Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

CrazyMermaid1
CrazyMermaid1 Posts: 356 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My psychotherapist friend sent me an article written by Amy Pershing in Psychotherapynetworker.org. Her point is that up to 75.% of cases involve childhood trauma, and that more than 60% of people with BED have been diagnosed with one or more co-occurring mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, ADD, and PTSD. The point of the article is that until the underlying problem is resolved, the BED won’t be solved. Binge eating is a way of distracting a person from pain and shame. In therapy the binge is befriended, heard and relieved of the trauma-based burdens it carries. Food for thought.

Replies

  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,755 Member
    I can believe that. I think many people develop eating disorders as a coping mechanism for trauma. And it makes sense that until those issues are resolved, it will continue to be used as a coping mechanism.
  • LifeChangz
    LifeChangz Posts: 456 Member
    edited May 2023
    @CrazyMermaid1 ~ saw this when you posted, but had to hop off - was thinking about it, and finally able to pop back on...

    i have not read the article - and would agree that a person would need to resolve/come to terms with trauma...

    and, would add - don't have to wait for that to also improve struggles with BED - like a multi-pronged approach - work on the eating pattern, help improve emotional health by learning/practicing new2us life skills (thinking CBT therapy skills), living each day, practice the skills, assess how it's going, tweak the strategy and practice more. I *think* as we go through the process and make progress, things improve. With respect to BED - would expect the length and intensity of binges to lesson, the time between to get longer, the new2us skills overwrite the old habits and urges which recede and the new skills become the 'go to' coping skills for life. (aka - a lay person's attempt to describe the process of change - and that relapse can and will happen - why it is important to keep gettting up, dusting off and trying more.)

    I kind of think of it as (re)learning complex skills - like take high diving with triple flips - the person starts by learning to get in the water, hold their breath, blow bubbles, paddle, swim, jump in, dive from the side, then the low board, to do flips/twists, from higher boards adding more twists/flips - not impossible - but takes practice. A coach (therapist) helps assess what happened, what to try next, then encourages to go try more (does not beat the person up for trying and goofing... goofing happens....) so, look back briefly to assess/strategize, then turn, point forward, try more...

    as the process of change is worked on - concurrently, work to identify and deal with the emotional issues....

    -- i have read... if the problem/underlying trauma is not addressed, the longer it goes... the deeper/more entrenched the 'bad coping' can become... and will stay that way until the person recognizes there is a problem and they want to change... every single time a person reaches forward towards change, is a fresh chance to put things in the past... BED recovery is totally possible (imho) and the person is not terminally ill - it can get better :)

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