Suffering binges on food is not a minor evil, this can become a problem that causes a lot of harm and that also generates a lot of shame in the person who suffers it.
For this reason, in this article, we are going to see some “tips” on how to avoid them and why binges really happen.
Binge eating is different from eating a lot. That is, who else who less, on some occasion has spent eating: an open buffet, a Christmas dinner, etc.
The main difference between binge eating and overeating lies in willfulness and control. People who suffer from binge eating disorder or compulsive overeating have recurrent moments of loss of control where they feel they cannot stop eating.
Therefore, it is considered a psychological problem related to the lack of control of impulses. This already tells us a lot about where the solution will come from emotional regulation and impulse control.
Why do we binge on food?
The reasons that lead us to develop a problem of this type can be very varied, in therapy I usually find two patterns that are repeated:
The first case is based on a learning story. For example, I have a patient who, after a very painful breakup preceded by an abortion, began to develop an eating problem with repeated episodes of eating more and more frequently.
She was in so much pain that she decided to take refuge in food, just as someone else could have, for example, in alcohol. The reason is that food is a natural anxiolytic.
When we eat we produce dopamine and endorphins. Also, when we consume carbohydrates (sweets), our adenosine levels increase. All this mixture of chemical substances manages to get us to feel pleasure and avoid those things that concern us.
The problem is that the brain learns to make an association between bad being and food, so that every time we feel bad, it will suggest the possibility of eating.
The second of the cases that I find in therapy has to do with a kind of rebound effect to an anorexic disorder. Those people who follow very restrictive diets and who try to control their intake excessively, there comes a time when they “explode” and end up bingeing.
What does it mean to eat for anxiety?
Surely on more than one occasion, you have heard this eating out of anxiety, but what exactly does it mean?
When we have a lot of stress, we tend to be in a rush and make much more impulsive decisions. It was not going to be any different when it came to eating.
During quarantine and teleworking, many people have gained weight. This is due, in part, to working under stress or rushing. Also, while they work, they eat, well, rather gobble.
However, this is not usually a strictly speaking binge. Binge eating, as we saw before, has to do with a lack of control.
The sign to have one is usually a discomfort. At some point, we have learned to associate food as a solution to alleviate what happens inside us and then our mind makes us a proposal to eat.
In many cases, this signal does not have to be anxiety as such, it can be sadness, guilt, and even boredom. As you can see, many feelings can act as triggers.
The concept of compulsion
People who have a binge problem have had past experiences where they have not been able to control themselves about food. For this reason, when the idea or desire to eat appears, they tend to become very nervous and feel anguish and/or anxiety.
Finally, binge eating often appears as a way to alleviate this “secondary anxiety.” In this article on compulsive eating, I explain this part better to you.
How to overcome binge eating
The first thing we have to make clear is that there is no trick to avoid binge eating. In fact, try to avoid them at all costs, they are surely one of the triggers that cause them.
However, these are some measures that can help you overcome the problem of binge eating:
- Take a self-record of emotions before the binge
- Not compensating for the binge
- Do not restrict or follow low-calorie diets
- Understand how the control system works – uncontrol
- Make use of satisfying foods
- Work techniques such as mindful eating.
What about nighttime binges?
A very specific case is that of people who cannot avoid binge eating at night. In some cases, it can occur even in the middle of the night, but in most, it is usually after dinner.
This is what we commonly know as a snort. Snorting is the habit of making a second or third dinner after the main dinner. It can also be pecking, etc.
Something that I have detected in my patients is that they spend many hours without eating. For example, if they finish eating at 3:00 p.m., until 9:00 p.m. or more, they do not eat anything again.
This causes the feeling of satiety not to be fulfilled as soon as it should.
What are the consequences of binge eating?
The consequences of binge eating are more or less obvious. First of all, we have the risk of being overweight or obese, and the health risks that this entails.
Another important consequence has to do with the alteration of the metabolism, since entering into binge/restriction dynamics is a way to drive you crazy. Also, if there is vomiting and/or use of laxatives, we can cause internal bleeding and conditions in the digestive system.
However, the biggest consequences of binge eating are psychological. Feelings of helplessness and helplessness are easy to develop, increasing the chances of suffering from a mood disorder such as depression.
Additionally, binge eaters begin to become more obsessed with what they eat and try to restrict calories out of concern for the body, which can lead to an anorexic/bulimic type eating problem that leads to the person becoming obsessed with it.
