- Lyn Reed
Binge Eating: a case of all or nothing at all?
Binge eating is a form of compulsive over eating. It is a distressing condition; the good news is it is treatable once we tackle the underlying problems which cause us to binge eat. Like all addictions or habits binge eating it has little to do with being hungry. The cause is often related to the way we think, our feelings around food, our ability to control and regulate our emotions, our relationships. All of these may be influencing our eating habits. Issues from the past may also be a factor.
The main problem with binge eating is that it is often a case of all or nothing: we either starve ourselves and then we binge - and this can give false messages to the brain which can result in cravings for food - when we don't need it.
When we decide we want to work on our binge eating it is important to make the key distinction between what we need and what we want. Binge eating can result in weight gain and this can affect our physical as well as our psychological health.
What to do? Talking to others in a similar situation can help. We feel less alone. We have made it public. Therapy can be helpful if we want a more tailor-made approach.
Becoming aware of our self destructive behaviour can be the start to making changes which could save our lives - and help us stay in control, improve our relationships and find out who we really are. And who we want to be - rather than need to be. There is a difference.
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