What is Binge Eating Disorder (or compulsive eating)?
Binge Eating Disorder (also known as compulsive eating) is an illness that affects millions of people and can have a devastating effect on the sufferer’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
Sufferers of this disorder have a compulsive relationship with food that includes periods of overeating or bingeing followed by feelings of guilt, shame and despair.
If you suffer from Binge Eating Disorder you are probably desperate to know how to stop your compulsive eating, but may just think you are ‘greedy‘ or lack willpower.
You may not realise that you have a recognised eating disorder for which you need to seek treatment or therapy.
Why do people suffer from Binge Eating Disorder?
Like all eating disorders, Binge Eating Disorder emerges as a way of trying to cope with emotions.
Sufferers of Binge Eating Disorder are usually people who have poor self-esteem and feelings of self-loathing. Eating disorders often affect high achieving individuals who become obsessed with achieving perfection.
How can we help you beat Binge Eating Disorder (or compulsive eating)?
We can help you or your loved one to beat Binge Eating Disorder. Whether you think that you are suffering from food addiction, comfort eating, binge eating or compulsive overeating, we will assess your needs and make sure that you receive the support and treatment to help you overcome your eating disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder treatment
We always treat every client as an individual so the treatment we recommend will depend on your particular needs, but it could include referral to a residential clinic, outpatient treatment with our counselling team, or one-to-one therapy.
As part of your treatment, you would usually come along to one of our Food Groups – these are very much social occasions where we help you heal your relationship with food in a gentle way.
Get in touch
If you would like to speak to one of our counsellors about Binge Eating treatment, or get help for compulsive eating for you or a loved one, give The Recover Clinic a call on 0845 603 6530 or fill in our short contact form.
What are the symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder?
The symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder might be hard to hide but too often people don’t recognise them as symptoms of an eating disorder, and so dismiss them. Take a look at the warning signs below.
Behavioural symptoms of binge eating:
- Eating large amounts of food in one go
- Preoccupation with weight and size
- Eating very little in front of other people
- Eating alone
- Guilt, secrecy, shame
- Obsession with appearance/body shape
- Alcohol/drug abuse
- Hiding food
- Agoraphobia (don’t want to leave the house)
Physical symptoms of binge eating:
- Cold sores
- Bad complexion
Am I a binge eater?
- plan to binge in secret?
- use food to escape your worries?
- feel your weight has an impact on the rest of your life?
- try countless diets with little or no success?
- feel guilty and shameful after overeating?
- have intense cravings for sugar?
- receive treatment for obesity or a food-related condition?
- feel unhappy about your behaviour around food or does it make those you love unhappy?
If your answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’ then you may have a problem with binge eating or compulsive overeating.
Call our experienced team of counsellors today on 0845 603 6530 or send us a short message to find out how we can help.
What are the side effects of Binge Eating Disorder?
This is a summary of the side effects of Bulimia. They are very similar to the side effects of Bulimia.
Medical side effects of binge eating
- High blood pressure
- Gastric rupture (the stomach can tear)
- Heart palpitations
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Sleep Apnoea
- Bowel problems
Statistics about binge eating
- 1 in 5 women report symptoms of binge overeating at some point in their lives
- 40% percent of people with binge overeating are male
Don’t suffer from in silence
Call our team today for help and advice on 0845 603 6530 or fill in our short contact form.