Binge Eating Disorder

What is binge eating disorder?

Most people eat a lot more than their normal diet on special occasions. This occasional overeating cannot be categorized as binge eating disorder. BED or Binge Eating Disorder is a condition where a person is unable to stop themselves from eating even when they are uncomfortably full.

A study shows that approximately 2% of the population suffers from binge eating disorder. And most people among this 2% are obese. Also BED is more common among women than men.

How to know if you are suffering from binge eating disorder?

Following are some common symptoms of binge eating disorder:

●     Eating very quickly

●     Eating after you feel full

●     Eating when you are not hungry at all

●     Feeling powerless (you wish to stop eating but you just can’t control yourself)

●     Regretting the binge right after you are done

●     Lying to others about how much you eat or eating alone because you feel ashamed of how much you eat

What causes Binge Eating Disorder?

The most common misconception about binge eating disorder is that it is seen only as a nutritional or food related disorder. Whereas the truth is binge eating disorder is also connected to how your brain processes feelings like hunger and fullness. Any abnormality in the areas of your brain that are responsible to control hunger can lead to binge eating disorder. Also depression and trauma are leading causes of binge eating disorder. Doing crash diets and working out intensely to lose weight can also make you end up eating uncontrollably. Genetics can also play a part in causing binge eating disorder. This means if someone in your family has binge eating disorder there is a chance that you will have it too.

How can binge eating disorder be diagnosed?

Binge eating disorder can be extremely dangerous for your health and body. Common complications that come along with the disorder if timely treatment is not sought are: diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart diseases, depression, certain kinds of cancers and sleep problems.

Usually people with binge eating disorder try to hide the amount of food they eat and the number of times binge eating episodes occur. For diagnosis and treatment of binge eating disorder the patient must open up to a Psychologist in islamabad and understand the fact that the doctor is on their side. Once the patient is ready to open up, the doctors start the diagnosis by noting down the feelings that lead to binge eating, feelings followed by the binge eating episode and the number of times binge eating episodes occur in a week.

If a patient binge eats 3 to 4 times a week their disorder will be categorized as mild whereas if someone binge eats 7 to 8 times a week their condition will be categorized as severe.

How can binge eating disorder be treated?

Medications like lisdexamfetamine are prescribed to curb the urges to binge eat. While being treated for binge eating disorder all patients require connecting to a Psychologist in rawalpindi. Talking to a psychologist helps in reaching to the roots of the triggers. 

When triggers are recognized it becomes easy to curb them with the help of talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Some psychologists recommend taking family members and friends of the patients on board for the treatment. It simply makes the treatment journey easier for the patient when someone they know starts understanding their problems and helps them bring their guard up when faced by triggers.