What is binge eating disorder, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If you rush to the fridge or go shopping for cakes at the slightest stress, and after overeating, you feel self-disgust and guilt, it could be a sign of a serious eating disorder.

Human eating behavior - taste preferences, diet, diet - depends on cultural, social, family, biological factors. Food behavior is strongly influenced by the prevailing notions of beauty, especially female beauty.

There are several types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. The latter is often associated with obesity, and anorexia nervosa can be fatal if left untreated.

The main manifestations of these disorders are a fear of obesity, self-restraint in food, bouts of binge eating and unloading.

If a person in a state of stress awakens just a brutal appetite, with which he cannot fight, we are talking about an eating disorder. This is not the norm. Moreover, both serious situations (death of a loved one, dismissal from work) and minor unpleasant moments that cause negative emotions (the boss raised his voice, a quarrel with a loved one) can provoke an attack. Unfortunately, the habit of eating up any problem with a large amount of high-calorie food is one of the most common causes of obesity.

Diagnostics

With the problem of compulsive overeating, you need to contact a psychotherapist - he is the one who treats this disease. Since no analyzes and instrumental research methods can confirm or deny this diagnosis, a regular interview is used and a special test is carried out.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for mental disorders, the diagnosis is confirmed if three of five criteria are met:

• The feeling of fullness in the stomach after eating is uncomfortable.
• Even a large portion is eaten very quickly, almost imperceptibly.
• Self-loathing, depressed mood, guilt after overeating.
• Eating food in the absence of hunger.
• Eating alone.

If the patient confirms that he has at least three symptoms, the therapist diagnoses binge eating disorder.

Further, the weight is monitored: how much the patient weighed before the stressful situation and how much - at the time of the visit to the doctor. An increase in body mass index is another confirmation of the diagnosis.

Treatment

The therapy will be carried out in two directions at once, since the disease is complex. It combines psychological and physiological factors.

First, the disorder leads to weight gain, followed by obesity, metabolic syndrome, metabolic disorders, excessive load on internal organs, fatty hepatosis and other concomitant diseases. All these diseases will have to be treated.

Secondly, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of overeating, that is, to treat the depressive state, reduce anxiety, and normalize sleep.

Psychotherapy

To combat compulsive overeating, the therapist can offer several methods of treatment, depending on the condition and personality of the patient.

Cognitive-behavioral, personality-oriented, group or hypnosuggestational therapy is used.

Cognitive-behavioral approach - This is a "transformation" of the patient's thoughts, as well as the circumstances that surround him. For example, the desire to eat another chocolate bar gives way to the opportunity to show a toned body on the beach. Among the main components of this method are goal setting, self-control, feedback / reinforcement, increased persuasion, incentives.

Person-centered approach in the fight against excess weight - the solution of intrapsychological conflict, that is, mental stress caused by the inability to satisfy this or that need. Initially, to solve the problem, it is necessary to identify the conflict, then to realize its essence, to highlight the motives that can be accepted and which should be abandoned.

The last method is - hypnotherapy … The therapist identifies experiences that bother the patient and, as a rule, are accompanied by psychosomatics, which is expressed in the appearance of various diseases: for example, bronchial asthma, hypertension, stomach and duodenal problems, allergic reactions. In the course of treatment, the psychologist transforms the traumatic experience into a resource one, cleared of bodily manifestations.

Finding a good doctor is essential for a quick recovery. When choosing a psychotherapist, you must first of all pay attention to the qualifications of a specialist, as well as the proposed treatment method. On average, therapy lasts about six sessions, between which a certain time must pass for the body to have time to adapt to the changes. In terms of time, it will take at least three months. So doctors who suggest you get rid of the causes of obesity in a week or even a month are most likely charlatans.

Nutrition

It is very important for compulsive overeating to properly organize food: this is part of the therapy. Since the treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, it falls on the shoulders of the patient himself. Due to the fact that the disorder has psychological reasons, it will be difficult for a person, and he will probably need the help of someone close to him so that they can control the schedule of meals and the size of portions from the outside.

What recommendations should you follow?

1. Learn to distinguish between psychological and biological hunger. Satisfy only the last one. Do not neglect the help of relatives and friends, let them take control over food intake.
2. Include at least three full meals throughout the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can afford a light snack, but the choice here should be stopped on natural products - fruits or yogurt. It must be remembered that fasting with compulsive overeating will deal a blow to the whole body, since the body will accumulate fat "in reserve". Therefore, meals should be regular and healthy.
3. Find an alternative way to relieve nervous tension (this can be books, sports, music, movies, dancing, other hobbies).
4. Eat predominantly low-calorie foods. Do not go to restaurants, cafes and fast food establishments. Do not purchase many products at once. Do not buy sweets, starchy foods, give preference to vegetables and fruits.
5. Refuse aimless grocery shopping. Do not watch cooking TV shows or flip through recipe books. Do not discuss food with anyone. Stock up on small dishes that will eliminate the use of large portions.
6. Do not go on diets and do not put strict prohibitions on your favorite foods - allow yourself to relax at least once a week (not to gluttony, but one pack of chips will not hurt). If you drive yourself into too strict limits, stress will increase, and with it, the likelihood of breaking down will increase.

The best option is to seek advice from a nutritionist. Depending on the degree of neglect of the disease and the patient's eating habits, he will be able to develop an individual diet and menu. This will facilitate faster recovery.

It is important to remember that an eating disorder is a psychological problem, so changing your diet without taking into account the psychological aspect can lead to the fact that the weight will come back. Only an integrated approach in combination with the advice of a competent specialist will allow you to stabilize your weight and not overeat in the future. This process takes time and effort, but with the right therapy and an optimal diet, the result will last for many years.