When you’re alone with a snack, you’ll finish the entire container. Not because you’re hungry, but because you just. can’t. stop. Your stomach might be full, even painfully full, but you don’t know how to stop eating.
Afterward, you hate yourself for losing control. You can’t believe what you just did. “I can’t let this happen again,” you say to yourself. But it will happen again, and a part of you knows that.
The Truth is…
You’re so ashamed about the amount of food you ate. And the worst part? It didn’t make you feel better. The food only temporarily numbed the pain. And you didn’t even enjoy eating it.
If you can relate to this experience, you are not alone. It doesn’t have to go on forever. You can eat around others again, without shame or discomfort. Food will be enjoyable again because you’ll learn to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Eating will no longer be a mindless action and full of guilt, shame, and anxiety.
The experience described above is common among people with binge eating disorders.
Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States, but it has often been left out of the conversation, which primarily focuses on anorexia and bulimia nervosa. In fact, binge eating disorder wasn’t included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a separate eating disorder until 2013.
Binge eating disorder is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by intense feelings of guilt, shame, and disgust. These binges usually happen in secret. Someone with a binge eating disorder may hide food from others in their bedroom, office, car, or another part of their home.
People experience a loss of control when binge eating, and often eat until they are uncomfortably full and no longer able to enjoy the food. Bingeing is not about any specific foods, even when someone binges on one particular food repeatedly. Binges do not even have to involve food you may categorize as “unhealthy.”
Binge eating can have a numbing effect on certain distressing emotions, and/or fill a void left by boredom, loneliness, loss, or grief.
What Does the DSM-5 Say About This?
According to the DSM-5, binge eating disorder involves:
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Rapid Eating
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Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
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Consuming large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
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Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
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Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
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Binge eating at least 1 day a week for 3 months
In order to meet the diagnostic criteria for binge eating disorder, the binge eating episodes must “…not be associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behavior (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise) and must not occur exclusively during the course of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.”
The severity of binge eating disorder is determined by this scale:
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Mild: 1 to 3 episodes per week
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Moderate: 4 to 7 episodes per week
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Severe: 8 to 13 episodes per week
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Extreme: 14 or more episodes per week
Is it Binge Eating, Emotional Eating, or Stress Eating?
Binge eating disorder can often be confused with emotional eating or stress eating. What separates binge eating disorder from emotional or stress eating are the frequency of and the feeling of a lack of control during the eating episodes – the person often feels compelled to binge. When we emotionally eat for comfort or when we are stressed, we find soothing or distraction in eating. Binge eating is usually not pleasurable and does not bring us the comfort we were seeking; in fact, binge eating often ends up making us feel worse.
Know this, eating for comfort is not bad or wrong.
Binge eating episodes are more severe and frequent and there is a sense of being “checked out” during the binge. Shame often follows the binge episode, which can lead to another binge, and it can cause significant distress in the person’s life. The good news is healing from binge eating disorder is possible with the right care.
Risk factors for binge eating disorder
Binge eating can be caused in part by factors such as restricting food/dieting, depression, trauma, grief, substance use disorders, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, and a family history of binge eating disorder. Binge eating behaviors typically develop earlier in life as a way to cope with overwhelming life experiences. Despite these known contributing factors, many folks with binge eating disorders are unaware of the feelings that trigger bingeing and often struggle to put words to their experience.
Binge eating and Childhood Emotional Neglect
Binge eating can also be a form of rebellion among those who struggle with BED, especially with people who experience childhood emotional neglect of unmet needs and unwelcome feelings. This protective action of rebelling is actually a way to cling to the truth that something is wrong, while at the same time silencing it, so no one can see it. For a child who has experienced abuse or neglect, this can be a wise way of coping, particularly if no one is available to help make sense of the overwhelming.
The Thin Ideal is A Risk Factor Too
An additional risk factor comes from the “thin ideal” which creates pressure followed by feelings of shame and inadequacy when you are in a body that “can’t be controlled.” We must remember that feelings are our first language and being fed is often our first comfort. For many, binge eating comes from a deep desire to comfort themselves when someone is feeling pain, shame, or fear.
Many individuals are unsatisfied with how they look
Around 30% of people looking into weight loss treatments such as dieting are likely to show symptoms of binge eating disorder. Many of those who engage in weight loss efforts will regain the weight plus more when the efforts are focused on metrics and looks rather than the felt sense of feeling and moving better. Each dieting/weight loss “failure” tends to exacerbate the binge eating behavior.
The Stigma of the Ideal Weight and Fat Phobia Impact on Eating Disorders
Weight stigma can also play a role in the development of binge eating disorders. Weight stigma or size-based discrimination (also labeled fatphobia) is a product of the thin ideal. When thin bodies are placed on a pedestal and larger bodies are something to be feared, people living in larger bodies are viewed as undisciplined, unhealthy, or irresponsible. Weight is seen as a personal responsibility, rather than something that is determined by a variety of outside factors. The shame people carry when they are told their bodies are wrong and that their weight is their “fault” can lead to binge eating behaviors.
But the “reason” for binge eating disorder isn’t always clear or straightforward. You may binge eat without knowing why. It’s not always easy to identify PTSD, depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders that may contribute to your eating disorder. In fact, it’s estimated that 60% of people with BED also struggle with other mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Common Misconceptions About Binge Eating Disorder
A common misconception about BED is that the disorder serves as the explanation for why people are in larger bodies.* You can’t tell by looking at someone if they have BED. Not everyone with BED will be in a larger body, and not everyone who is in a larger body has Binge Eating Disorder. Not all people in fat bodies who have eating disorders are suffering from Binge Eating disorders.
*Note: We don’t like to use the terms “overweight”, “normal weight” and “underweight”, as they are based on the problematic BMI charts and imply there is a correct weight to be. Instead, we prefer to use the terms smaller, average size, or larger or the terms thin and fat. The creator of the BMI was not a physician and did not study medicine. The formula for calculating BMI is based on measurements taken from French and Scottish individuals to measure this population, not their health.
BMI isn’t enough to expand our genetics and body size
There are various factors that may explain why a person lives in a larger body, such as genetics, medications, medical conditions, or even environmental factors. It is not as simple as identifying behaviors or lifestyle choices. Fat people do not owe anyone weight loss or an explanation of their weight. If you need support with this, therapy for binge eating in California can help you unlearn this.
Things to Note About Binge Eating Disorder
Those who struggle with Binge Eating disorders may be in a smaller, average, or larger body. Some people gain weight as a result of their binges, which can result in avoiding going to their doctor for routine medical care. These clients often anticipate that their doctor’s reaction to their weight or weight gain will result in feelings of shame.
Doctors often equate health with being in an average size body. To complicate matters our diet culture also moralizes thin bodies as good bodies and fat bodies as bad bodies. And when suffers do go to their doctor, they will likely get the message to lose weight. As we know dieting doesn’t work and actually will likely make binge eating worse. That is where therapy for binge eating in California can help you destigmatize your larger body and binge eating.
Getting help for binge eating disorder
In addition to the feelings of shame that accompany binge eating, you may experience shame around having a binge eating disorder, due to the misconceptions about different eating disorders and their perceived levels of severity. Many clients don’t feel “sick enough” to get help or they are too ashamed to ask for help.
Your eating disorder is valid. Nearly 3 million Americans suffer from binge eating disorders, and with the right help and support, such as therapy for binge eating in California, recovery is absolutely possible.
Remember this…
The first thing to remember about binge eating disorder recovery is that eating less/restricting food is not the solution to binge eating disorder. In fact, binge eating disorder treatment involves eating regular, adequate meals. A registered dietitian can support you with the development of meal plans or adopting intuitive eating practices in nutrition counseling. Check out our nutrition counseling blog for more information.
It’s helpful to have providers well versed in binge eating disorder treatment.
Like any eating disorder, BED is a way to disconnect from fear or shame. When you address the underlying issues and learn to deal with life’s adversities in new ways, you can free yourself from disordered eating behaviors. To heal from those underlying issues, you might seek treatment for depression, trauma, or anxiety, or see a therapist who can support you through grief and loss.
One of the most common interventions for binge eating is mindfulness!
Mindfulness supports you in identifying your feelings, learning how to be in the moment with your feelings and building the confidence that you can be with your truth without becoming overwhelmed by it. What’s more, mindfulness helps you build interoceptive awareness of how your body is feeling and enables you to better attune to what your body actually needs and respond with care.
Learning the triggers to the binge eating behaviors, having self-soothing and distraction skills, and being prepared to learn from each experience are also common components of binge eating treatment.
Perfectionism and Eating Disorders Go Hand in Hand
Folks who binge eat also tend to be quite perfectionistic and have strong inner critics. One mistake often means failure to them and they give up and punish themselves by eating. Self-compassion is an important ally in your recovery, as is having a supportive group of people -who understand what you are going through. Learning to allow yourself to be seen and cared for in healthy relationships is another key to recovery.
A Part of Healing is Making Peace with Your Body!
Making peace with your body is also part of healing from a binge eating disorder. Body image therapy helps you recognize that your body is not a problem to be fixed. It is a process of unlearning toxic diet culture messages and the idea that certain bodies are more worthy than others.
Other common therapy modalities for Binge Eating Disorder include IFS therapy, trauma processing therapies such as EMDR and Brainspotting as well as DBT, which supports emotional management, mindfulness, and acceptance.
Begin Binge Eating Treatment in California Soon!
As with all treatments, the most important factor is the connection between you and your binge eating therapist. A weight-inclusive, compassionate and trauma-informed environment is essential for binge eating disorder recovery. If you’re ready to begin therapy for binge eating in California, Kindful Body is here to help. To get started:
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Learn about our Binge Eating Therapists
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Gain the support and control you have been seeking!
Other Services Offered At Kindful Body
Kindful Body offers therapy for binge eating to clients 14 and older across California, as well as support for low self-esteem issues, emotional eating recovery, nutrition counseling, grief counseling, binge eating disorder, body image therapy, and relationship therapy. When you’re ready, we are here to help you with your eating disorder recovery whether you need eating disorder treatment in Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland/Berkeley, Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Orange County, CA, or anywhere online in California.
