Eating-Disorder-Information.com is sponsored by
" You Are Not Alone (Vol 1 + 2) - The Books of Companionship
for Women with Eating Disorders" -- for more information,
visit www.youarenotalonebook.com
(a new window will open).
Binge Eating Disorder (also
referred to as Compulsive Overeating Disorder) is characterized by episodes of
uncontrolled consumption of unusually large amounts of food followed by periods
of guilt and depression.
Sufferers are upset by their binges,
often become depressed and are very ashamed of their behaviour. They usually feel
badly about themselves and may miss work, school, or social activities to binge
eat.
Binge Eating is not a response to hunger but
a response to depression, stress, or self esteem problems.
Eating becomes a way of dealing (or not dealing) with emotional
issues.
Quotes from people
with binge eating disorder...
"I was eating non-stop.
I usually ate enough food for three or four people in just one day."
"I
comforted myself with food. I would sneak down the hallway to the vending machines
and get as many candy bars as I could from them."
"After eating
tons of food I feel guilty about what I have just done but at the same time I
wonder when and what I can eat next."
"I was doing my best
to try and hide it, but my parents would notice when a big box of cookies went
missing. I would just say that my younger siblings had it all."
Myth #1: Only teenage (Caucasian) girls have
eating disorders.
Eating disorders can affect anyone--no matter what their
gender, race, age, sexual preference, profession, religious
or cultural background. Consider this:
One out of ten anorexia or bulimia sufferers is male.
About 50% of people with binge eating disorder are males.
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder
in the United States
Children as young as four years old can develop eating
disorders
Individuals in their 40s, 50s, and 60s can also suffer
from eating disorders, either having developed them during
adolescence or even in mid-life.
Myth #2: Anorexia is the only serious eating
disorder.
Even though anorexia has the highest mortality rate of
all eating disorders, every form of this disease can do
serious, long-term damage to the body and in extreme cases
end in the sufferer's death, most commonly by cardiac arrest
or suicide.
Myth #3: You can tell by someone's appearance
if they have an eating disorder.
Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. In many
cases, it is not possible to tell if someone has an eating
disorder simply by looking at them. Most sufferers look
"normal." In fact, that can be one of the most dangerous
things about this disease - sufferers can hide them perfectly
for months, years and sometimes, even a lifetime.
Most anorexics don't look like the extreme cases shown
on television (ie. like walking skeletons). Such a person
may look thin, but don't necessarily look "sick".
Bulimics often look to have a healthy weight.
Binge Eaters are usually overweight but because most of
the Western world has a substantial number of overweight
individuals anyways, they tend to blend in.
Myth #4: Binge Eating Disorder is about food
and weight.
Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are not about
food, weight, appearance or beauty. They are an attempt
to use food and weight to deal with underlying psychological
problems. An eating disorder is simply the symptom of something
deeper going on inside.
Because eating disorders are not about food, saying "just
eat" to an anorexic, "stop purging" to a bulimic or "stop
eating so much" to a binge eater does not help.
Eating disorders are a complex disorder and require the
assistance of both a trained professional and a willingness
by the sufferer to want to get better in the first place.
Myth #5: Once you have an eating disorder,
you're stuck with it forever.
Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. In fact,
it's more common to recover than not. All it takes is a
willingness to get better, as well as help and support from
friends, family and trained professionals.
If you unfortunately suffer from an eating disorder,
know that you are not alone. Reach out for help and support
to get you started on your road to recovery.
What to do when you feel
like losing control... Instead of binging, try to calm yourself down. Ask yourself
"Do I really need to binge?"
The following tips may help you get the control
back over your impulsive eating behaviour.
When you feel like being at risk of losing control: Wait
ten minutes; count to 100 - waiting for a couple of minutes
usually can make the cravings go away.
Have a big glass of water.
Call a friend.
Visit a friend.
Ask a friend to come over.
Call an Eating Disorder Hotline.
Call your therapist.
Call someone from your support group.
Write your journal. Write an e-mail to a friend.
Listen to music.
Listen to a comedy tape or video.
Dance to your favourite songs.
Watch a movie.
Read a book.
Take a nap.
Pray.
Exercise.
Meditate.
Go to a tanning salon.
Paint a picture.
Clean your room.
Take a relaxing bath.
Go for a walk (don't take money with you!)
Spend time with your pet.
Plant flowers or pull weeds in a garden.
Colour your hair.
Paint your nails.
Go to eating disorder support websites and chat online
with people who are going through the same as you are (like
MentorCONNECT
- a online wonderful pro-recovery community)
Plan regular activities for your most difficult time of
day.
The self esteem of compulsive overeaters is
extremely low, and very often virtually non-existent. They
feel guilty, isolated, depressed, helpless, worthless and
are ashamed and disgusted by themselves and their behaviour.
Oftentimes they hate their body and their life.
Quote from someone who struggles with binge eating...
"I feel heavy and extremely uncomfortable in my body. But
this is not as bad as the inner pain, the low self-esteem, shame, isolation and
embarrassment I experience."
People with binge eating disorder can be treated
and the disorder can be successfully overcome. Support groups
(i.e. Overeaters Anonymous - www.
oa.org) can be a very valuable tool in treating this disorder
and are an excellent step to take on the road to recovery.
Binge eating disorder involves the mind and
the body, so psychological and medical help (provided from
such as health doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical
social workers, dietitians) is beneficial and necessary.
Counselling focuses on the reasons and triggers
for the abnormal eating habits. The goal is to make the person
feel better about themself and to improve their self-esteem,
so that they focus less on food and become less dependent
on their eating disorder.
Quotes from people with binge
eating disorder
"Compulsive overeating is my life. I'm
either thinking about food, or eating."
"The more I tried
to control what I was eating - the more out of control I became."
Eating disorders seriously affect the hormonal system and
therefore make it extremely difficult to both conceive and
carry a child to term. Women suffering from eating disorders
put their lives and the life their baby in danger and raise
the risk of miscarriage, prematurity, postnatal depression.
You should not attempt to get pregnant until you are well
on your way to recovery, or recovered. It is important for
all pregnant women to receive proper prenatal care and have
regular pre-natal visits. In addition, an enrollment in a
prenatal exercise class is a good idea.
For more detailed
information on eating disorders and pregnancy - please click
here.
This remarkable guided workbook shows emotional
eaters - in a constructive, non-judgmental way - how to stop using food as a substitute
for handling difficult emotions or situations, and how to enjoy eating and still
lose weight naturally.
By using the liberating exercises and techniques developed
by Geneen Roth in her highly successful Breaking Free workshops, dieters,
who've tried every conceivable diet - losing weight again and again, only to gain
it back - and bingers, who are harming their health, can learn wholesome, beneficial
ways to achieve their goals. This proven program offers concrete, constructive,
reassuring guidelines and helps you peel back the layers of your emotional eating
until you get to the very heart of the matter. This workbook will allow you to
work alone, at your own pace, or as a guide for support groups.
This is how Geneen Roth remembers her time
as an emotional overeater and self-starver. After years of struggle, Roth finally
broke free from the destructive cycle of bingeing and purging. In the two decades
since her triumph, she has gone on to help tens of thousands of others do the
same through her lectures, workshops, and retreats. Those she has met during this
time have shared stories that are both heartrending and inspiring, which Roth
has gathered for this unique book.
Twenty years after its original publication, Feeding
the Hungry Heart continues to inspire women and men, helping them win the
battle against a hunger that goes deeper than a need for food.
Geneen Roth
is the bestselling author of Breaking Free from Compulsive Eatingand
When Food Is Love. She conducts workshops and retreats on issues of self-esteem,
eating, diet, and intimacy.
It Was Food vs. Me ... and I Won How I learned
to face my feelings. Feed my cravings. Make my choices. And live a life
beyond food. by Nancy Goodman
Publisher: Viking Adult
Publication Date: April 26, 2004 ISBN: 0-670-033-12X
"I have a great life, if only I could stop eating." Those
were the words Nancy Goodman used to describe herself. Like millions of women
of all ages, she had an obsession with food. She was obsessed with her weight,
obsessed with eating, and obsessed with not eating. It didn't matter that
she "looked OK" or "good enough" to most people. She was trapped in a life of
dieting and deprivation rather than leading a life true to who she wanted to be.
This book speaks directly to readers and Nancy shares her inspiring story and
lessons for breaking free. As Nancy discovered, when she finally began to confront
the true issues facing her, instead of the self-created ones about food, she was
able to lose weight, start eating the foods she loved, stop obsessing, and flourish
in more ways than she had ever imagined. With total honesty and a passion for
helping others, she offers refreshing advice on dealing with everything from daily
food choices, cravings, and emotional triggers to the realities of binges and
setbacks, setting nonweight goals, and living one's dreams.
Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr. Christopher
G. Fairburn
Proven Effective in Clinical Research
Publisher:
The Guilford Press Publication Date: March 10, 1995 ISBN: 0-898-621-798
Do you have a binge eating problem or know someone
who does? This authoritative book provides all the information
needed to understand binge eating and bring it under control.
Whether you are working with a therapist or on your own, clear,
step-by-step guidelines will show you how to:
Overcome the urge to binge
Gain control
over eating behaviour
Reduce the risk of relapse
Establish
stable, healthy eating habits
This unique book has been
tested in controlled clinical research - and its success rate is outstanding.
From a leading international expert, here is the advice, encouragement, and detailed
guidance that can help you transform your relationship to food.
Eating-Disorder-Information.com is sponsored by "You
Are Not
Alone (Vol 1 + 2) - The Books of Companionship for
Women with Eating Disorders" - inspiring collections
of personal recovery stories, poems and artwork from
women who are either in strong recovery or fully recovered.
Legal Notice: The content
of this and other sections of the Eating-Disorder-Information.com
website is intended only for broad, general information, and
should not replace one-on-one therapy with a trained professional.
As with all health-related issues, please refer to your personal
physician, dietician, counselor or therapist for a full evaluation
and to determine the best course of treatment. Eating-Disorder-Information.com
specifically disclaims liability, loss, or risk, personal
or otherwise, that may be incurred as a consequence, directly
or indirectly, in the use or application of any contents of
this web site.
Recovery really is possible - also for you!
You Are Not Alone, Vol 2 (plus FREE Companion
CD) - The Book of Companionship for Women with
Eating Disorders
Inspiring collection of personal recovery stories,
poems, artwork, and song lyrics by women who are
either in recovery or fully recovered from an
eating disorder.
Foreword by Dr.Anita Johnston
(author of Eating in the Light of the Moon)
RECOVERY MUSIC Also included in the book is the You Are
Not Alone Companion CD filled with healing
songs by women who are either fully recovered
or in strong recovery from an eating disorder.
Profits
are donated to eating disorder help and support
organizations to help raise awareness and help
others in their recovery.
You Are Not
Alone is a proud sponsor
of the Recovery Buddies Project, the Joy Project,
and MentorCONNECT.
Not
Alone (Vol 1 + 2) - The Books of Companionship for
Women with Eating Disorders" - inspiring collections
of personal recovery stories, poems and artwork from
women who are either in strong recovery or fully recovered.