Binge Eating Disorder Support 4

[IronMaggie]

Hello, and welcome to our 4th(!) support thread for those affected by Binge Eating Disorder (BED) & disordered eating.

Our manifesto - we recognise that diets are absolutely not the answer, and that overcoming food restriction can help us to have a healthier relationship with food, and with ourselves.

So join us. Share your story. Or lurk quietly in the shadows. Either way, most people feel relieved to find others who know what they're going through.

For some background reading, here are the first 3 threads:-
Thread 1 March 2014
Thread 2 October 2014
Thread 3 April 2015

Here are a few resources to kick off your recovery journey:

• Overcoming Binge Eating - the 'bible'; used by many Eating Disorder services' treatment programmes, this is a good place to start.
• Brain over Binge - an alternative view; the scientific approach to understanding and stopping binge urges.
• Women Food and God - an interesting look at why we overeat that resonates with many.
• Some of us also follow the blogs of coaches within the ED / body image online communities - Isabel Foxen Duke and Summer Inannen are just a couple of examples, full list of online resources to follow shortly...

Please bear in mind that most of the contributors to this thread are eating disorder sufferers and not professionals. As with any online forum, it is best to supplement support on here with real-life support and advice from professionals.

Hi ok. Sounds like you have an awful lot going on in your life at the moment. It also sounds like you're getting some help, I hope so.

In answer to your question, yes I totally know why I have such crazy issues with food and it's one of my biggest frustrations.

I think that recovery, for me anyway, takes place in waves. Every time I figure something out it runs the risk of sending me back a bit but ultimately helps in taking things forward.

For example, throwing away weighing scales sent me into a tailspin but a year on and I love not being controlled by a set of numbers.

Perhaps you are experiencing something similar working through your anger issues? Ultimately you feeling more at peace will be hugely beneficial but it might cause some bumps along the road, in terms of ED.

Good luck OK.

I have been bingeing on and off the last few weeks. I've only recently realised it's not normal though I always knew that at times I ate too much but seems a bit worse recently. I don't think I have a full blown disorder but I have definately been 'disordered' in my eating at times if that makes sense.

I seem to do it more when I'm tired or bored with things. I know I'm not hungry because I'll eat till my stomach hurts and I always regret it afterwards as I feel sick and bloated.

For me, carbs seem to be the worst; I just crave bread, cakes, pastries, potatoes, pasta; things like that but as soon as I eat them I just want more.

I am trying to get things back in balance atm; I've had plenty of days that I haven't binged as well so trying to focus on that and be positive and maybe think about what I need to change in my life in general to feel better.

Something else I realised recently as well; I used to binge with friends when I was a teenager. We used to buy huge packs of biscuits, tubs of ice-cream etc and all overeat together; did anyone else do this when they were younger? I wonder whether it has made an association with friends and good times and food in my mind. Like a time out when other things felt stressful IFKWIM.

Hello, can I join? Think I've got to the point now where I need to acknowledge I may have BED.

I'm fine at home (live with family as I help care for a relative) but when I'm out on my own I binge in secret :(

Irony being, even while still doing this, I've managed to lose just under 2 stone on Slimming World.

I'm still not a healthy weight so I need to sort this, I want a normal relationship with food :(

Newbie sidling in here with a question (apologies if this has been covered before).

Can any of you recommend resources for BED in women with ADD?

The conventional narrative about reasons for bingeing is not a good fit with my experience. Over-eating is co-morbid with ADD and I am coming to believe that the ADD is the key factor for me.

I certainly find that taking a break from my ADD medication results in an instant increase in pre-occupation with food (it isn't 'hunger' in any real sense).

Hi regina. Didn't want you to go unanswered. I'm afraid I don't know of anything specifically but will have a look on my networks and let you know if something comes up.

That's very kind, thank you.

Is anyone still around?
Would love to hear how you’re all getting on, hoping to beat this myself!

Hi there AnimalBrain, sorry to hear you're struggling with this. If it helps, it's probably much more common than you realise.

I have a success story of sorts - potted version is... I struggled along for a few years in a binge-restrict cycle after a post-baby crash-diet. I would eat many thousands of calories over what I needed one day, and try to make up for it the next through severe restriction, usually unsuccessfully. I was unwell, depressed and worried I might be permanently damaging my health. I tried everything, read every book about BED / bulimia there is. I saw some small improvements but nothing significant or permanent.

The big change came for me when I started a CBT course for binge eating. The principles behind CBT for BED are in line with the Fairburn book that lots on here have recommended.

The key principles are eating regularly, eating enough, and problem solving, i.e. identifying urges to binge and solutions to these before they happen. My one caveat is that I think that approach can only help if one has truly put aside the goal of weight loss. It's not a diet plan and I think many people with BED understandably focus on the quick fix of undoing the damage, rather than on long-term health.

While I've had a huge improvement in terms of frequency and severity of binges, I still have periods where I need to remind myself of some of the things I've learnt, but I'd say my eating is closer to being that of a 'normal person' now, if such a thing exists! It's a huge relief not to be stuck in that cycle any more, I can't believe how much of my time and energy it was taking up. And money too, as my weight being stable means I'm not having to constantly buy new clothes!

For me, having some accountability was also a huge help, as I'm (unfortunately) one of those people that craves external validation! It would be great to get the thread started up again - I'm sure there are lots of sufferers floating around who could do with some support. Do you think that would help you?

Hello! I've had bed for 20 years now but had it under control for the last 10 or so. Now it's completely out of control again. Not coping at all. I've found the book'Potatoes Not Prozac' and Overeaters Anonymous helpful in the past but nothing working right now. I'm not very good at keeping up with chat style threads but I hope I can participate here. So tired of it all (have OCD, insomnia, depression, anxiety too - never know which one to tackle first, it's like chicken and egg) X.

Hi, I’m right at the beimginning of the diagnosis process for BED but it’s fairly clear I have it and have been suffering for a very long time.

I’m in a bit of a whirlwind and looking for some support if anyone has the time to talk me through what’s likely to happen?

Oh my goodness I had no idea this topic even existed and I'm so thankful it does! I am currently having CBT for my BED, it started when I was suffering from PND after the birth of my now 2.5 year old. I was going through CBT for my depression and mentioned my comfort eating and the counsellor referred me to the eating disorder team immediately. It's strange, I knew I had a bad eating habit but didn't realise it was quite as serious as it is.

I am making progress, I truly believe I am but fuck it's hard! I have had a weird day of feeling distracted and bored and therefore have mindlessly had a few too many sweet things.

So glad to have found you, I'll read through this thread now.

Hi Messy - I get the impression from speaking to others that the NHS' BED support can vary quite widely depending on where in the country you are.

For me (London), it took a couple of goes to be referred for therapy by my GP - I had six initial sessions over the course of about 4 months, and then was offered a place in a BED support group that met weekly. I think there was also the option of working with a dietician if I wanted to as well.

It's really good that you've been able to ask for help, that takes courage in itself - is there anything in particular that's causing the current whirlwind, do you think?

Hi whingy - do have a read through the thread, and its predecessors - it was super active at one point but I'm hoping that the lull means lots of people are now recovered. Great that you've been able to get help, CBT worked really well for me personally.

Hey, thanks for replying.

I’m in a bit of a spin at the moment because I’ve had the lightbulb in the last 48 hours that my relationship with food has never been normal and actually, it’s not just comfort eating it’s much much more sinister than that. I posted a thread because I’d sort of reached a point with dieting where I was just exhausted and had read a lot of stuff about dieting actually causing over eating. Then someone identified and pulled out the binge eating bits of my post and from there it’s just spiralled. They suggested the book ‘brain over binge’ so i downloaded it on audible and I’ve been listening and within the first 30 minutes I felt completely knocked sideways. The thoughts and behaviours she was describing were so unbelievably me it was like I’d written it.

I felt very lost and a bit freaked out so I started looking into BED and found the BEAT website. After a lot of reading and feeling completely lost I called them And discussed how I have been feeling and they suggested I went to speak to my GP but I’ve spoken to him before about binge eating and he was less than helpful. So I booked an appointment this morning to see my nurse practitioner and went to see her this afternoon.

She’s been brilliant and ran through some questions with me. I think t was an assessment but I ended up just crying at her for 10 mins and just talking. She’s referred me to an eating disorder clinic but there’s a 12 week wait, so in the meantime I’ve got fortnightly check ins with the gp practice psychologist (or psychotherapist, can’t remember which she said) and I’ve been given some guidelines to follow. I’ve also joined the BEAT BED talking therapy group which meets on Fridays at 7pm so my first session with them should be tomorrow.

I think I’m at the lowest I’ve ever felt so I’m doing everything I can to get the help I need to pull myself out, I’m not staying down here any minute longer than I have to.

Hi I’m really struggling with binge eating and restricting. Trying again today after a horrendous binge. Already craving for sugar. I just can’t see a way out

Is this thread dead?

Hi @Mrsfloss - unfortunately it doesn't quite have the frequency of posts that it used to. It seems like a few people have popped in recently so it might be worth restarting a similar support thread elsewhere. I suspect people start their investigations by looking in the 'Weight Loss' topic rather than looking for 'Eating Disorders', that might have something to do with it.

But you mentioned that you're craving sugar - when you're avoiding binges are you cutting out sugar altogether? Regardless of which approach you follow, the advice is usually to NOT eliminate any food groups outright. It might seem like the right thing to do, but I suspect that feeling of being deprived isn't helping you.

Could you try to not respond to a binge by restricting? What do you think that would look like?

@MessyMcDoogle I love the determination in your last post! Have you seen an improvement in how you feel about recovery since your sessions started?

I have had a bad day of binges today and am feeling motivated to just try and be better tomorrow, whereas a couple of months ago I would be planning restrictions and harsh workouts as a means of punishing myself. I totally agree about not restricting anything because they're the things you'll fall back onto when you next binge (in my experience, anyway!)

Hi whingy, how you doing today? I’m Day 5 and holding on tight. It’s so fucking hard

Well done, Floss! 5 days is great going!

I'm doing better today, I'm having CBT which has helped me adjust my mindset so when I do have a binge I no longer go on a self sabotage rampage and binge for days, I just felt motivated to do better today which feels like a huge shift!

Whingy I like the practicality of CBT as well, it feels good to be able to take action to proactively prevent a binge, rather than that horrid powerless feeling. I do find though that I still have to make a conscious effort to plan ahead, but on the days I do I'm pretty much binge-proof!

Mrsfloss are you managing to shake off the urge to restrict? Is that what you're finding hard?

I’m here. Day 5 hanging on.

I’m doing some OA stuff online and it’s really helping. I’m used to AA anyway.

3 meals a day , 2 planned snacks no trigger foods

Yes Iron, I definitely have been finding it easier to bounce back from a binge than prevent them as of yet but my binge frequency has reduced from 5 days a week to 1/2 a fortnight!

How are you doing Floss? Easter is going to be a little trying for me.