Binge Eating Disorder ( Awareness)

@Laura , @Amelia , @Dilion , @Heather , @MissZ, @Jace , @Power , @Anomalia , @Lyra ,@PassionatePeyton , @gigantWillow93 , @Always25 , @sarcasticalien , @TheSpiritGuardianOri , @tranquilForever68 , @Halogen , @LonelyAngels , @Belle_ , @KRN , @PuppyLove13 , @ForeverKeepRising , @tazcares , @UditJ , @Greylight , @Eunoia , @PoliteOcean @SnowsOfYesteryear @RedWolfAK @Isaac

This was quite elaborative and well-structured. Well done! :)

@tazcares

Thank you for reading

@EssenceOfHope

Thank you for doing this!

@EssenceOfHope

1.) I continue to eat when depressed or bored.

2.) It started becoming more prominent a few years ago when I became depressed.

3.) Depression. I also grew up in the Southwest where food means a lot.

4.) I've been in a downward spiral for a few years now. I have self-image and esteem issues.

5.) No, but I'd like to.

@MayBlue

May , Thank You for reading , many people with this tend to eat when depressed , for you it started quite a while ago it seems , i am sorry to hear that you are in a downward spiral , i hope you are able to overcome it soons , for coping tricks , i suggets checking the links i provided at the end of the post as helpful resources

@EssenceOfHope

I really appreciate this.

@EssenceOfHope Thank you for posting such a detailed and informative thread <3 I could relate to it all too well :) thank you <3

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?

I ate all day everyday though it made me feel sick.

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?

About a year ago when my depression set in and I felt that I should atleast be able to eat when and as I please.

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?

Depression and a cheating boyfriend.

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?

I felt guilty, worthless, ugly, like a slob all the time.. Made the depression worse.

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?

It was difficult so the first thing I did was I stopped the midnight binges as those are the worst and then I slowly reduced the amount of food I had but I didn't care about it being healthy or unhealthy.. Has helped a lot!

@PuppyLove13

your welcome , Thank you for reading , what you are describing is a very common form of binge eating disorder , i am sure many of us can relate , but that doesnot mean that its easy to live with as you described it can cause much mental harm in addition to physical affects , i liked how you mentioned "guilt" , people suffering froom this often feel guilty , i am glad you were able to find a way that helped

It is great to see awareness about this very misunderstood condition.

@Carrotcakefan

Thank You for reading , i am glad that you liked it

@EssenceOfHope

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?

I couldn't stop eating, even if I felt full and sick.

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?

About a year ago.

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?

Depression, loneliness, boredom and poor self-esteem.

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?

I felt worthless, unbalanced and incapable of making real commitments.

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?

I'm actually still struggling with binge eating and once in a while I still fall back into it. Nonetheless, I've found out that practicing a sport is a big help. In my case, include running into my routine was the best choice I could ever have made. It really boosts your self-confidence.

@Yunqi

Thank you for reading and taking the time to share , from what you described , it is common to feel guilt that often leads to feeling of worthlessness , when we are not able to control what can seem to be a minor thing for people who don't struggle with it , it can really affect our self image , i am glad that you found practicing sports of help , exercise can be a good coping strategy

@EssenceOfHope Thank you for this thread <3

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?

When every I'm home I'm always constatly munching on something. I can never do my school work ot study without a snack on my side. I'm constatly eating even after I feel full/sick of eating. Food is my source of comfort.

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?

For a couple months now. Espically when school gets stressful.

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?

When I was younger I used to be able to eat whatever and not put on any wieght. I never learn how to control myself from eating since I never have needed to.

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?

I'm constatly insecure about my weight. I've found my self being more depressed now adays..

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?

Chewing gum kinda helps...make me feel as if I'm eating something but now really..

@MapleSyyrup

Thank you for reading and taking the time to answer , its appreciated , i can see that your disorder is routing from stress , and you deal with the stress by using food as a comfort , it can be hard to deal with this as it often gives us the feelings of guilt , low selfesteem and body image issues can also be a result of it , cewing gum can be a good coping strategy , i suggets mint gum as mint suppresses appetite , but it should be kept in mind that everything is good in moderation , chewing gum in an excess amount can cause bloating

@EssenceOfHope Thank you for readin my post and also for the advice <3

@MapleSyyrup

Your welcome

@EssenceOfHope

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?
Mostly while depressed, I eat whatever I can get my hands on.

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?
When I was a teenager.

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?
Depression and my own insecurities about my weight.

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?
I swing back and forth between BED and other eating disorders, always feeling guilty, whether I eat or not.

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?
I try to drink flavored coffee or tea when I feel like binging, and that helps sometimes.

@MistyMountainHope

Thank you for taking the time to share , from what you shared i am seeing that your BED is routed from depression and binge eating causes guilt in you which leads to self esteem and further mental stress , you have been struggling for quite long , i am sorry that you are going through this but i am really glad that you have found something that has helped

I started binging when I was a kid. i never realized at that time that I was depending on food. Too much tension in home. And didn't know how to express my feelings. So I swallow those feelings with my food and hence became comfort food for me.

After so many years, still find it hard to deal with. Whenever I am tensed I end up eating even when I am full. At that time all I want to junk. Sometimes when I try not to eat, I feel so much anxious. It feels like a minor panic attack. I face this problem especially at night. After having my dinner. I realized that it is really important to be calm and relax in order to stop emotional eating. I feel that it's not genetic but it's what we see our parents doing.

I sometimes feel so depressed. Being angry with myself for having no control. Being sad with myself for finding no solution. And then the lack of confidence

To cope up I try to ask myself what I am anxious about and tell myself that there is no need to be anxious. i try to tell myself what is the worst that can happen and I can handle it. So I try to relax then. Not easy though. I also try to keep check when I feel the craving and keep dry fruits at home. They always help. I think its also be about having patience with ourselves. It is a journey. Not a single day process. We have to be willing to love ourselves and be patient with ourselves. Every time I fail I try to do it again.

Also the habit of eating slowly and being present in the moment is essential. That always help.

@Aashilights

Thank you for taking the time to read the post and to share your story , from what you shared i am seeing that it started early for you with the ame route as many described above and that is mental stress , you use food as a comfort like many of us , cause it helps block the stress for a bit , it can certainly cause self esteem issues and leads to further depression , i am glad that practicing mindfullness is helping you

@EssenceOfHope thank you for this! i appreciate the amount of detail.

1. Buying a lot of junk food (or receiving it as a present), hiding it in my room, eating it quickly, hiding wrappers, and disposing of rubbish when I'm home alone by trying to put it at the bottom of the bin.

2. I think 2014, maybe late 2013. (start of uni/finishing high school)

3. Poor body image, stress, family problems, and my mother doesn't eat a lot, so I sometimes feel weird about food/eating.

4. It makes me even more stressed and upset, I shut down and try to isolate myself, and I feel physically ill and lethargic.

5. Not yet.

@talkingflowers

Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions , what i am seeing is that you consumed a lot of junk food but you are not proud of it therefore you tried to hid any proof of it , a part of you can't help it while on the other hand you can't help but eat such foods , so i think a major life change influenced it , as for many BED has a negative mental affect on you as well , it may feel good to eat foods that are high in fat and sugar , they give you a endorphin rush but a downwards spiral afterwards , about the coping techniques , try reading the replies to this post you might like a idea

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?

I'm eating a chocolate muffin for breakfast, as I do most mornings. Also, I will often only have one meal a day (lunch) and just graze on chocolate in the evening. I'll eat chocolate all the time, at any time of day, in any circumstances, even when I'm too sick to stomach regular food. I will also eat food I know will make me sick, and have in the past eaten food knowing it would give me severe gastro intestinal pain within a couple of hours. I generally eat alone in my room and will hide my hoardes of junk food.

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?

Soon as I got my first job 12 years ago, and had the money and power to buy whatever food I wanted whenever I wanted.

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?

Insecurity, anxiety, depression, the need for instant gratification and comfort and a false sense of 'control', i.e. the power to sate my desire to eat by simply buying what I want and eating it.

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?

My weight causes insecurity and makes me unhappy. Which makes me eat. The usual vicious cycle.

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?

Not in 12 years, anyway. Maybe I will eventually.

@ForeverKeepRising

Thank you for sharing your experience and reading the post. From what you shared i am seeing that you have an addiction to chocolate. You eat regardless of the fact that it might hurt you as you mentioned the " gastro intestinal pain." You also hide the proof of your eating after wards like many , you have been struggling for a while. I admire your couarge. Yes BED gives us the illusion of control. Many things ifluenced your BED. I couldn't agree more... it is indeed a "vicious cycle." I hope you are able to find coping techniques soon. I suggest making a hot cocoa drink. Take 1 tablespoon of coco powder and put it in 1 cup of hot water. This will satisfy your craving of chocolate and it will supress your appeitie

Is there an anorexia Awareness?

@Heavenleeangel

i checked , to my knowledge i can't seem to find any , if i ever make such a post i will tag you

@EssenceOfHope

Okay, thank you(:

@Heavenleeangel

You can read the post on Anorexia awareness here

@EssenceOfHope

Please tag me, too! I tend to swing back and forth between these two mostly. I love that I can talk about this here without feeling like a freak. Thank you! <3

@MistyMountainHope

i sure will , i am seeing a demand for it , i will be working on this post soon

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?

- I used to be bulimic

- sometimes I feel unable to control what I'm eating; I feel afraid that if I DO control what I'm eating, then it means that I have an eating disorder

- I eat even when I'm full, to cope with emotions I guess

- I eat at least relatively normally around others. I definitely think I gorge alone, and not with others...although I haven't really thought about it in those terms in the past. I don't intentionally not-gorge around other people. It's just that when I do end up gorging... it's alone. I guess if I'm at a party or something, I do hide the fact that I'm eating sometimes.

- I usually eat continuously throughout the day, with no planned mealtimes... it's difficult to have planned mealtimes, my life is very unstructured/unpredictable

- I feel embarrassed over how much I eat

- I feel on auto-pilot while binging

- I never feel satisfied, no matter how much I eat

- I feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty after overeating

- I feel desperation to control my weight and eating habits

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?

- I don't know and I haven't been diagnosed with it

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?

- My mother being on a diet/overweight when I was growing up most of the time, and then she would go off of it ("cheat") and comfort eat

- I have high stress lately, often poor body image, and I get bored easily.

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?

- The reasons above are some ways

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?

- Nope. The advice on the matter is really conflicting and confusing as far as I am concerned. I'm a small person and friends and lovers and men and family are chronically telling me I'm too thin and I need to gain weight. And I'm binging, and I'm miserable. I gain enough weight and people stop telling me I'm too thin... but I'm unhappy because I feel sick with the amount and the way that I've eaten. And out of control. I don't even know what in the world normal eating looks like for me. Everyone seems so different.

@singercrystalspirit

Thank you for taking the time to read the post and answer the questions . What i am seeing from what you shared is that you eat to cope with stress as many , as eating gives one the illusion of having control on at least something in life. Unstructured and unpredictable life can surely add up to the stress . The feelings of embarrassment and guilt are common in people suffering from binge eating disorder . A parent's life style can certainly influence a child . I can see that you are having a very rough time i hope it gets better for you and so far coping strategies are concerned i have noticed not many out there are reasonable option , i will be making a post on that too soon

@EssenceOfHope

Woo hoo! Looks amazing! You did an amazing job sharing links and good factual details!! This is a wonderful article, I encourage EVERYONE to check it out!

Wishing you the best in the last few weeks of your internship!

@PassionatePeyton

Thanks a lot for taking the time to read . Your words means a lot

@EssenceOfHope

This is really amazing, Ess ! I am glad you did it ...opened up a space for many people who needed it !

Keep up the great work

@gigantWillow93

Thank you for your kind words

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?

Having difficulty to eat

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?

Around 10 years ( maybe more)

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?

Depressions

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?

Makes me sad that I cant really eat

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?

Close people keep me in check ensuring I eat at least one meal a day

@AmInACoffin

You have been dealing with it for a while , yet still going strong . I admire your efforts . You provide some great support in the Healthy Living Room . I am sorry you are going through this . I am glad your family keeps you in check

1)What does your Binge Eating Disorder look like ?

I eat normally in front of others, but once I'm home I eat my entire house. Sometimes in public I'll eat an entire entree and an appetizer (you know, chips or bread).

2)When did you develop Binge Eating Disorder ?

I think it started during puberty. When I was 9 I started eating a lot of pasta, and my family would joke about me being a bottomless pit. I've had the habit for about 9 years, and I'm just now seeking help.

3)What factors might have influenced your Binge Eating Disorder?

No one stopping me, like I said above. Around that time (and ever since) my family has struggled with money and housing, and I think it may have stressed me out. My mother says she had anorexia as a teenager, and she only started to gain again when she became pregnant.

4)How does your Binge Eating Disorder affects your mental health?

It makes me worry about my finances, since I spend quite a bit on food every month. I also worry because it's led to problems with my digestive system, which I found out about recently. My mind seems to always be on food.

5)Have you found any coping techniques that might have helped you regarding this?

Kind of. I'm planning on leaving my debit card at home when I go out, but I'm always worried I'll need it.