Binge Eating Disorder
Binge-eating disorder is a serious condition. It always involves feeling like you're not able to stop eating. It also often involves eating much larger than usual amounts of food. A person with bulimia nervosa, another eating disorder, may binge and then vomit, use laxatives or exercise excessively to get rid of extra calories. This is not the case with binge-eating disorder. If you have binge-eating disorder, you may try to diet or eat less food at mealtimes to compensate. But restricting your diet may simply lead to more binge eating.
Almost everyone overeats on occasion, such as having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal. But regularly feeling that eating is out of control and eating an unusually large amount of food may be symptoms of binge-eating disorder.
People who have binge-eating disorder often feel embarrassed or ashamed about eating binges. People with the disorder often go through periods of trying to restrict or severely cut back on their eating as a result. But this instead may increase urges to eat and lead to a cycle of ongoing binge eating. Treatment for binge-eating disorder can help people feel more in control and balanced with their eating.
Symptoms
If you have binge-eating disorder, you may be overweight or obese, or you may be at a healthy weight. Most people with binge-eating disorder feel upset about their body size or shape no matter what the number on the scale is.
Symptoms of binge-eating disorder vary but can include:
Feeling that you don't have control over your eating behavior, for example, you can't stop once you start.
Often eating much larger than usual amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as over a two-hour period.
Eating even when you're full or not hungry.
Eating very fast during eating binges.
Eating until you're uncomfortably full.
Often eating alone or in secret.
Feeling depressed, disgusted, ashamed, guilty or upset about your eating.
How much eating binges affect your mood and ability to function in daily life gives an idea of how serious the condition is for you. Binge-eating disorder can vary over time. The condition may be short-lived, may go away and come back, or may continue for years if left untreated.
If you have any symptoms of binge-eating disorder, get medical help as soon as possible. Talk with your healthcare professional or a mental health professional about your symptoms and feelings.
If you're embarrassed by your eating and are worried about talking to your healthcare professional, start by talking with someone you trust about what you're going through. A friend, family member, teacher or faith leader can encourage and support you in taking the first steps to successful treatment of binge-eating disorder.
Talking with a professional with specialty training in eating disorders or reaching out to an organization specializing in eating disorders might be a good place to find support from someone who understands what you're going through.
Helping a loved one who has symptoms:
Someone who has binge-eating disorder may become an expert at hiding behavior. This is usually because of feelings of shame and embarrassment about the symptoms. Hiding symptoms can make it hard for others to notice the problem. If you think a loved one may have symptoms of binge-eating disorder, have an open and honest talk about your concerns, but remember to approach the topic with sensitivity. Eating disorders are mental health conditions, and the behaviors are not the fault or choice of the person with this condition.
Give encouragement and support. Offer to help your loved one find a healthcare professional or mental health professional with experience in treating eating disorders. You may help make an appointment. You might even offer to go along.
Treatment Options
The goal for treatment of binge-eating disorder is to have healthy, regular eating habits. Because binge eating often involves shame, poor body self-image and other negative emotions, treatment also addresses these and related mental health conditions, such as depression. By getting help for binge eating, you can learn how to feel more in control of your eating.
Treatment of binge-eating disorder may be done by a team of specialists. The team can include doctors and other healthcare professionals, mental health professionals, and dietitians, all with experience in eating disorders.
Talk therapy, also called psychotherapy, can help you learn how to exchange unhealthy habits for healthy ones and reduce binge eating. Talk therapy may be in individual or group sessions. Examples of types of talk therapy that can help binge-eating disorder include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help you cope better with issues that can trigger binge eating, such as negative feelings about your body or a depressed mood. CBT also may give you a better sense of control over your behavior and help you gain healthy-eating patterns. A form of CBT called enhanced CBT (CBT-E) is specifically designed to treat eating disorders.
Integrative cognitive-affective therapy (ICAT) is a type of talk therapy that may be helpful for adults with binge-eating disorder. This therapy can help you change the emotions and behaviors that trigger binge eating.
Dialectical behavior therapy. This type of talk therapy can help you learn behavioral skills to help you deal with stress, manage your emotions and improve your relationships with others. These skills can lessen the desire to binge eat.
Medications:
Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse) is a medicine for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is the first medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat moderate to severe binge-eating disorder, but only in adults. Because it's a stimulant, this medicine can be habit-forming and misused. Common side effects include dry mouth and problems sleeping, but more-serious side effects can happen.
Examples of other types of medicine that may help reduce symptoms of binge-eating disorder include certain medicines used to control seizures and certain antidepressants.
Along with getting professional help, you can take these self-care steps as part of your treatment plan:
Stay with your treatment. Don't skip therapy sessions. If you have a meal plan, do your best to stay with it. Don't let setbacks keep you from continuing treatment.
Stay away from dieting. Trying to diet can trigger more binge eating, leading to a vicious cycle that's hard to break.
Eat regularly. For example, eat every 2 to 3 hours to try to break the restrict-then-binge cycle.
Plan ahead for triggering situations. Being around certain foods can trigger eating binges for some people. Plan what to do when you're around foods that are tempting.
Get the right nutrients. Just because you may be eating a lot during binges doesn't mean you're eating the kinds of food that have all the nutrients you need. Ask your healthcare professional if you need to adjust your diet to get essential vitamins and minerals.
Stay connected. Don't isolate yourself from caring family members and friends who want to see you get healthy. Surround yourself with people who have your best interests at heart.
Get active. Ask your healthcare professional what kind of physical activity is best for you.
Alternative medicine
Most dietary supplements and herbal products designed to lessen the appetite or aid in weight loss are not effective and may be misused by people with eating disorders. Natural doesn't always mean safe. Some weight-loss supplements or herbs can have serious side effects and dangerously interact with other medicines.
Before you use any dietary supplements or herbs, talk about the possible benefits and risks with your healthcare professional.
Living with an eating disorder can be difficult. Here are some tips to help you cope:
Treat yourself with care. Living with and treating an eating disorder is very hard. Often other people don't understand what you're going through. Be kind to yourself, even if you're not successful with the treatment plan right away. Try to find communities where people are able to support your efforts.
Identify situations that may trigger problem eating behavior. Identifying these triggers can help you develop a plan of action to deal with them.
Look for positive role models. Find role models who don't accidentally add to your body dissatisfaction and pressure to eat in unhealthy ways. Remind yourself that the models, actors and influencers showcased in the media or on social media often don't represent healthy, realistic bodies.
Look for a trusted relative or friend. Find someone you can talk with about what's going on.
Find healthy ways to take care of yourself. Do something just for fun or to relax, such as yoga, meditation or a walk.
Consider writing in a journal about your feelings and behaviors. Journaling can make you more aware of your feelings and actions, and how they're related.
Visit trusted internet sites. Examples of organizations that offer support for people affected by eating disorders include the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment for Eating Disorders (F.E.A.S.T.) offers support to families.