Managing Compulsive Eating Disorders: Strategies for Recovery
Compulsive eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that are characterized by the urge to eat large amounts of food, often in a short period, regardless of hunger or nutritional needs. This compulsive over-eating behavior is called binge eating and may be driven by emotional or psychological factors. Over time, it can become routine and may be difficult to control, which can impact the individual’s physical health, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life.
Understanding compulsive eating disorders
Individuals with a compulsive eating disorder may regularly overeat, or binge eat, as a way of managing emotions. These eating habits are different from occasional overeating and may occur once a week or more over many months. This pattern of eating may cause a person to feel shameful or guilty after binging.
The causes of a compulsive eating disorder or binge eating disorder vary and may include genetic predispositions, environmental factors, and psychological factors. For instance, a person may be more likely to develop disordered eating patterns if they have a family history of eating disorders. This could be due to a genetic link as well as family patterns of eating or views on food and body image. Psychological factors that may increase the rate of developing binge eating disorder may include stress and depression, both of which may trigger binge eating.
Types of compulsive eating disorders
While all compulsive eating disorders involve overeating or eating when you are not hungry, there are important distinctions between different types of compulsive overeating. Treatment options and diagnosis may vary based on the underlying disorder. Some common types of compulsive eating disorders include binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, night eating syndrome, and compulsive overeating.
Binge eating disorder
As with each compulsive eating disorder, binge eating disorder (BED) involves consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time regardless of hunger or nutritional needs. Individuals with BED may eat as a response to difficult emotions such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Unlike some other eating disorders, people living with BED do not feel the need to purge or compensate for overeating, which may cause weight gain.
Bulimia nervosa
Like binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa involves eating a large amount of food as an emotional response. However, individuals with bulimia feel the need to purge their food after eating. This could take the form of vomiting, engaging in excessive exercise, or taking laxatives to avoid gaining weight. Individuals experiencing bulimia may not experience weight gain or loss due to purging behaviors.
Night eating syndrome
Night eating syndrome (NES) is an eating disorder characterized by a pattern of consuming a significant portion of daily calories during the night, often after the evening meal or waking up during the night to eat. Individuals living with NES may feel little to no appetite during the day but experience strong cravings for food in the evening or nighttime hours. Unlike binge eating disorder, NES involves smaller amounts of food consumed over time rather than large, singular episodes.
Compulsive overeating
Compulsive overeating is an eating disorder where individuals frequently consume excessive amounts of food, often beyond the point of fullness, in response to emotions such as stress, anxiety, or sadness. Unlike with binge eating, compulsive overeating may occur more consistently throughout the day rather than in isolated episodes, with people eating large quantities even when not hungry.
What are the signs and symptoms of a compulsive eating disorder?
Signs and symptoms of a compulsive eating disorder may vary based on the disorder and the individual experiencing it. These symptoms and signs may also vary in severity and can impact some more than others. Symptoms and indicators of compulsive eating may include physical signs, emotional or psychological symptoms, and behavioral changes.
Physical signs and symptoms of a compulsive eating disorder
Depending on the disorder, a person may or may not show physical signs or symptoms. For individuals living with binge eating disorder, night eating syndrome, or compulsive overeating, weight gain may be common. Weight gain may then lead to other physical conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, joint pain, and high blood pressure.
People living with bulimia nervosa may experience additional gastrointestinal challenges such as constipation or diarrhea. If a person living with bulimia purges through vomiting, it’s also possible for them to experience an increase in dental decay as well as a sore or inflamed throat due to stomach acid. Fatigue or exhaustion may be present as well due to a lack of calories.
Emotional and psychological symptoms
Individuals with a compulsive eating disorder may show signs of emotional or psychological symptoms as well. These may include feelings of guilt, shame, or distress after eating, especially after a binge. They may also feel stress or anxiety around their body’s physical changes that may be occurring due to compulsive overeating. It’s also possible for a person who is living with a compulsive eating disorder to feel preoccupied with food or body weight.
Behavioral signs of compulsive eating disorders
Due to feelings of shame or guilt, some people with compulsive eating disorders may eat alone or in secret.They may also regularly eat a large amount of food, even after noticing that they’re not hungry anymore. Compulsive eating disorder may often involve a lack of control, with a person frequently feeling like they can’t stop eating.
Potential impacts of compulsive overeating
Compulsive overeating can impact a person’s physical health, mental health, and social well-being. Physically, people with a compulsive overeating disorder may be at a higher risk of obesity. The large intake of calories on a routine basis may lead to weight gain, which can make it more challenging to exercise and may increase the risk of developing other health concerns. The physical strain from these health complications can lead to reduced mobility, fatigue, and lower energy levels, making daily activities more challenging.
Compulsive overeating may also impact a person’s mental health and social well-being. A person who eats compulsively may have added stress and anxiety, which can lead to depression. They may withdraw from social interactions or avoid socializing, especially when food is present.
Strategies for managing compulsive overeating
Eating disorders are diagnosable mental illnesses that typically require treatment—which often takes the form of therapy in combination with medical care or the support of a nutritionist—to address. For those noticing signs of compulsive overeating or other disordered eating behaviors in themselves, seeking professional support as soon as possible can be important, as early intervention may improve long-term outcomes.
In addition to working with a professional, there are strategies that may help a person prevent or reduce the compulsion to overeat. These may include:
- Nutritional counseling. A registered dietitian can help a person create a balanced eating plan, address nutritional deficiencies, and develop healthier eating habits.
- Mindful eating. Practicing mindful eating involves paying attention to hunger cues, savoring each bite, and eating without distractions. This can help build a healthier relationship with food.
- Building routines. Creating regular eating patterns and meal schedules can reduce the temptation to eat compulsively. It may be beneficial to avoid skipping meals, which can lead to overeating later.
- Emotional regulation. Finding healthy ways to manage stress, anxiety, and other strong emotions can be key to limiting the desire to eat as a way of coping. Examples of helpful skills may include mindfulness practices, journaling, and relaxation techniques.
- Support groups. Working with a group of individuals who are also living with compulsive eating disorders may help to build community and provide additional accountability.
- Therapy. Working with a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, can help address underlying emotional issues and develop coping strategies. A therapist may also formally diagnose binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, or another eating disorder, which can be a first step in getting longer-term support.
Treating binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and other compulsive eating disorders
Treating a compulsive eating disorder often involves a multifaceted approach that typically includes therapy to develop coping skills, nutritional support from a registered professional, and, in some cases, prescription medication as well. Coping skills may include identifying emotions or situations that commonly trigger the compulsive behaviors and methods for reducing these behaviors when such emotions or situations do arise. Examples of techniques include mindful breathing, journaling, or meditative techniques.
Never start, stop, or change any medications without consulting your physician first.
Seeking professional support
Again, for individuals living with an eating disorder, working with a licensed mental health professional or therapist is usually a key component of treatment. A therapist can work with you to develop strategies and techniques for reducing symptoms and improving mental health.
If you’re not able to regularly travel to and from in-person appointments or would simply prefer to engage in therapy from the comfort of home, you might consider online therapy. While it’s not right in every situation, such as when inpatient care for acute symptoms is needed, virtual talk therapy can be a helpful and convenient form of support in many cases. Research suggests that, in many cases, online therapy can provide similar long-term benefits to in-person therapy for individuals with eating disorders.
Takeaway
What eating disorder is characterized by compulsive eating?
Binge eating disorder (BED) is a common eating disorder that’s listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) along with other mental disorders related to food and eating. It’s characterized by eating episodes where one consumes large amounts of food in one sitting, referred to as a “binge eating episode.” During such an episode, the individual often feels out of control and unable to stop, and afterwards they may experience shame or guilt.
Binge eating disorder differs from other common eating disorders in key ways. Unlike those with bulimia, people with BED do not engage in compensatory behaviors (like exercising excessively or forced vomiting) to try and promote weight loss after eating unusually large amounts. Unlike those with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), they typically do not experience dangerous levels of picky eating where they avoid a large number of certain foods. Unlike those with anorexia nervosa, they do not engage in restricting food or avoiding getting enough calories due to an intense fear of weight gain. To diagnose BED, a healthcare professional must rule out other types of eating disorders first.
What causes a compulsion to eat in binge eating disorder?
Research suggests that individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) may have differences in brain structure or function that contribute to their symptoms. For example, one study indicates that people with BED may experience “increased activation in reward-processing areas of the brain when shown food stimuli” and an “enhanced response to food” in general.
Is overeating a mental illness?
Overeating or uncomfortably full eating from time to time is not considered a mental illness. However, frequent episodes of eating large amounts until one is experiencing uncomfortable feelings of fullness regularly—especially when done to cope with or avoid difficult feelings—could be a sign of binge eating disorder, which is the most common eating disorder today.
Is being compulsive a disorder?
Having compulsive tendencies in general is not a disorder in and of itself. However, it can be one of the risk factors for developing certain mental illnesses such as binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Research suggests that compulsive personality traits may be genetic.
How to stop being compulsive?
Compulsive tendencies can be associated with undesirable or harmful habits or even diagnosable mental health conditions, such as binge eating disorder or anorexia nervosa. If you're struggling with compulsive behaviors and/or signs of a mental illness, it's usually recommended that you meet with a therapist. In individual therapy like interpersonal therapy or group therapy, you can work with a provider to address problematic behaviors that you'd like to change. Successful treatment for compulsive tendencies and mental health conditions is often possible, whether that looks like improved control over behavioral tendencies or remission of an illness.
How can you tell if someone is compulsive?
A person may have compulsive tendencies if they frequently engage in behaviors that are harmful or undesirable and seem to have trouble stopping, even if they want to. Compulsive behaviors can also sometimes be warning signs of an eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or another condition. If you notice warning signs of any mental illness in a loved one, it's generally recommended that you gently encourage them to seek support, such as therapy and nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian/nutritionist.
Why is it so hard to stop compulsions?
It can be hard to stop behavioral compulsions if you've engaged in them for a long time and have created a habit or pattern. In the case of a diagnosable disorder, there may also be brain differences at play that can make change more difficult.
What is the compulsion to eat things?
The compulsion to eat large amounts in one sitting is referred to as binge eating disorder. The compulsion to eat non-food substances is referred to as pica. Both are diagnosable eating disorders that can affect a person in adolescence, young adulthood, or later in life and can cause increased risk of medical complications.
How do you fix compulsive disorder?
Treatment for disorders involving compulsive behaviors depends on the disorder. Treating eating disorders, for example, often involves nutrition counseling, talk therapy, and medical care. Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often involves talk therapy and medication.
Seeking treatment for compulsive disorders can be important to overall well-being. Since eating disorders can result in effects like brittle hair, damaged tooth enamel, dangerous weight loss or gain, suicidal thoughts, and additional medical conditions, and OCD can cause extreme distress, anxiety, and disruption of daily functioning, professional treatment is often essential.
What is an example of compulsive behavior in terms of eating disorders?
Compulsive behaviors in the context of eating disorders can take different forms depending on the specific illness a person is experiencing. For example, compulsive behaviors in anorexia could look like a tendency to restrict calories severely to avoid gaining weight. A distorted body image often fuels this compulsion, as a person with anorexia may feel they’re overweight even if they’re slightly underweight or at a normal weight. Compulsive behaviors in bulimia could look like a tendency to exercise excessively to avoid weight gain. Compulsive behaviors in binge eating disorder can look like feeling unable to stop during an episode of eating large amounts of food.
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