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Helping You Understand Binge Eating Treatment
There is space in a normal eating pattern for occasionally overeating. Most can relate to finishing an extra cookie because the first couple tasted so good or finishing a meal at your favorite special occasion restaurant even though you are full. Binge Eating Disorder goes beyond overeating and includes losing control with food. Individuals struggling with Binge Eating Disorder are often embarrassed at the amount of food they consume at a given time, and even promise themselves they’ll stop. There are times though when it becomes more than they can manage alone, and they need professional intervention.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about binge eating disorder treatment including symptoms of binge eating, binge eating inpatient treatment, etc.
What to Look Out For: Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
According to the American Psychiatric Association, binge eating is defined as:
“Eating, in a discrete period of time, an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances.”
It is often believed that people with binge eating disorder are either overweight or obese, however, binge eating disorder is just as common in people who have average or normal body weight.
Here’s a quick look at the symptoms of binge eating disorder:
- Eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time than most other people would under similar circumstances.
- Feeling that your eating pattern is out of control
- Eating until you feel uncomfortable.
- Eating large amounts of food even when you aren’t physically hungry.
- Feeling disgusted with yourself or guilty after eating.
- Extreme distress about your eating pattern.
- Binging at least once a week for three months or more.
Keep in mind that you cannot diagnose yourself. A medical professional can help to determine if you have the disorder and the severity of it.
In a given year, binge eating disorder affects 1.6% of women and 0.8% of men in the United States.
Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: What Can You Do?
Binge eating disorder is one of the most common eating disorders in the United States and has severe health consequences.
Research suggests that binge eating brings a lot of other health issues which include the following:
- Impaired social functioning
- Reduced quality of life
- Issues related to obesity (Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases)
- Body image issues
If you feel that you have been dealing with a binge eating pattern or have observed any of the symptoms, you should seek treatment from an eating disorder facility as possible. If left untreated, the condition may persist for years.
Binge Eating Disorder Treatment
The treatment of eating disorders is threefold, and it includes the following:
- Psychological therapy
- Medical monitoring
- Nutritional education
Psychological Treatment
It is important to know that there is no unanimously agreed upon treatment for binge eating disorder. The following therapies have shown excellent results in treating BED:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
According to cognitive-behavioral therapists, eating disorders are a manifestation of your thoughts and beliefs related to eating, weight, and shape. The therapy aims to change these thoughts and your body image.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Psychotherapists believe that an eating disorder is your way of coping with interpersonal stressors and negative moods. The therapy focuses on four areas:
- Interpersonal role disputes
- Interpersonal deficits
- Grief
- Role transitions
The therapy has been effective in both the short-term as well as a long-term treatment of BED.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
The idea behind this therapy is that your eating disorder is a result of you being unable to regulate your mood which leads to maladaptive behaviors.
Role of the Therapist
You need a good therapist to help you figure out why you’re indulging in binge eating behaviors and choose the best course of treatment for you. Some cases may even need medication which is why professional guidance is of utmost importance.
Medical Monitoring of Binge Eating Treatment
When combined with regular therapy, medication helps treat eating disorders such as BED. A psychiatrist will prescribe you medicines based on your symptoms or any comorbidities. The most commonly prescribed medicines for BED include:
- Antidepressants
- SSRIs
- Anti-anxiety medication
In addition to that, you may also need medication to treat additional health issues that may have developed due to binge eating. For that, a consultation with a general physician may be necessary.
Nutritional Education for Binge Eating Treatment
Psychotherapy and nutritional education go hand in hand when treating eating disorders. A registered dietician will help you understand the nature of your eating disorder, the nutrients in the food that you’re eating, and how to maintain healthy eating habits.
The goals of nutritional education include:
- Helping you achieve a healthy weight.
- Learning about micronutrients and macronutrients and why they are important for your body.
- Assistance with meal planning.
- Steps to help reduce your faulty patterns of eating.
- Understanding how nutrition affects your body.
How We Treat
At Magnolia Creek, our clinical binge eating disorder treatment modalities include the following:
- Dialectical behavioral therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Exposure and response prevention
- Experiential and symbolic experiential therapy
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Narrative therapy
We offer a comprehensive, compassionate program in a structured, constant, and stable environment. The residential level of care offers clients the highest level of care with the closets amount of supervision and support. Our Partial Hospitalization Program allows clients to begin life outside of treatment while still emphasizing goal setting and recognizing progress. If you believe that you or a loved one would benefit from binge eating treatment, please reach out to our admissions team. They will provide an assessment and determine the level of care that is needed to meet your specific needs.
