Many people who are diagnosed with behavioral health conditions also have a co-occurring eating disorder. At Cottonwood, in Tucson, Arizona, we treat secondary eating disorders as part of our overall behavioral health program. Our eating disorder therapists, registered dieticians, and medical team work together with the rest of our staff, to address the root causes of eating and behavioral health disorders.
What is a Binge Eating Disorder?
At Cottonwood, we treat patients with a variety of eating disorders, one of which is binge eating disorder (BED). BED is more than just occasionally overeating. The characteristics of BED include:
- Within a limited time, eating an amount of food that is considerably larger than most people would consume in that same timeframe.
- Feeling a lack of control over the eating, that a person cannot stop eating or control how much they eat.
- Engaging in these behaviors at least one time each week, for at least 3 months.
The Emotions Behind BED
If you don’t have BED, you might have seconds or thirds of your holiday dinner or go overboard at the all-you-can-eat buffet from time to time, but this is expected in those settings and you likely don’t beat yourself up about it emotionally for very long. It is important to recognize the emotional components that fuel the BED cycle, such as:
- Feeling embarrassed, depressed, guilty, upset, or ashamed about bingeing
- Potentially cutting back on eating because of those difficult feelings for a time
- Having increased urges to eat, due to severely restricting food intake
- Bingeing again when the urges become unmanageable
Misconceptions About BED
People who don’t understand this condition may have incorrect ideas about it and the people who struggle with it. For example, they may believe:
- Eating disorders only impact women – Eating disorders can happen to anyone, regardless of their gender. While BED is more common in women (3.5 percent of the population), men (2 percent of the population) can also experience it.
- All people with eating disorders are extremely thin – Sometimes people with eating disorders are thin. They may also be overweight or anywhere in between.
- If a person binges, they also purge – People with bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder separate from BED, will sometimes binge and then use laxatives, exercise, or vomit as a way to rid their bodies of the excess calories. People with BED typically try to eat less food as a means to compensate for overeating.
- Once a person stops engaging in bingeing, they are cured, and their symptoms will never come back – Sometimes a person only binges for a little while and then they stop. Symptoms can come back later, however. Other people struggle with BED for years on end and are not able to stop.
- Anorexia and bulimia are more common than binge eating – Though we may hear more about anorexia or bulimia, BED is actually the most common eating disorder. About three times as many people have BED as anorexia and bulimia combined. Millions of people in the United States have this condition and it exists around the world.
- Eating disorders go away on their own, so there is no need for treatment – While it is true that some people can move into remission without treating their eating disorder, it typically takes longer, and they can develop more significant health issues in the interim. Also, because there are sometimes co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, getting to the root causes of these issues can help the person to enter recovery from all of the struggles that share those same causes.
BED Symptoms and Risk Factors
If you or someone you love is struggling with BED, the following symptoms may be present:
- Eating even when not hungry
- Eating until uncomfortably full
- Often eating alone or secretly
- Having “triggers” for your bingeing, such as being in a certain social setting, driving in your car, or having unstructured time.
BED usually starts when a person is in their late teens or early 20s, however, anyone can develop this disorder. The risk of this occurring increases if:
- You have a parent or sibling with an eating disorder.
- You have a mental health disorder, particularly depression, anxiety, substance use disorders (SUD), PTSD, or suicidal thoughts and attempts
- You have a history of dieting.
- You feel negatively about yourself, particularly your body image, which could be the result of pressure from society to meet a specific, often unrealistic, standard for your appearance. For men, this typically means being muscular. For women, this usually means being thin. Your peers may have also bullied or ridiculed you for your size or weight.
- You struggle with perfectionism, impulsivity, and/or difficult relationships.
- You are an abuse survivor.
Results of BED
People who struggle with BED sometimes have unwanted complications, which can include:
- Being uncomfortable with their body
- Decreased life satisfaction
- Isolation and loneliness
- Weight gain and resulting health issues such as joint pain, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, acid reflux, breathing difficulties while sleeping, and electrolyte imbalances
Common Treatments for BED
We are all unique individuals, so what works for one person may not be helpful for another person with the same condition. For that reason, treatment can vary from person to person. The most common strategies for addressing BED include:
- Medical care to treat problems that have resulted from BED
- Talk therapy to replace unhealthy habits with healthier ones and process grief, abuse, trauma, and difficult feelings that could be fueling BED
- Medications to address mental health concerns – this may include stimulants, antidepressants, and medication more typically used to treat seizure disorders
- Mindful eating sessions to become more aware of the sensations associated with eating and increasing enjoyment associated with food
At Cottonwood, we provide trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment for a wide range of behavioral health conditions. We take a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of each person.
