Binge or splurge?

karenhray7

I've been noticing that the word "binge" gets thrown around a LOT on these boards. But the thing is, most of the time, the posters are not talking about a true binge, but a splurge. There is such a huge difference between over eating (splurge) and eating uncontrollably.

True, for some people that loss of control may present itself as eating 3 cookies, while for others (like me) it's a blinding whirlwind of fat, salt, sugar, and calorie upon calorie for what seems like hours. I can get completely absorbed-lost, if you will-in my pint of ice cream or my jar of peanut butter. It's like the world outside of me and my food ceases to exist and it's just me and the food in this...contest to see how much I can eat. And the whole time, the only thing in my head besides the sensory experience of the food is a little voice crying for me to stop. But I can't. THAT is a binge. That loss of control, that feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, that little voice inside begging you to stop, THAT is a binge.

Accidentally eating the whole bag of chips while you watch Justified, THAT is a splurge.

I know it may be overly sensitive of me, but when the word binge gets bandied around like it's no big deal, I get a little nauseated, and a little sad, because I'm relatively sure that I'm not the only one who experiences true binges and calling a splurge a binge feels really marginalizing to those of us who fight with this on a daily basis.

jzammetti

I agree with the way you differentiate spluring from binging - it drives me nuts too when someone posts "I binged and HATE MYSELF" after eating three cookies.

I don't think I ever truly had a binging problem...but I did overeat on a regular basis before two years ago. To me, binging is going over your calories by thousands and not being able to stop yourself. Many need professional help to identify the root cause of this behavior.

karenhray7

It's the "not being able to stop yourself" part that defines a binge. It's one of the scariest things I've ever been involved in-feeling completely powerless to stop eating. People who've never been there can have a really hard time understanding how devastating binging can be. I cannot begin to count the number of secret late night cupcake episodes that I've cried my way through. For me, misery doesn't just love company, it loves cupcakes.

Lyerin

I understand what you are saying, but I think a loss of control is probably different for every person. For someone who keeps to a very strict diet, 3 cookies consumed in a very weak moment could be a binge. For me, I would consider that a splurge, but my binges were much more like what you described yours. I guess the idea of a "binge" to me encompasses not only the uncontrolled and secret nature but also the extreme guilt and shame that one feels afterward.

dmb10000

I think a splurge is intentional, a binge is driven by something other than hunger and is essentially mindless eating for a subconscious reason (for me, it was to punish myself for not being perfect).

kshama2001

Well, I'm 10 years late to the thread, but I do like the OP's definition, AND this counterpoint:

Lyerin wrote: »

I understand what you are saying, but I think a loss of control is probably different for every person. For someone who keeps to a very strict diet, 3 cookies consumed in a very weak moment could be a binge. For me, I would consider that a splurge, but my binges were much more like what you described yours. I guess the idea of a "binge" to me encompasses not only the uncontrolled and secret nature but also the extreme guilt and shame that one feels afterward.

I read a description of a binge eater years ago, possibly in Oliver Sacks' "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat," and it stuck with me, but I do hold space for the counterpoint above.

princesslily1

Binging is a real thing, and it looks different for everyone, maybe its how each person perceives a binge. Splurging for me is eating over your daily calories so you can have a cookie or two.

Binging for me looks completley different...

Stressful experiences/events has always triggered chewing needs for me. For my whole life, when I watch a stressful scene with my family I typically bite my nails. What I didn't know was that the content I had been watching through my smartphone on the internet was triggering compulsive binge eating.

My smartphone over the years has been insidiously pulling me in like a zombie, where I would just sit and either read or watch the most triggering unhealthy content. Also in my daily life, when a stressful time would occur I would reach for my smartphone and look for more unhealthy content to watch, compounding the problem. During that time I reach for the quick snacks and just munch mindlessly.

I also would find myself getting very annoyed about anyone/anything interrupting me during this binging trip too, and I had no idea what I was doing to myself, my brain was almost on autopilot - and I didn't know how to break free.

I am now 100% off my smartphone for media content, and when I made this decision I found my triggers where through there - something has switched in my brain. I can tell you that I am much more focused and aware of my decisions, my family is noticing the differences mentally I'm just hoping it will be soon the physical changes as well.

When I decided to move away from the smartphone completely for immediate answers/entertainment content - my brain rewired to healthy habits of 10yrs ago.

sollyn23l2

The term "binge" is essentially meaningless, and there is no clearly defined concept for "binge". Basically, it means whatever you want it to mean. If one wants to call eating half a cookie a binge because they think that makes them quirky or cool, they're perfectly allowed to do so. And nobody can tell them they're wrong. The only clearly defined term would be binge eating disorder, which has certain requirements for an individual to be diagnosed.

kshama2001

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

The term "binge" is essentially meaningless, and there is no clearly defined concept for "binge". Basically, it means whatever you want it to mean. If one wants to call eating half a cookie a binge because they think that makes them quirky or cool, they're perfectly allowed to do so. And nobody can tell them they're wrong. The only clearly defined term would be binge eating disorder, which has certain requirements for an individual to be diagnosed.

Good point @sollyn23l2 . I looked up the criteria for binge eating disorder:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK338301/table/introduction.t1/

Criteria Set Specific Definitions for Each Criterion

Criterion 1 Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:

• Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
• The sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)

Criterion 2 Binge-eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following:

• 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 being embarrassed by how much one is eating
• Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating

Criterion 3 Marked distress regarding binge eating is present.

Criterion 4 The binge eating occurs, on average,

• at least 2 days a week for 6 months (DSM-IV frequency and duration criteria)
• at least 1 day a week for 3 months (DSM-5 frequency and duration criteria)

Criterion 5 The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behavior (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise) and does not occur exclusively during the course of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Severity Grading DSM-IV does not include a BED severity grading scale.

Applicable to DSM-5 only, BED severity is graded as follows:

• Mild: 1 to 3 episodes per week
• Moderate: 4 to 7 episodes per week
• Severe: 8 to 13 episodes per week
• Extreme: 14 or more episodes per week

MsCzar

For me, the difference between the two lies in having a sense of control. If I order a decadent dessert or have pizza out with friends, that's a splurge. I'll enjoy the treat and go back to plan the next day.
A binge is feeling compelled to eat until there isn't any more. That can be a particular food or worse, any food. I don't buy ice cream or pizza because I will eat the entirety of whatever quantity I bought... no matter how much. It hasn't happened in a long while, but sometimes a binge is anything and everything - whatever is in the larder.