Are you suffering from binge eating disorder!!!!!!!

What exactly is binge eating disorder?

It is an eating Disorder wherein an individual with this disorder eats too much of food recurrently, quickly, and to the point of discomfort, which is followed by a feeling of shame and guilt. This bizarre act of eating can sometimes be life-threatening and is not gender-specific. BED is commonly associated with increased suicidal risks and co-occurrence of psychiatric disorders.

It is good to hear that it a diagnosable and curable eating disorder.

What are the symptoms of BED?

• Eating in a discrete period of time for example eating within 2 or 3 hours period
• Eating very large amount of food than what most people would eat, under similar circumstances
• Eating uncontrollably and feeling uncomfortable, afterwards.
• Stuffing mouth with loads of food when not feeling physically hungry
• Eating secretly
• A feel of guilt, shame or embarrassment after binge eating
• It occurs at least once a week for 3 months.

Potential health consequences of binge eating disorder include:

• High blood pressure and cholesterol level
• Cardiac disease
• Type II diabetes or other metabolic disorder
• Gallbladder disease
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Joint pain
• Sleep apnoea (shallow breaths or pause in breaths while you sleep)

Binge eating is usually associated with depression, anxiety and lower quality of life.

What is the treatment?

• Cognitive behavioural therapy: it involves help of a therapist to figure out new ways of thinking about situations, feelings and food.
• Interpersonal therapy: talk to your consultant or doctor regarding how to focuse on relationship-based issues and how they may be influencing you’re eating habits.
• Dialectical behavioural therapy: it improves an individual’s ability to control and regulate the emotions
• Pharmacotherapy: some health professionals recommend selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) for the treatment of anxiety and depression associated with BED. But in long run SSRIs could not be used because of side effects like indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea, insomnia, low sex drive etc.
• Losing weight also assists in curing BED to a considerable extent

Hence, early diagnosis and management of BED is crucial, otherwise the disease is capable of severely harming the individual suffering from it.