There’s so much more to binge eating disorder (BED) than meets the eye. Some people think a person who overeats is just a glutton or has a huge appetite. Unknown to many, eating past the point of being full and continuing to eat because you are hurting inside is a sign of a much deeper and more serious problem.
You cannot tell a person with an eating disorder to go on a diet. It’s not that simple because the compulsion to eat is out of their control. Binge eating is not about eating a lot every single meal. It’s about having recurring episodes of eating uncontrollably, often because the person feels anger, sadness, or a myriad of other emotions that triggered these episodes.
Seeking Help
Binge eating disorder is a health risk because a person who overeats becomes more prone to developing cardiovascular diseases and other serious ailments. Some patients are fortunate enough to recognize the issue before serious damage has been done. They seek help from a binge eating disorder treatment center where they receive a combination of medication, social intervention, and psychological treatment.
Being in a safe place is important during the treatment period. For one, it isolates the patient from the social or environmental factors, which could aggravate their feelings of doubt, insecurity, guilt, or inadequacy. Sometimes, the home is not a safe place for the patient, so they must go somewhere else where they can focus solely on recovery.
Second, staying inside a treatment center lets patients interact with others who are in the same situation. They can form a bond and develop lifelong friendships. They can support each other during challenging situations, especially once they leave the center.
Making Baby Steps
The underlying causes of binge eating disorder can be deep-seated in a person’s psyche. It can be due to sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, or the feeling of being unwanted or rejected. People with BED turn to huge amounts of food to make themselves feel better.
Binge eating treatment facilities aim to correct the disorder by helping the patient make small but crucial changes they can stick to for life. These include therapy in various shapes and forms. Psychologists help binge eaters get past their pain by giving them new hope and a more positive outlook.
Treatment plans for BED may also activities like painting, music, dance, pottery, yoga, and even riding horses or gardening. These activities quiet the mind, or in some cases, the voice inside one’s head. These are also healthier ways of expressing feelings in case the patient finds it hard to communicate with others or nurture interpersonal relationships.
The good thing about BED is that help is available and accessible. If you’ve seen the signs, and you feel that you’re being pulled to eat uncontrollably, or if you know someone who might be experiencing this disorder, look for a treatment center that can create a customized treatment plan for you or your loved one. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to getting better. Don’t rush yourself and take your time to heal from the inside out.