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How To Help A Binge Eating Disorder

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How Does It Start

Help for Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorders

In some cases, people simply overeat out of mindless habit, like always sitting down with a bag of chips in front of the TV at night. But oftentimes, itâs the result of underlying emotional problems. Having a negative body image can play a big role.

For many people, compulsive overeating is part of a cycle that starts with a restrictive diet. May calls it the âeat, repent, repeatâ? cycle. You might begin a diet because you feel bad about your weight or size but find that itâs too hard to stick to especially if you use food as a coping tool. Eventually, you hit a breaking point and binge on âforbiddenâ? foods, and then the guilt and shame set in, and the restrictions begin again.

The cycle can be hard to break. âEven people who say theyâre not on a diet often have ingrained ideas about âgoodâ or âbadâ foods,â? says Marsha Hudnall, president of Green Mountain at Fox Run in Vermont, a center for women who struggle with overeating. âBut when you have a substance that is naturally appealing and soothing and comforting, and you make it off-limits, it just becomes more attractive.â?

Warning Signs Of An Eating Disorder

Many people worry about their weight, what they eat, and how they look. This is especially true for teenagers and young adults, who face extra pressure to fit in and look attractive at a time when their bodies are changing. As a result, it can be challenging to tell the difference between an eating disorder and normal self-consciousness, weight concerns, or dieting. Further complicating matters, people with an eating disorder will often go to great lengths to hide the problem. However, there are warning signs you can watch for. And as eating disorders progress, the red flags become easier to spot.

How To Stop The Binge

The binge-purge cycle of bulimia nervosa consists of behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. It is a cycle of intense shame for those struggling and can be a source of confusion for loved ones as to why the individual doesnt just stop. The cycle is repetitive and individuals suffering from bulimia will often find it impossible to stop. Before we look at the binge-purge cycle, lets talk about bulimia nervosa.

Bulimia nervosa is a serious mental health disorder that is characterized by a cycle of bingeing followed by recurrent compensatory behaviors to rid the body of unwanted calories. The constant cycle of bingeing and purging can take a drastic toll on the digestive system and can also lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body that will affect the heart and other organ functions. Unlike individuals with anorexia, those with bulimia do not typically appear to be underweight, making it difficult to detect since it is not physically obvious.

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What Is Binge Eating Disorder

All of us eat too much from time to time. But if you regularly overeat while feeling out of control and powerless to stop, you may be suffering from binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is a common eating disorder where you frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling powerless to stop and extremely distressed during or after eating. You may eat to the point of discomfort, then be plagued by feelings of guilt, shame, or depression afterwards, beat yourself up for your lack of self-control, or worry about what compulsive eating will do to your body.

Binge eating disorder typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet. During a binge, you may eat even when youre not hungry and continue eating long after youre full. You may also binge so fast you barely register what youre eating or tasting. Unlike bulimia, however, there are no regular attempts to make up for the binges through vomiting, fasting, or over-exercising.

Learn To Tolerate The Feelings That Trigger Your Binge Eating

How to stop binge eating disorder, Stop overeating ...

The next time you feel the urge to binge, instead of giving in, take a moment to stop and investigate whats going on inside.

Identify the emotion youre feeling. Do your best to name what youre feeling. Is it anxiety? Shame? Hopelessness? Anger? Loneliness? Fear? Emptiness?

Accept the experience youre having. Avoidance and resistance only make negative emotions stronger. Instead, try to accept what youre feeling without judging it or yourself.

Dig deeper. Explore whats going on. Where do you feel the emotion in your body? What kinds of thoughts are going through your head?

Distance yourself. Realize that you are NOT your feelings. Emotions are passing events, like clouds moving across the sky. They dont define who you are.

Sitting with your feelings may feel extremely uncomfortable at first. Maybe even impossible. But as you resist the urge to binge, youll start to realize that you dont have to give in. There are other ways to cope. Even emotions that feel intolerable are only temporary. Theyll quickly pass if you stop fighting them. Youre still in control. You can choose how to respond.

For a step-by-step guide to learning how to manage unpleasant and uncomfortable emotions, check out HelpGuides free Emotional Intelligence Toolkit.

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Diagnostic And Statistical Manual

Previously considered a topic for further research exploration, binge eating disorder was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013. Until 2013, binge eating disorder was categorized as an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, an umbrella category for eating disorders that don’t fall under the categories for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Because it was not a recognized psychiatric disorder in the DSM-IV until 2013, it has been difficult to obtain insurance reimbursement for treatments. The disorder now has its own category under DSM-5, which outlines the signs and symptoms that must be present to classify a person’s behavior as binge eating disorder. Studies have confirmed the high predictive value of these criteria for diagnosing BED.

According to the World Health Organization’s ICD-11 classification of BED, the severity of the disorder can be classified as mild , moderate , severe and extreme .

One study claims that the method for diagnosing BED is for a clinician to conduct a structured interview using the DSM-5 criteria or taking the Eating Disorder Examination. The Structured Clinical Interview takes no more than 75 minutes to complete and has a systematic approach which follows the DSM-5 criteria. The Eating Disorder Examination is a semi-structured interview which identifies the frequency of binges and associated eating disorder features.

Treatment And Counselling For Binge Eating Disorder

Cognitive behavioural therapy for binge eating disorder

CBT is a widely-used therapeutic technique, which has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of a wide variety of mental health conditions and eating disorders, including binge eating disorder .

CBT is based on the principle that eating disorders and destructive behaviours arise and are exacerbated as a result of deep-rooted, negative thought patterns.

In the context of binge eating, these negative beliefs and thought processes can prevent individuals from making healthy choices about eating habits, food, and diet, and can cause a lack of self-belief in your ability to recover from your eating disorder.

As such the purpose of CBT is to challenge and change these dysfunctional thought patterns, in order to resolve the resulting negative behaviour.

Specialist eating disorder interventions

Our highly trained eating disorder experts are also able to deliver a range of specialist interventions that have been specifically designed to treat individuals who are struggling with an eating disorder, including binge eating disorder . These include:

  • Dietetic input
  • Food exposure interventions
  • Body image workshops

At Priory, we are also able to prescribe specific antidepressant medication which can help to treat any co-occurring mental health conditions such as .

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Dealing With Eating Disorders In The Home

As a parent, there are many things you can do to support your childs eating disorder recoveryeven if they are still resisting treatment.

Set a positive example. You have more influence than you think. Instead of dieting, eat nutritious, balanced meals. Be mindful about how you talk about your body and your eating. Avoid self-critical remarks or negative comments about others appearance. Instead, focus on the qualities on the inside that really make a person attractive.

Make mealtimes fun. Try to eat together as a family as often as possible. Even if your child isnt willing to eat the food youve prepared, encourage them to join you at the table. Use this time together to enjoy each others company, rather than talking about problems. Meals are also a good opportunity to show your child that food is something to be enjoyed rather than feared.

Avoid power struggles over food. Attempts to force your child to eat will only cause conflict and bad feelings and likely lead to more secrecy and lying. That doesnt mean you cant set limits or hold your child accountable for their behavior. But dont act like the food police, constantly monitoring your childs behavior.

Do whatever you can to promote self-esteem. in your child in intellectual, athletic, and social endeavors. Give boys and girls the same opportunities and encouragement. A well-rounded sense of self and solid self-esteem are perhaps the best antidotes to disordered eating.

Why Do Some People Binge Eat

3 Steps towards Recovery from Binge Eating Disorder

Experts don’t know the exact cause of binge eating disorder. It’s likely a combination of things, including genetics, family eating habits, emotions, and eating behavior, like skipping meals. Some people use food as a way to soothe themselves or to cope with difficult feelings.

People with binge eating disorder are more likely to have other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder , and ADHD.

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Clean Out The Kitchen

Having lots of or trigger foods in the kitchen can make it much easier to binge eat.

Conversely, keeping healthy foods on hand can reduce your risk of emotional eating by limiting the number of unhealthy options.

Start by clearing out processed snack foods like chips, candies, and pre-packaged convenience foods and swapping them for healthier alternatives.

Stocking your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, protein-rich foods, whole grains, nuts, and seeds can improve your diet and reduce your risk of binge eating unhealthy foods.

Summary Removing unhealthy foods from your kitchen and stocking up on healthy alternatives can improve diet quality and make it harder to binge eat.

The Importance Of Deciding Not To Diet

After a binge, its only natural to feel the need to diet to compensate for overeating and to get back on track with your health. But dieting usually backfires. The deprivation and hunger that comes with strict dieting triggers food cravings and the urge to overeat.

Instead of dieting, focus on eating in moderation. Find nutritious foods that you enjoy and eat only until you feel content, not uncomfortably stuffed. Avoid banning or restricting certain foods, as this can make you crave them even more. Instead of saying I can never eat ice cream, say I will eat ice cream as an occasional treat.

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A Weird But Systematic Way To Stop Overeating And Binge Eating

If I said I could show you how to permanently stop binge eating and overeating today if you wanted to, would you think I was crazy? Many people would, especially if theyve been struggling for a lifetime. Some even report feeling compelled to binge, as if someone were pointing a gun at their head saying keep eating or Ill shoot! Others feel they need their junk, not so much for pleasure, but just to feel normal. I know this pain all too wellNot only from my 27 years of experience as a psychologist, author of a popular weight loss book, and a consultant to the food industrybut from personal history as well. Ill spare you the full story, but lets just say theres probably nothing youve done with food I havent done myself

  • Eating out of the garbage
  • Stealing my roommates food without telling him
  • Driving to multiple fast food restaurants just so no one person would know how much I was eating
  • Eating off the floor
  • And repeatedly stuffing myself way past the point of physical pain.

STEP ONE: Understand and Confront the Forces and Myths in Our Culture That Keep People Fat.

Theres some very interesting research which may shed light on the impact. Mammalian studies which bypass the normal pleasure apparatus show an abandonment of survival needs to self-stimulate via artificial means

STEP TWO: Make At Least One Clear Food Rule.

STEP THREE: Separate Your Constructive vs. Destructive Thoughts About Food

How to Stop Binge Eating at Night

References

Some Of The More Common Signs Of Binge Eating Disorder Are:

How to help a loved one with binge eating disorder ...

If someone is developing binge eating disorder, often changes in behaviour are noticeable before changes to physical appearance. Signs include:

  • Buying lots of food
  • Organising life around bingeing episodes
  • Hoarding food
  • Compromise of education and employment plans

Binge eating disorder is a mental illness, and you might notice changes in the way you or someone you know feels before physical symptoms become obvious. Psychological signs include:

  • Spending a lot or most of their time thinking about food
  • A sense of being out of control around food, or a loss of control over eating
  • Feeling anxious and tense, especially over eating in front of others
  • Low confidence and self-esteem
  • Feelings of shame and guilt after bingeing
  • Other mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety

There are several physical consequences associated with binge eating disorder:

  • Tiredness
  • Poor skin condition

Like any eating disorder, binge eating disorder can have long-term physical effects, some of which may be permanent. These include:

  • Obesity
  • Damage to the oesophagus and stomach
  • Arthritis

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Find Someone To Talk To

Talking to a friend or peer when you feel like binging may help reduce your likelihood of overeating.

One study in 101 adolescents undergoing sleeve gastrectomy showed that reliable social support was associated with less binge eating .

Another study in 125 women with obesity found that better social support was linked to decreased binge eating severity .

A good social support system is thought to reduce the impact of stress, which may help decrease your risk of other coping habits like emotional eating .

Next time you feel like binge eating, pick up the phone and call a trusted friend or family member. If you dont have someone to talk to, eating disorder helplines are available free of charge.

Summary A good social support system may be linked to decreased binge eating and stress.

/4what Is The Solution

If experts are to be believed there are some simple tricks, if applied diligently can help control the habit.

1. Try measuring food as per your appetite.2. Never replace the main course with snacks and drinks.3. Start your day with a protein-rich breakfast.4. Indulge in smaller and frequent meals which are rich in grains, fruits, and vegetables.5. Include simple exercises in your daily routine like brisk walk, meditation, jogging, or yoga.

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Concerns About Weight Loss Treatments

Because a significant percentage of people who have BED are obese, individuals with BED have historically sought treatment for and been treated for weight loss. While some earlier studies seemed to show that behavioral weight loss might be effective for the treatment of BED, many of these studies were small and poorly designed.

A 2010 study found that behavioral weight loss was inferior to CBT in reducing binge eating and also did not result in significant weight loss they concluded, effective methods for producing longer-term weight loss remain elusive.

Many eating disorder professionals now believe that attempts at weight loss among patients with BED may only exacerbate the problem and further entrench the disorder, causing intense shame and resulting in weight gain. While CBT and behavior change tends to result in weight loss, the main focus of these treatments is not on losing weight.

Effects Of Binge Eating Disorder

How I Recovered From a Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating leads to a wide variety of physical, emotional, and social problems. Youre more likely to suffer health issues, stress, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts than someone without an eating disorder. You may also experience depression, anxiety, and substance abuse as well as substantial weight gain.

As bleak as this sounds, though, many people are able to recover from binge eating disorder and reverse the unhealthy effects. You can, too. The first step is to re-evaluate your relationship with food.

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Strategy : Eat Your Fiber

Eating unprocessed foods, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can help you feel full and potentially moderate your compulsive eating. Fiber moves slowly through the digestive tract, keeping you feeling satiated longer, and may cut down on food cravings.

Most fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are rich in fiber.

Examples include:

  • Carrots
  • Chickpeas

Fiber-rich foods help control cholesterol, blood sugar, and reduce the risks of diabetes and heart disease.

Eat Breakfast Every Day

Starting each day off with a healthy breakfast might reduce the risk of binge eating later in the day.

Several studies have found that maintaining a regular eating pattern is associated with less binge eating and lower levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates feelings of hunger .

Plus, filling up on the right foods can keep you feeling full to curb cravings and reduce hunger throughout the day.

For example, one study in 15 people found that eating a high-protein breakfast reduced levels of ghrelin to a greater extent than eating a high carb breakfast .

Meanwhile, eating fiber- and protein-rich oatmeal was shown to improve appetite control and promote fullness in another study in 48 people .

Try combining a few fiber-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, or whole grains, with a good source of protein to avoid overeating.

Summary Eating a fiber- and protein-rich breakfast can prevent cravings and keep you satisfied throughout the morning.

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