Binge Eating Disorder
A friend of mine came over last week, and as we talked, she mentioned how facing her life’s challenges made her emotional and became a binge eater. Unresolved emotional conflicts can prompt us into binging.
Binge eating is an out of control, compulsive overeating when people eat huge amounts of food. Some binge eaters have their periods when they consume unhealthy amounts of food, this time frame could last anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours. Others over eat all day long.
Unfortunately, people are binging to cover some kind of emotional emptiness with food. But people with binge eating disorder struggle with feelings of guilt, disgust, and depression. It’s a circle of unhealthy behavior. It may be comforting for a brief moment, but then reality sets back in, along with regret and self-loathing.
As we talked, I realized that this summer, regardless of exercising, I still didn’t loose weight. I realized I was binge eating too. Suddenly, it became clear that my emotional overeating was the result of the fact that this summer nothing worked as the years before. We are in a financial struggle, as both my and my husband’s businesses were hurt by our weak economy. We couldn’t afford a family vacation, the kids’ summer activities and the only thing we could afford was food. [Not really, but food was always available] So I guess I felt like, if I can’t accomplish anything at least I can eat.
This was a huge eye opener, because it was unconscious, and I just reacted and behaved stupidly. I think most people who have binge eating disorder at first might not ever recognize that they have a problem. Then binge eating becomes a disorder. Food becomes an addiction, just like drugs or alcohol.
I have to consciously notice why I eat? Lately, I wasn’t thinking why I ate; I just ate, even when I wasn’t hungry.
The truth is I feel really embarrassed that I have to acknowledge this problem. So I made a decision to always point out the motives behind eating. Am I eating because I am hungry, or I am just bingeing to cover my unresolved life challenges, and emotional problems?
Have you ever realized that you are bingeing? If yes, what helped you overcome your eating disorder?
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I agree with you that food can comfort you for a short period of time. But then you have to face reality which is not comforting at all. Once you are able to identify the cause of your binging it will be easier to face your weakness.