Binge Eating Disorder

People with binge eating disorders usually feel out of control and tend to overeat at least once a week for three months. It may not always be obvious when individual struggles with this psychiatric issue, as many people tend to hide it out of embarrassment or shame. In general, most binge-eating episodes exhibit at least three of the following symptoms:

• Eating faster than normal
• Eating large amounts of food, even when not hungry
• Eating until uncomfortably full
• Eating alone to avoid embarrassment
• Feeling depressed, guilty, or disgusted after a binge session

Disruption in eating behaviors, avoiding eating in public, finding empty containers and wrappers around the house, etc., are also some additional signs of a binge eating disorder.

Binge eating disorder also triggers the following physical symptoms in most people:

• Weight fluctuations 
• Gastrointestinal issues, including stomach pain, acid reflux, etc.
• Poor concentration
• Increased risk of stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, etc.

The psychological symptoms associated with BED include:

• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Depression
• Dissatisfaction with body shape
• Fear of gaining weight
• Polarized thoughts about binge avoidance and dieting
• Over-evaluating body weight and shape

Seeking Binge Eating Disorder Help

BED can be a severely disruptive disease, and seeking treatment becomes necessary for everyone suffering from it. An appropriate BED treatment plan can help victims stop their binge sessions and establish healthy relationships with food. Treatment usually includes medications, psychotherapy, and nutritional counseling, all of which aim to rebuild the victim’s physical health while encouraging them to adopt healthy eating practices.

Psychotherapy

The following types of psychotherapy can treat BED:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective evidence-based forms of psychotherapy for BED that helps victims reduce or completely abstain from food binges. It works by identifying and managing the underlying beliefs and thoughts related to an individual’s body shape, weight, and eating behaviors that supposedly contribute to BED. 
• Interpersonal psychotherapy (IT) is a type of talk therapy that convinces people to stop binge eating in the long and short term. The therapy focuses on managing all underlying issues that trigger the binge eating urges and using them as a method of coping. For instance, an interpersonal psychotherapy session may focus on remedying the feelings of sadness or grief that a person may try to avoid by using binge eating as a form of maladaptive coping.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) helps individuals overcome their urge to binge eat by teaching them healthier coping skills and encouraging them to deal with negative triggers and emotions through newer ways, such as distress tolerance and mindfulness training.

People who undergo the therapies mentioned above usually have more than 60 percent of remission rates and can maintain their improvement over the long term.

Medications

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are a class of antidepressants that most experts prescribe to people with diagnosed BED. These medications alter the brain chemicals to regulate anxiety, mood, appetite, and other functions. By preventing the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain, SSRIs increase their levels, which seems to help reduce the binging frequency and promote abstinence.

Lisdexamfetaminedimesylate or Vyvanse is another approved medication for treating binge eating disorders of moderate to severe intensity. Clinical trials have proven its efficacy in decreasing the number of binges per week by regulating the levels of dopamine in the brain. However, remember that Vyvanse is a stimulant with a risk of abuse; hence, patients must use it vigilantly and only as advised by their doctor.

Nutritional Counseling

People with BED also benefit from nutritional counseling under the supervision and lead of a registered dietitian. It usually involves medical nutrition therapy or nutritional rehabilitation, which is an approach that uses specific dietary recommendations to promote healing. As a part of nutritional counseling, people get advice from dietitians regarding how they can make peace with food while overcoming binge eating challenges and normalizing eating behaviors. A dietitian may also help them regulate their intake by recommending a meal plan tailored to their needs.