It is the most common kind of eating disorder, but most people do not realize it. With the help of this blog, you may learn so many things about this disorder and can easily recognize it with the help of its symptoms. Let’s continue to explore more about the binge eating disorder.
What is a binge eating disorder?
BED is a kind of behavioral disorder described by chronic and compulsive overeating. Experiencing occasional overeating is typical, but having an eating disorder is a daily struggle. It can feel like it rules your life and disrupts your mental, emotional, and physical health. Binge eating involves consuming excessive amounts of food in a short time and feeling unable to stop.
What is considered binge eating?
Here are some points that diagnose binge eating disorder, it includes:
- The very first thing is feeling a sense of compulsive or lack of control over your eating.
- Eating a large amount of food in less time. The amount of food eaten within the time frame is just one to two hours, which is almost impossible for normal people.
- Feeling of distress about binge eating.
- The situation of binge eating occurs at least once a week and generally continues for several months.
What is the difference between binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa?
Binge eating disorder is different from bulimia nervosa. It does not include purging behaviors like forced vomiting, abusing laxatives, or excessive exercise after eating. Instead, a binge eating episode concludes with the act of eating. However, some individuals with binge eating disorder may also have a history of chronic dieting. They may try to limit their calorie intake before experiencing a binge, or they may attempt to diet after a binge in order to repay for it.
How common this disorder is?
However most people do not know about binge eating disorders, but this is one of the most common eating disorders. In the United States, around 3% of the population is affected by this condition, which includes individuals from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. It is more frequently identified in women and individuals assigned female at birth than men and individuals assigned male at birth, with a ratio of approximately 3 to 2. Additionally, it is more commonly diagnosed in teenagers than adults, with a ratio of about 4 to 3.
Symptoms and causes
Here are some of the most common and highly recognized symptoms of binge eating disorder. They include:
- You eat the food beyond the point of feeling satisfied and reaching a state of discomfort because of overeating.
- Consuming the food too fast without being aware of the amount being eaten or how it will feel.
- Consuming large quantities of food when not experiencing hunger or shortly after completing a meal.
- Using food as a coping mechanism for managing emotional stress (emotional eating).
- Eating alone and keeping food consumption a secret to avoid social dining.
- Scheduling binge eating episodes is a priority in your daily routine.
- Stockpiling and hiding food in concealed locations for future consumption.
- Concealing eating habits from others due to embarrassment about the quantity being consumed.
- Experiencing persistent thoughts about food and specific cravings.
- Engaging in frequent dieting leads to fluctuations in weight or no weight loss.
- Experiencing feelings of guilt, regret, shame, and self-esteem issues related to binge eating.
Most people experience the signs and symptoms of binge eating at once, and this is completely ok, but when you experience the same thing regularly, then you may have a binge eating disorder. Your environmental conditions, like stress and a relationship, can impact your behavior and may affect your mental health. Yes, you have heard right. The situation is directly proportional to your mental health. These factors can interact with other influences to potentially escalate your occasional disordered behavior to the point where you meet the criteria for BED.
Cause of binge eating disorder
There are various factors that can affect eating habits, such as psychological, biological, and learned behaviors. The reasons for binge eating can vary from person to person. Consuming food can stimulate the release of pleasure-inducing hormones in the brain, potentially leading to addictive behaviors. Additionally, eating may serve as a means of avoiding or numbing unpleasant emotions or filling unmet needs.
Risk factors that are associated with binge eating disorder?
- Disordered eating tendencies within the family.
- Emotional coping mechanisms within the family are not effective.
- Experiencing trauma or abuse in one’s personal history.
- Having faced food insecurity in one’s personal past. Dealing with a mood disorder like depression.
- Experiencing a general or specific anxiety disorder.
- Living with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Struggling with substance use disorder (SUD).
- Dealing with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
- Experiencing challenges with executive functioning.
Complications of binge eating disorder?
Binge eating disorder has the potential to exacerbate destructive thoughts, emotions, and actions related to mental health. Additionally, it can lead to health issues commonly associated with obesity. Although not all individuals with BED are obese, the coexistence of these two conditions can be particularly detrimental. The pattern of binge eating and subsequent weight gain can intensify both mental and physical suffering.
Untreated mental illness can lead to a range of complications, includinga rise in antisocial behaviors like secrecy, avoidance, and dishonesty. It can also result in increasingly erratic actions such as theft and hoarding of food, as well as an escalation in depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia, leading to heightened distress, self-loathing, and an increased risk of self-harm.
Obesity can also lead to various complications. They are:
- The development of type 2 diabetes,
- Cardiovascular disease,
- Gallstones,
- Fatty liver disease,
- Kidney disease and osteoarthritis.
Diagnosis and tests
How is this disorder diagnosed?
Healthcare experts will identify eating disorders by thoroughly questioning your actions, thoughts, and emotions. It may be challenging to discuss these details, but being truthful is crucial for receiving an exact diagnosis and appropriate care. You can begin by speaking with your primary care provider or consulting with a mental health professional, as both are capable of making the diagnosis.
Is there any test for binge eating disorder?
No test is needed for this disorder, but the questions you will answer are a form of quiz or a kind of assessment. Your expert will analyze the situation based on your answers.
Do I need a diagnosis?
In general, you do not need any diagnosis to begin the treatment. Just with the help of a common question and answer round and a good conversation, you and your physician can easily know what kind of treatment you need. See, we all know a good conversation can cure any problem. Similarly, if you have a good and open conversation, you can easily find a way to cure your illness and live your life correctly.
Management and Treatment
How do you recover from a binge eating disorder?
There is no fixed and specific time for the treatment. But your belief and consistent and long-term treatment plan can help you a lot, and soon you will recover. Psychotherapy is one of the best solutions to fix this, and it has been proven effective for most of the population suffering from binge eating disorder.
Also, depending on your plans and recovery rate, you may be suggested to take medicines like Vyvance, which you can easily buy online. With a nutritious diet and a balanced lifestyle, you can recover quickly and effectively.
What’s the plan for treating binge eating disorder?
Psychotherapy is one of the best and most effective solutions for your problem, and with its help, you can easily recover. However, we cannot ignore the fact that medications and diet play an equally important role in your recovery. They do not work directly but can work for several other factors that will help you in the treatment.
Therapy
There are many types of psychotherapy, but according to some studies, some are proven so effective, and they are:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: CBT is best for studying your behavior, thoughts, and feelings behind any situation. Your expert will work in a professional and structured way to examine the situation closely and help you with the best possible suggestions.
- Interpersonal therapy: IPT is a short-term and a kind of focused type of individual therapy that generally deals with your current factors and conflicts and the other stress factors that affect your life. Rather than being involved in past issues, your therapist will work on the current situation and try to figure out the triggering points.
Medication
Buy Vyvanse online:
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is very popular for the cure of ADHD and has now been approved as the first medicine for the cure of binge eating disorder by the FDA. As per the research, medicine has shown that it can help to control impulses in both conditions. These medicines have shown effective short-term benefits for the cure of BED.
Diet and exercise:
A good lifestyle and a balanced diet will not only help you overcome BED but also help you have a better life ahead.
Conclusion
See, we know that most mental health illnesses are chronic, which indicates that with the correct treatment, they can be cured, but there is no guarantee that they will not happen again. Living with BED is not so tricky but embracing. So, for the best cure, you must have a good lifestyle and control.