Binge Eating: HELP

Hi, I think you're so brave to open up about your binge eating but how brilliant that every who has commented on here is supporting each other. I also used to binge and purge regularly, especially when I was in Uni. I still could easily - I don't know why, I feel that I don't have a pull switch the same as everyone else sometimes! My trigger foods are bread and pasta, so I try to limit how much I eat of them because I love them so much. However, saying that the only thing which got me out of the habit of bingeing was to 'stop dieting' literally tell yourself that you can eat what you want whenever you want. That way your don't feel deprived. I eat toast when I want it and have a piece of dark chocolate every day. It's about feeling free in your mind. I read the book 'Beyond Chocolate' which helped me alot. I now feel a lot more in control of my relationship with food (There are times when I've over eaten and I feel I could purge but I love myself more than that) and now feel less on a diet and more on a path of shedding my old negative self. One of the best pieces of advice I ever read was to treat your body like your best friend.
I hope you manage to overcome your demons. You're not alone that's for sure. x

I was a bulimic for almost 20 years, so I understand the binging side of things too well. You are very brave to open up about it. I couldn't do so for a long time. One thing that helped was joining a group through ANAD (http://www.anad.org). Don't be put off by anorexia in the name -- it's for all people with eating disorders. The group was free and it helped SO MUCH. I also found my eating disorder therapist through the group, and it helped my success in getting the ED mostly under control. But as I'm sure you understand, it can be a constant struggle, even with treatment. But specific treatment is crucial.

There is a fantastic series of workbooks that specialize in dialectical behavior therapy. This type of therapy specifically targets dealing with difficult emotions. It's also helped me a lot. Although this is a bulimia workbook, I highly recommend it: http://www.amazon.com/Dialectical-Behavior-Therapy-Workbook-Bulimia/dp/1572246197/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375100821&sr=1-1&keywords=bulimia+workbook+dialectical

There is also a workbook generally about DBT, and it is also fantastic.

Reaching out and getting support is so important, and this is a great first step. Don't feel ashamed. You are not alone.

Great advice!

I was also bulimic for ~15 years, I still fight it every. single. day.
I went to a therapist and a nutritionist for a couple of years and was able to identify not only binge trigger foods (which you should absolutely keep out of your house), but also when the binges were likely to happen with regard to my activity. I binged when I got frustrated with my kids and when I hadn't eaten for a few hours. Skipping a meal is a huge no-no for me. Almost every time I skipped a meal, I would binge later. Keeping a journal of your feelings when you eat, plus your hunger level on a scale of 1-10 before and after you eat are very helpful. I absolutely must eat before I'm ravenous (around a 3), and I can't eat until I'm stuffed (max of 7ish).

There is help out there for BED. I just read a book on mid-life eating disorders (the information is actually relevant at any age but this book was talking about how men and women end up with eating disorders that crop up (or resurface) at middle age) and binge eating disorders are just as serious as anorexia. And they frequently need professional intervention like anorexia to treat.

According to my therapist who specializes in eating disorders, our cognitive ability begins to change from the disordered eating itself, and we're no longer able to just "think" our way out of it, like we would another "bad habit".

I wish you the best as you tackle this issue. Your honesty and willingness to "put yourself out there" to a bunch of people you don't know and share your struggle is evidence you are willing to change. It also humbles me as I think of all the times I've hidden issues in my life because of a "what will people think?" mentality. You're awesome!

I also struggle with this!

It has been so hard and throughout the past 12 years I have gone back and forth between bulemia and binging and extreme excersize. I wish I knew a healthy way to handle this.

When Im happy I eat. When I want to relax after along work week we take the kids out to dinner on Friday night and I usually end up consuming way to many calories.... I also have a bad habbit of waking up in the night and snakcing on something high calorie and sweet....

I used to just not buy bread cookies snack foods etc. But with two kids and a hubby it's impossible not to have their food in the house