Binge eating disorders occur for many reasons, but they usually stem from stress, a skewed sense of self, poor impulse control, and loneliness. It includes symptoms like hoarding food, eating far too much in one sitting, experiencing feelings of guilt and shame following a meal, being secretive about eating, eating double meals, and sometimes purging following a meal.
Bulimia is a type of binge eating disorder, which also includes purging following the meal. Most binge eating disorders don't include this process, and the majority of patients who have the above-mentioned symptoms end up gaining large amounts of weight, and are generally obese.
In order to determine the best treatment options to help manage binge eating disorders, doctors must first diagnose the condition and determine the cause and symptoms. If the cause is purely psychological, or due to a genetic predisposition to anxiety and mental illness, the type of care prescribed will most likely be therapeutic.
Symptoms:
Before a doctor treats the main disorder itself, he or she may need to treat alternative symptoms which have formed, such as anxiety, problem sleeping, depression, and skin conditions brought on by the eating disorder. Medication might be prescribed to ease these symptoms and help promote better mental health before therapy begins.
Binge eating disorder can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other serious illnesses which will also need to be treated if present. The longer the condition has been present, the more likely it will be that the heart, pancreas, and blood stream would be affected. Your physician may run tests on you to decide on the best treatment options to help manage binge eating disorders and additional symptoms.
Therapy for Binge Eating:
Finally, your physician is likely to refer you to a specialist to delve into unresolved problems of the past, poor self-image, and low self-esteem. It will be difficult for doctors to help you defeat the disorder, if you aren't first willing to defeat those demons, deal with the past, and rid yourself of the emotions which may be causing the overeating episodes to occur.
For most, binge eating becomes an addiction, and it will feel weird not to be eating as much as you want. If your doctor feels that your case is severe, he or she may recommend that you take part in a rehabilitation treatment program. You may also be referred to a nutritionist, to help regulate eating habits, choose the best foods for your nutritional needs, and lose weight which will help with many of the health issues which appeared following the disorder.
Regular exercise, sleep, and a healthy diet will help to improve physical health, while therapy in a group, one on one, or with your family present will help to deal with the emotional and mental symptoms of the disorder.
If you are concerned that you or somebody you love is experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, speak to your doctor as soon as possible. The best treatment options to help manage binge eating disorders are those which are applied quickly. An early diagnosis and treatment is the best way to deal with the problem to minimize the effects and have a better chance of preventing a relapse.