Binge eating; HOW TO STOP

bbg_daryl

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This should not be taken as legitimate, professional advice. This is information I have at my disposal because I live with an eating disorder.

It is possible that you could have an eating disorder known as Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Self-diagnosis is always frowned upon in matters of mental health, but here are some factors that separate a normal craving for junk food from the actual disorder:

~Binges occur at least twice a week
~During a binge, you consume so much food you feel physically uncomfortable ("stuffed")
~You eat more quickly during a binge
~You feel as if you can't stop during a binge
~You feel guilty, disgusting, or depressed afterwards
~You often feel embarrassed eating in front of others even when not binging
~Binges seem to be provoked by times of boredom, depression, or high stress
~You binge even when you're not hungry
~People with BED don't indulge in inappropriate compensatory behavior after a binge (i.e. fasting for days, induced vomiting, excessive exercising, other self-harm) the way that anorexics and bulimics do. This is why it's a separate disorder.

Again, you have to have most of these symptoms and binge more than twice a week, as well, the behavior has to have occurred for at least three months to be classified as an eating disorder. But if this sounds like you (or anyone else who may be reading this) then understand that this kind of eating disorder is actually a symptom of other underlying problems. You should consider talking to your doctor and possibly a therapist.

reneeileen

First, it is wonderfully brave of you to reach out to others. I hope that you are able to find strategies to help you overcome this.

Second, I can only tell you what helped me. I hope it provides insight but everyone is different.

I lived with bulimia throughout high school and by college I was able to kick my purging. The binging persisted through my mid 20s. The purging was less intensive for me to end because I was a classical singer and I had a strong motivator to preserve my voice. I also sought some counseling to learn some coping strategies shortly after I quit the purging "cold turkey".

The binging for me was very complex and I had to commit myself to several changes:
1. Do not bring junk food into my home. If I wanted something, I had to buy it in a single serving or share it with others but there could be no leftovers.
2. Really plan my meals. This meant thinking about meals a week in advance and preparing with nutritious foods.
3. Exercise. For me just the act of exercise makes my body crave healthier food.
4. Practice mindfulness meditation - this was the hardest. When I got the urge to binge I had to stop, acknowledge my feelings, tune into my body, and think about what I really needed. In this practice I would remind myself that I love me. This could be very intense. There were times when I would be sitting with my eyes closed and tears streaming down my face.
5. Identify the ritual. For me it was standing in front of the pantry, eating straight out of the package. I was close enough to the garbage to get rid of the evidence and close enough to grab the next thing. I had to physically keep myself from opening packages in front of the open pantry.

Looking back now I can see that it was totally emotional for me. I would feel something that made me feel empty and then I would think about a specific food. I would fixate on it until I could eat it. When I started to eat it, I would eat it all. When that was finished, it usually wasn't enough. I would go to something else. I might finish it, I might stop before I was finished because I was already stuffed. I wasn't finished until I felt beyond stuffed. My stomach was so full I was uncomfortable and I could feel my heart racing. I would lay in bed too full to move, too full to fall asleep and that is when the shame would hit. It was truly compulsive behavior.

When I was ready to face it. I started by removing all trigger foods from my home. They weren't allowed back in my home for years. Eventually, I got to a point when I could recognize a binge as it started. Then I could stop it mid-binge. In the last six years, I can count the binges on one hand. When it has happened the most important thing I could do was forgive myself and go back to basics.

I still struggle with overeating when I am feeling stressed, sad, or defeated. I know I still have work to do but I am no longer actively binging. It is possible overcome it and don't be afraid to seek professional help.