What Is Binge Eating Disorder? (by Vanesa Alderete)

Binge eating is one of three main categories of eating disorders. It consists of consuming larger than normal amounts of food for the sake of dealing with emotional upheaval. Binge eating takes place in secret, and is a disease that can go on for a long time without treatment. Self-love and acceptance goes a long way towards curing the habit of binging.

·                     Features

Binge eating is a form of disordered eating, or ED. It's the consumption of a larger than normal amount of food by one person. It can take place in one sitting, or can be an ongoing process that lasts several hours. The important identifier of a binge, however, is the feeling that there is absolutely no control over what's being consumed. A binge eater can use any type of food as the weapon of choice. A binge can consist of 20 organic apples eaten in a single sitting, or two large pizzas with the works eaten overnight. Binging isn't a person losing control around a pile of junk food. After a binge, there will usually be feelings of guilt, shame and anger turned in towards the self. Binges are the physical manifestation of these feelings when they aren't expressed in a healthy manner.

·                     Function

A binge usually happens after something that has triggered intense feelings. If a person doesn't feel like they have the "luxury" of expressing his feelings to others, he'll look to food to sop up the emotions. Binges echo the out-of-control sensations that many experience when faced with life's hard knocks. Conversely, a binge may also bring feelings of power to someone after feelings of powerlessness. Since a binge doesn't feel good while it's happening, it's a way to use something pleasurable as punishment. This mental paradox acts to suppress the body's senses of fullness and satisfaction after a good meal and makes the binge eater take no joy in good food.

·                     Identification

A binge may happen for several reasons and will emerge through several steps. First, a stressful event will happen, such as a fight between lovers or an disappointing exam grade. This event gives rise to emotions that the sufferer, for some reason, doesn't process effectively. For instance: rather than discussing hurtful words with a boyfriend, the woman will stifle the anger and confusion. She may blame herself for the blowup, thinking that her own hard-headed nature caused the misunderstanding. Another example would be a feeling of powerlessness and stupidity after failing an important test. Thinking that a discussion with a professor would be fruitless, there's no one left for the student to punish but himself. Both of these events cause a loss of power in the mind of the disordered eater, triggering the lost and hopeless feelings that bring on a binge. A lack of healthy adaptive attitudes and coping skills leave the victim rudderless. Binges can even occur with overwhelming feelings of happiness. A lack of trust or security can yield someone vulnerable in the face of too much good news. They may turn to food to assuage the anxious feelings.

·                     Misconceptions

Contrary to popular belief, many obese people aren't binge eaters and vice versa. Although binge eating can lead to obesity, many binge eaters follow their caloric gorging with exercise or vomiting that keeps them looking thin. Many people binge eat without showing any outward signs of it. Another misconception is that eating a whole bag of chips or a whole pizza is a binge. Binge eating disorder only occurs with certain thought and behavioral patterns. Everyone gets carried away at the table once in a while, but that doesn't constitute a binge. Binges happen after incidents involving intense feeling. Binge eating involves internal pain, not carelessness.

·                     Prevention/Solution

The best solutions for binge eating disorder are to cultivate self-care and love. People don't like to cause pain or punish the one they love, so learn to love yourself. This means accepting imperfection, indulging in loving self-talk and expressing emotions in a healthy manner. Many binge eaters are so incredibly busy worrying about what others think and feel that they disregard the importance of their own emotions. Taking themself seriously is the first step to recovering or avoiding disordered eating. Also, people should keep an eye out for triggers. For most, there is a particular feeling that causes them to binge. When they've identified the feeling, simply stop and speak it out loud. Say, "I'm feeling sad because I failed that test. It really hurts." That's it. It may not completely solve their situation at that particular moment, but it will heal that vortex of pent-up feeling enough to back away from the fridge and call a friend for help. Binge eating is a solitary, painful experience that happens in the shadows. Once a person accepts that they're worthy of good things and happiness, the disorder loses its grip.

Read more: What Is Binge Eating Disorder? | eHow.com