Whether you refer to it as compulsive eating or binge eating, the behavior is one of disordered eating. You can develop compulsive eating at any time, although many people start bingeing in childhood or adolescence. You may have experienced small bouts of compulsive eating during childhood, but it became an uncontrollable behavior as an adult.

Although bingeing leaves you reeling and out of control, you can overcome the behavior with psychological therapy techniques and new habits.

Treatment for compulsive eating

Compulsive behaviors, such as we see with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), are based on urges and behavioral patterns. These patterns are rooted in negative thoughts, emotions, and false beliefs. Psychotherapy and lifestyle changes can help you break behavioral patterns.

The first step is asking for help from a counselor who can assess your compulsive eating symptoms and guide you through a personalized therapy program. You can also take steps to ensure that you change your thought processes between therapy sessions.

Talk therapy.

Talk therapy is still an effective treatment for various mental health conditions. Depending on the severity of your compulsive eating, your counselor may recommend one-on-one, family, or group sessions.

Individual sessions are held with your counselor in a safe environment. Family sessions are meant to support and bring awareness about disordered eating to your family. A licensed mental health care professional leads group sessions with other people struggling with compulsive eating.

In most counseling centers, you can choose between face-to-face brick-and-mortar sessions or virtual sessions, or a combination of both. Some people love using a hybrid approach by meeting with their counselor in person once a month, then following up with weekly virtual sessions. Try different approaches to find one that makes you comfortable.

Nutritional therapy.

Many of us swing from binge eating to restrictive dieting. We recognize the unwanted behavior of compulsive eating and vow to control our eating. But in our quest, we cut out food groups or restrict the times we can eat. Unfortunately, these choices eventually lead to another binge as we miss normal food or become deficient in specific nutrients from our restrictive diet.

A nutritionist or dietician can help us fill in the nutritional gaps. For example, if you are not consuming enough protein and fiber, you may binge as your body is looking for those nutrients. A nutritionist might recommend a specific number of grams of protein and fiber daily to avoid compulsive eating.

In addition, the nutritionist may ask you to increase your servings of fruits and vegetables and avoid added sugars for a time. As your body becomes more healthy and hydrated, the urge to binge may lessen.

Journaling.

The act of journaling is cathartic. Writing down what you eat may sound time-consuming, but when you handwrite what you are feeling before and after a meal and when a craving hits, you can dissect where these emotions come from. What are your thoughts before, during, and after a binge? Was there a trigger?

You may begin to see a pattern in your compulsive eating. Perhaps you binge after talking to a toxic friend or dealing with your in-laws. Maybe you have been nervous about asking your boss for a raise, so you continue to do the same work for the same pay while resenting your boss and your job. When you journal these emotions, they spill out onto the page and out of your mind. Then, you can see what you must do to avoid the trigger next time.

Social media hiatus.

Social media and poor body image can play a role in eating disorders. Comparing ourselves to people on social media in edited, photoshopped, and filtered images can leave us depressed and anxious. As a result, we may set our sights on unrealistic goals.

God created everyone unique, and trying to look like someone else is unrealistic. People who struggle with compulsive eating may feel a sense of hopelessness if they cannot attain another woman’s svelte figure or a man’s muscled physique. These emotions can trigger a binge, resulting in lower self-esteem and poor body image. Try taking a social media hiatus for a week or a month and see if you binge less often.

Do you need therapy?

Are you engaging in compulsive eating twice a week or more? Has this behavior been ongoing for more than six weeks? If so, you may want to see a counselor about compulsive eating. If you continue these negative behaviors, you can develop severe medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Contact our office today to schedule a counseling session.