overcoming binge eating disorder?

has anyone had this and come out the other side??

i have had problems with this since my early teens and still 13years later i cant overcome it :sad:
i have months where im doing great and then as soon has a have a bad few days or a special occasion like a birthday comes around i have a total relapse which can take me weeks to overcome. i dont just binge tho i purge and abuse laxatives, i dont lose weight from it so i dunno why i do it, mainly guilt from eating rubbish and that horrible full feeling is too hard to bare.

its really getting me down and my partner is worried im slipping back into old ways.
i just want a quick fix to stop this happening everytime i have a bad weekend has i seem to gain so much weight!!

thanks

Replies

  • tlaker
    tlaker Posts: 82 Member
    i too have the same problem...not for the past 6+ months though. In September i decided i NEED to talk to a psychologist about it, because it's been something i've struggled with for 7 years. With past dieting i would do great...but then one slip up or special occassion and it would be all down hill for possibly days and months on and off (both binging and purging...but more-so just binging) I only talked to a psychologist for about 4 months because i just felt like i really learned alot and was confident in myself to try life on my own again. I was also put on well-butrin, an antidepressant because i tested mildly depressed, which i'm sure had a lot to do with my over eating. well-butrin is for people dealing with addiction...and for me it was food. I'm still on it and when my doctor tells me its ok to stop i will, because i dont want to have to be on it forever. But i know that has to be a factor in helping me. And before-hand i was very against antidepressants..until i was better educated about them in how they really help. I am now eating healthy, not obsessing and taking my weightloss slow and steady. So with all this, my recommendation is to seriously talk to a professional. I know for the rest of my life i will really have to be careful not to fall into the binging cycle but i'm so much more educated on what healthy/proper eating habbits really are. Don't be afraid to talk to someone, it's their job and you dont go into a profession like that unless they truly care about helping you. Good luck with this! i hope you get the help you deserve...you only have one life and no one wants to live it the way we have. God Bless!
  • I would definitely recommend talking to a professional. Unfortunately, that's the only advice anyone is going to be able to give you. It's not really about food. There's something else going on. Good luck and take care!
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    bump
  • As with any behaviour you want to change; getting support is the first step. Do you have a local OA meeting you can go to?
  • I'm not one to judge but if anyone one does i have my own issues with these things and you can friend me i will listen and support you and you can support me.:flowerforyou:
  • JenAiMarres
    JenAiMarres Posts: 743 Member
    Yes a professional would definitely be able to help...and I know that since joining mfp over a year ago I hepisodes fewer an fewer episodes...I am controlling my food in a new way...a healthy way...

    Also writing in a diary when the mood strikes for a binge...lock yourself in a closet and just write EVERYTHING for 30 minutes...hopefully you can work through that impulsive/compulsive emotion!!!
  • I'm right there with you. Seriously consider finding a therapist/groups!
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    I'd talk to your doctor and have him refer you to someone that can help. But from personal experience;

    For the last 5 years I've had a terrible cycle, under eating in the week (600-1000 cals) and overeating at the weekend (between 1800-2500 a day). I found that once I had one item of "bad" food I felt like I had failed and it would snowball I'd just eat more and more telling myself I would start again the next week. I put on so much weight being like that.

    The only way I could get over this was to change the way I thought about food.

    Once you stop seeing food as the enemy it's easier, if you allow yourself whatever you want, whenever you want as long as it's within your cals/fat/carbs it's so much easier, everything becomes easier. I find I don't punish myself, I can have a few chips, or if I fancy Yorkshire puddings with my tea I'll make some, if I want a pizza on Friday I'll plan ahead, eat sensibly earlier and work out. It's all about balance. I also think once no food is bad it's less tempting. Each week I allow myself a Chinese take-away on Saturday with my partner, I found that over the weeks I would still want some but wouldn't eat as much.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    has anyone had this and come out the other side??

    i have had problems with this since my early teens and still 13years later i cant overcome it :sad:
    i have months where im doing great and then as soon has a have a bad few days or a special occasion like a birthday comes around i have a total relapse which can take me weeks to overcome. i dont just binge tho i purge and abuse laxatives, i dont lose weight from it so i dunno why i do it, mainly guilt from eating rubbish and that horrible full feeling is too hard to bare.

    its really getting me down and my partner is worried im slipping back into old ways.
    i just want a quick fix to stop this happening everytime i have a bad weekend has i seem to gain so much weight!!

    thanks

    To be very honest, the help you need wont be appropriate from MFP.... You really should seek the guidance of your PCP who can direct you to an Eating Disorder/Behavioral Specialist....
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I was bad with this too. I fought to get under specialist weight management and got on a good antidepressant for anxiety\sleep\depression called Mirtazipine. Something snapped in my head and I wanted to change, I never used laxitives just under then massive over eating. I gained 100lbs in a year! Now I've worked 56lbs off. I've been through cancer scare, having tumours removed and part of my liver (major surgery) and my gall bladder removed 2 weeks ago, along with ages in hospital and immobile and I gained 1lb over all that time. Considering I've been hugely stressed its amazing and shows I've got this in the bag. I think professional help but u also need that light bulb moment when you snap and decide you won't live like this anymore because you deserve better. No doubt there will be times when I want to comfort eat, but mostly I'm over it. U can do it too x
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    has anyone had this and come out the other side??

    i have had problems with this since my early teens and still 13years later i cant overcome it :sad:
    i have months where im doing great and then as soon has a have a bad few days or a special occasion like a birthday comes around i have a total relapse which can take me weeks to overcome. i dont just binge tho i purge and abuse laxatives, i dont lose weight from it so i dunno why i do it, mainly guilt from eating rubbish and that horrible full feeling is too hard to bare.

    its really getting me down and my partner is worried im slipping back into old ways.
    i just want a quick fix to stop this happening everytime i have a bad weekend has i seem to gain so much weight!!

    thanks

    To be very honest, the help you need wont be appropriate from MFP.... You really should seek the guidance of your PCP who can direct you to an Eating Disorder/Behavioral Specialist....

    Agree on professional help, but this site has really helped me also! X
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    has anyone had this and come out the other side??

    i have had problems with this since my early teens and still 13years later i cant overcome it :sad:
    i have months where im doing great and then as soon has a have a bad few days or a special occasion like a birthday comes around i have a total relapse which can take me weeks to overcome. i dont just binge tho i purge and abuse laxatives, i dont lose weight from it so i dunno why i do it, mainly guilt from eating rubbish and that horrible full feeling is too hard to bare.

    its really getting me down and my partner is worried im slipping back into old ways.
    i just want a quick fix to stop this happening everytime i have a bad weekend has i seem to gain so much weight!!

    thanks

    To be very honest, the help you need wont be appropriate from MFP.... You really should seek the guidance of your PCP who can direct you to an Eating Disorder/Behavioral Specialist....

    Agree on professional help, but this site has really helped me also! X

    The problem though is that this site is not in any way shape or form a replacement for real medical advice, nor should this site be used for medical advice, ever. MFP significantly frowns on anyone and everyone looking for medical advice here where they do not have clinical team working here, and its a huge liability....

    Real-life professional help is the ***only*** viable source to go to if you are having any type of medical/psychological problem....not MFP...
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    has anyone had this and come out the other side??

    i have had problems with this since my early teens and still 13years later i cant overcome it :sad:
    i have months where im doing great and then as soon has a have a bad few days or a special occasion like a birthday comes around i have a total relapse which can take me weeks to overcome. i dont just binge tho i purge and abuse laxatives, i dont lose weight from it so i dunno why i do it, mainly guilt from eating rubbish and that horrible full feeling is too hard to bare.

    its really getting me down and my partner is worried im slipping back into old ways.
    i just want a quick fix to stop this happening everytime i have a bad weekend has i seem to gain so much weight!!

    thanks

    To be very honest, the help you need wont be appropriate from MFP.... You really should seek the guidance of your PCP who can direct you to an Eating Disorder/Behavioral Specialist....

    Agree on professional help, but this site has really helped me also! X

    The problem though is that this site is not in any way shape or form a replacement for real medical advice, nor should this site be used for medical advice, ever. MFP significantly frowns on anyone and everyone looking for medical advice here where they do not have clinical team working here, and its a huge liability....

    Real-life professional help is the ***only*** viable source to go to if you are having any type of medical/psychological problem....not MFP...

    not everyone can AFFORD medical help, js.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    has anyone had this and come out the other side??

    i have had problems with this since my early teens and still 13years later i cant overcome it :sad:
    i have months where im doing great and then as soon has a have a bad few days or a special occasion like a birthday comes around i have a total relapse which can take me weeks to overcome. i dont just binge tho i purge and abuse laxatives, i dont lose weight from it so i dunno why i do it, mainly guilt from eating rubbish and that horrible full feeling is too hard to bare.

    its really getting me down and my partner is worried im slipping back into old ways.
    i just want a quick fix to stop this happening everytime i have a bad weekend has i seem to gain so much weight!!

    thanks
    I have recovered but I didn't see a professional and probably should have. It took me 2 years to 'learn' how to eat right again. For me I realized that I was doing it to have some type of control of something in my life because I had NO control in other areas. Logging on here helps because at the end of the day I can look at what I ate and know that I nourished my body and didn't abuse it. I also keep my diary open to friends, even though they may not know about my past and that way I'm held accountable even if it's to myself, if that makes sense. Try to get professional help if you can and add me on here if you'd like.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    has anyone had this and come out the other side??

    i have had problems with this since my early teens and still 13years later i cant overcome it :sad:
    i have months where im doing great and then as soon has a have a bad few days or a special occasion like a birthday comes around i have a total relapse which can take me weeks to overcome. i dont just binge tho i purge and abuse laxatives, i dont lose weight from it so i dunno why i do it, mainly guilt from eating rubbish and that horrible full feeling is too hard to bare.

    its really getting me down and my partner is worried im slipping back into old ways.
    i just want a quick fix to stop this happening everytime i have a bad weekend has i seem to gain so much weight!!

    thanks

    To be very honest, the help you need wont be appropriate from MFP.... You really should seek the guidance of your PCP who can direct you to an Eating Disorder/Behavioral Specialist....

    Agree on professional help, but this site has really helped me also! X

    The problem though is that this site is not in any way shape or form a replacement for real medical advice, nor should this site be used for medical advice, ever. MFP significantly frowns on anyone and everyone looking for medical advice here where they do not have clinical team working here, and its a huge liability....

    Real-life professional help is the ***only*** viable source to go to if you are having any type of medical/psychological problem....not MFP...

    not everyone can AFFORD medical help, js.

    The OP is in the UK so medical help will be free.

    But it is hard to speak to a doctor about this type of thing, as everyone has said professional advice is encouraged but I also think stories from other people can be helpful also.
  • I really think your response is very insightful. I am also trying to not treat every meal as a "last meal". I am lucky enough to not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from so I am trying to get into your mindset.
  • LauriesTrying2BeFit
    LauriesTrying2BeFit Posts: 414 Member
    thank you all.
    i havent seen a dr or anyone about this in about 5yrs because i lied and told them i was better before i had my first son because i was fine for almost 1yr but them slipped up and got worse when i was pregnant with my second son and its been on and off since then. if i can get the courage i will go back to the dr it is free here!

    i am trying to not cheat on here from now on so i will see how it goes :happy:
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