeing is not usually about feelings of hunger. In fact, many people will eat when theyre not hungry to fulfill the preoccupation. Much of the day may consist of attempting to find ways to control the urge to eat and berating yourself if you give in.
You may think having BED is your fault or that its just a lack of willpower, neither of which is true. BED has nothing to with willpower. Its a complex disorder that can stem from all kinds of sources outside of yourself. It is not your fault.
While scientific evidence suggests that some people with BED show signs of addictive behavior, eating isnt something that can be quit cold turkey. After all, we need to eat to survive.
Learning to live with the cause of the distress is one of the most challenging aspects. Disordered eating of all types needs to include elements of making peace with your relationship with food. Treatment can help you do that.
Dealing with BED symptoms can be debilitating, but there are resources to help you heal and learn to eat without stress and shame.
Engaging The Patient In Treatment And Change
Many patients with eating disorders are ambivalent about treatment and change. Getting patients on board with treatment is a necessary first step. Engagement can be enhanced by conducting the assessment of the eating disorder in a way that helps the patient to become involved in, and hopeful about, the possibility of change and encourages the patient to take ownership of treatment.
Read Also: What Is The Phobia Of Throwing Up
How Is Nimh Addressing Eating Disorders
The National Institute of Mental Health is conducting and supporting research that could help find new and improved ways to diagnose and treat eating disorders. For example, the NIMH Eating Disorders Research Program supports research on the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment at medical institutions across the country. It also supports studies that can help explain the risk factors that cause eating disorders to start or reoccur. The programs studies on treatment help move basic science findings from the lab bench to a patients bedside.