At Cassiobury Court, we can help you if you suffer from an uncontrollable compulsion to binge eat.
Binge eating disorder can be a very difficult illness to diagnose, in large part due to social stigma and reluctance on the part of the sufferer to reach out for help.
Get In Touch
Are you suffering from Binge Eating Disorder and need help? If so, Cassiobury Court are leading UK based experts in Mental Health Treatments. Find out how we can help by getting in touch with our friendly team today. You can either call our confidential helpline or request a callback by clicking on the below form.
This sense of embarrassment surrounding binge eating is incredibly harmful and serves as a large barrier in the way of recovery. We offer personalized treatment services for binge eating disorder.
Our clinic offers a safe and welcoming environment, and with us you are much more likely to recover from this illness.
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge eating disorder, despite the misconceptions that some people may hold, is a very serious mental illness that causes the sufferer to eat very large quantities of food with little to no control over what they’re doing.
It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or social status, and studies suggest that it is the most common of all eating disorders.
The disorder is characterized by the consumption of large amounts of food over a short period of time (bingeing). Bingeing is often triggered by stress, with food serving as a coping mechanism.
But binge eating disorder is not about the sufferer choosing to overindulge, which is something everyone does from time to time. Far from being enjoyable, binges tend to be incredibly distressing for the sufferer, often involving more food than they want to eat.
Even if the sufferer consciously wants to stop eating, they may find it almost impossible to do so. It is reportedly common for sufferers to feel disconnected from their actions during a binge, and they may even struggle to remember exactly what they have eaten afterwards.
It is important to get help for binge eating disorder as quickly as possible. Consistent binge eating can lead to a number of serious consequences. Uncontrolled eating can take a heavy toll on your mental health, leading to intense feelings of shame, insecurity and can even feed into depression.
The most obvious physical consequence of bingeing is obesity, which carries with it its own host of complications. Individuals stuck in this vicious cycle of overeating can end up suffering from problems such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
As with any mental illness, there should be no shame in admitting that you are struggling with binge eating disorder. But it is critical that the problem is nipped in the bud as soon as possible.
Do I have Binge Eating Disorder?
We all overindulge from time to time, and many people go through periods in their lives where they eat more than usual.
So it is important to be able to recognise when your food consumption is becoming a problem, and when that problem has transitioned to a chronic illness. These are some of the main signs of binge eating disorder to watch out for, as laid out by the NHS:
- Eating when you’re not hungry
- Eating food very quickly
- Eating alone or secretly
- Feeling guilty, ashamed, depressed or disgusted after eating
It is also important that you are able to recognise binge eating disorder symptoms in others. These are some of the main warning signs to look out for in your loved ones, as listed by the National Eating Disorders Association:
- Evidence of hidden binge eating, i.e. lots of empty wrappers or food containers, disappearance of large quantities of food in the house
- Appearing uncomfortable eating around others
- Showing extreme concern with body weight and shape
- Disruption in normal eating behaviours, i.e. eating meals at unusual times or eating continuously throughout the day
- Noticeable fluctuations in weight, both up and down
Binge Eating Disorder Treatment
The first step when dealing with any illness, physical or mental, is generally a discussion with your GP. Treatment for binge eating disorder usually begins with a guided self-help programme.
These treatment plans involve working through a self-help book at home, but combined with sessions with a healthcare professional. These programmes encourage you to monitor what you are eating, make and adhere to realistic meal plans, identify and recognise your triggers, and find other, healthier ways to cope with your feelings and stress.
Guided self-help can be incredibly useful and effective, encouraging and allowing you to take back control of your dietary habits. Sometimes, however, this is not enough.
Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT for short, is an incredibly useful tool in combatting eating disorders- and it may be that this is what you need to help you get back on track.
CBT is most commonly used as a therapy for the treatment of anxiety, but it is especially well suited for the modification of harmful behaviour and habits. CBT is a talking therapy, with the aim of helping you to explore your thoughts, feelings and actions.
CBT encourages you to approach stressful problems in a rational way, breaking it down into smaller issues so that the overall situation is more manageable.
Because binge eating is often associated with stress, CBT can help you to build self-discipline and resist the compulsion to overeat. If you are given CBT for binge eating disorder, it will help you to:
- Adopt regular, healthier eating habits
- Work out what exactly is triggering your binge eating
- Manage any negative feelings you have about your body
- Adhere to your new eating habits so that you do not relapse back into bingeing
At Cassiobury Court, we offer CBT as a standard treatment in many of our rehabilitation programmes. So if you are struggling with binge eating disorder, and you need help in your recovery, contact us today for further information.
We understand that there are many reasons why people develop eating disorders, and no two people experience this illness in the same way. With us, you can expect a personalised treatment plan that puts your needs first.
