3 Important FAQs about Binge Eating Disorder

Posted on June 17, 2020June 16, 2020 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Do you feel out of control with food? Once you start eating, do you feel like you can’t stop? Do you feel shame, guilt, and embarrassment after eating? If so, you may struggle with binge eating disorder—the most common type of eating disorder.

Binge eating disorder is characterized by eating large amounts of food in a discrete amount of time when not feeling hungry or eating at a rapid pace until uncomfortably full. Binge eating usually takes place in solitude, and there is marked emotional distress associated with binges.

Here are some most frequently asked questions about binge eating disorder:

I think I may be addicted to food. Is that the same as binge eating disorder?

There is much debate among healthcare providers about whether food addiction is a bona fide diagnosis. Some believe that food absolutely can be addictive. In fact, science shows that our brains are activated in the same way they are with drugs when we eat highly palatable, good tasting food.

People who describe themselves as food addicts have a compulsive drive to eat, even when they are not hungry, eating, perhaps, to soothe emotions or to “check out.” In the short term, overeating feels good. But in the long term, it can feel pretty uncomfortable. Attempts to stop overeating may be made but with little success.

You may not buy certain foods, fearing that you will eat it all in one sitting or over a day or two. Maybe you plan to buy certain foods just to binge on them. Or you buy certain foods and promise yourself that you will not binge on them as you have in the past. Food is often consumed in solitude.

Guilt and shame are feelings often experienced with having a loss of control with food. Sounds similar to drug or alcohol addiction, right?

Furthermore, our brains may become activated similarly to the way they are with drugs and alcohol when we eat certain foods—as a reward pathway. By design, we get pleasure from eating, so we will seek out more food (to sustain us).

However, unlike drugs and alcohol, we need food to survive. Additionally, most people who feel out of control with food are able to stop eating or ignore foods that are less appealing. Most people who struggle with drug addiction, for example, consume all drugs until they are gone. That is not the case with food.

If you are reading this, whether you think food addiction is a valid term or not, my guess is that you feel out of control with food. Feeling out of control with food is a key feature of binge eating disorder.

I have tried every diet and I can’t get my binge eating under control. Am I ever going to get better?

Yes, you can get better, but not by dieting. Dieting can actually make binge eating worse. In fact, dieting is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder. Cutting out certain types of food and/or under-eating makes your body ripe for binge eating.

It makes sense. Our bodies by design are set up to survive. Obviously we need food to survive, and our bodies send us very strong signals to eat. If we chronically restrict food, our bodies give us signals to eat large amounts at a time.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, eating regularly throughout the day and including all foods in the diet actually helps reduce binge eating. With the help of a registered dietitian, foods that are typically eaten during a binge are slowly reintroduced as part of treatment.

Can I get over binge eating disorder on my own?

Unfortunately, many who struggle with binge eating disorder try to “diet” their way out of binge eating, but this usually makes the binge eating worse.

There is some evidence that self-help programs and books can help reduce binge eating symptoms, but most likely you will need the assistance of a professional.

Asking for professional help can feel daunting. However, relief is often expressed by people with binge eating once they seek treatment because someone understands what they are going through.

Usually, a psychotherapist or counselor, registered dietitian, and a doctor are part of an eating disorder treatment team. Learn more here about how to find an eating disorder professional.

For more resources on eating disorder recovery, intuitive eating, and anti-diet culture, sign up for my newsletter!

Virtual (and Free) Eating Disorder Support Groups During COVID-19

Posted on April 15, 2020April 14, 2020 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Eating disorder recovery may feel like a struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is normal because times of stress and uncertainty, which most of us are feeling, can put a strain on our mental health. Virtual support groups are readily available and often at no cost.

Fortunately, you do not have to go through eating disorder recovery alone during this time. It can be helpful to connect with others going through similar experiences. Many eating disorder treatment centers and professionals are offering virtual services on-line, including support groups.

Virtual support groups can be a great addition to your current treatment.

Groups can be a great way to reduce social isolation while the stay-at-home orders are in effect. In general, support groups can offer many benefits, including improved motivation to recover, strengthened positive coping skills, increased sense of control, and reduced feelings of shame, isolation, depression, hopelessness, and anxiety.

For some, support groups can be a little anxiety-provoking, but a virtual group may be good for a first-time. Due to the nature of the internet, there is some degree of privacy and anonymity. Additionally, groups usually have a leader and a set of groups “rules” to help make you feel emotionally safe.

There can be some downsides to support groups, particularly if they are not well run. Some of the downsides include excessive amounts of complaining (the purpose of a support group is to provide hope), monopolization of discussion by one group member, and potential issues of confidentiality.

Together with your treatment team, you can determine if a virtual support group would be helpful in your recovery. If you don’t have a treatment team or are currently not receiving eating disorder treatment, please click here to learn more about how to find a treatment team.

Free + Virtual Eating Disorder Support Group Resources

Below is a short list of virtual support groups. Many offer multiple support groups that meet the needs of different populations, including adults, teens, families, and LGBTQ folks, to name a few. Also, ask your treatment provider about support groups which they may be familiar with.

A virtual support group can be a great way to augment eating disorder treatment, especially during the pandemic. Together with your treatment team, you can determine if a virtual support group may be helpful to you.

5 Ways to Stay on Track With Eating Disorder Recovery During COVID-19

Posted on April 9, 2020April 8, 2020 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Keeping your eating disorder recovery front and center during the COVID-19 pandemic may be the furthest thing from your mind, given that we are all adjusting to a new way of life, navigating uncertainty, and dealing with loss and worries about our health, to name a few pressing issues.

Here are some tips to help you maintain and even thrive with your eating disorder recovery during this unusual and trying time:

1. Keep eating disorder recovery on the priority list during COVID-19.

Of course, your priorities have shifted in the wake of COVID-19. First and foremost, you are dealing with the stress of this health crisis. Time and energies have shifted because you are adjusting to a new way of life, including being cooped up in the house; working or schooling from home; health risks; and isolation.

While these changes may seem overwhelming at times, know that you can tend to your eating disorder recovery during this time. As with everything right now, your recovery may look different than usual, and that’s okay.

2. Stay in touch with your eating disorder treatment team.

If you have not checked in with your treatment team—including your therapist, dietitian, and doctor—that may be a good first step. Most clinicians are conducting telehealth appointments, which may include video conferencing, telephone, email, and FaceTime appointments. Telehealth may feel a little daunting at first, but I am finding it to be an effective way to continue to support clients with eating disorders.

If you don’t have an eating disorder treatment team, read more here about how to find eating disorder services in your area.

3. Accept that your eating may be different during COVID-19, and that’s okay.

Changes in food accessibility, cooking at home vs. eating out, living situation, mood fluctuations, and activity level can all contribute to changes in eating patterns. Talk with your treatment team about any changes you have noticed with your eating as well as alcohol consumption.

4. Stay curious about your eating disorder symptoms.

Your eating disorder symptoms may change, or they may wax and wane during this time. Try to refrain from being judgmental about your eating disorder symptoms.

Instead, ask yourself something like, “I am noticing that I am doing this eating disorder behavior more. What may be going on or what may I be feeling?” Being curious rather than judgmental allows for problem-solving rather than shame.

5. Be as social as you can while physical distancing and stay-at-home orders are in place.

Social isolation and loneliness can affect your physical and mental health. Regularly connecting with family, friends, co-workers and/or classmates via telephone or virtual meetings can help reduce feelings of loneliness. Check with your treatment team, as they may be aware of virtual eating disorder support groups that can help support your recovery during the pandemic.

Your eating disorder recovery may look different than it usually does during the pandemic, and that’s okay. Using the tips above and taking it one day at a time is a good place to start.

4 Ways to Build Momentum in Eating Disorder Recovery

Posted on July 23, 2019July 18, 2019 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Are you just starting out on your recovery journey? Or have you been in treatment for a while and feel like your recovery is stalled? You’re not alone.

Here are four tips to help build momentum or re-energize your eating disorder recovery.

Establish a complete eating disorder treatment team.

Without professional treatment, eating disorders tend to get worse, not better.

Unfortunately, getting inadequate treatment, such as stopping treatment prematurely or having an incomplete treatment team, happens all too often. It can lead to hopelessness about ever recovering, slow down recovery or lead to recovery burnout.

The gold standard of care in eating disorder treatment is to have a multidisciplinary team. An eating disorder treatment team usually consists of a therapist, registered dietitian, medical doctor, psychiatrist, family therapist, and possibly other specialists. Click here to learn more about how to find a therapist and establishing a treatment team.

Make recovery a priority.

Recovery can feel like a full-time job, which can be downright exhausting. Eating disorder recovery is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. It takes time to understand how the eating disorder serves you and to establish new healthier patterns to cope with life.

Recovery doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Recovery happens while you are in school or working and involved with family, friends, and hobbies. So, it is easy for recovery to be put on the back burner given all of the obligations you may be juggling.

Making recovery a priority is important because without recovery, your eating disorder negatively affects all areas of your life occupation or school, relationships, physical and mental health, and overall quality of life.

Having acceptance that recovery is going to take time and energy is a good first step to making it a priority. Carving out time in your day for self-care, meal planning, eating, rest, and treatment appointments can help you feel less overwhelmed.

Learn to say no.

This is a tough one for me and so many of my clients. Sometimes saying yes is like a reflex because it is so automatic.

Learning to say no is a must in order to make recovery a priority. Furthermore, you may learn in treatment that saying yes too much may be contributing to or exacerbating your eating disorder symptoms.

Not setting firm boundaries can lead to feelings of hopelessness, worry, anger, and resentment, to name a few negative emotions. When we over-extend ourselves, often eating disorder behaviors are used to cope.

Although there are several reasons why people struggle with saying no, often fear is the primary culprit. You may fear missing out, hurting others feelings, appearing selfish or rude, being judged, and feeling rejected.

Learning how to set boundaries takes lots of practice, so be patient with yourself. If you notice that you struggle in saying no, discuss this with your therapist and other treatment providers.

Ask for help.

Working on your eating disorder recovery is something that you are responsible for. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to do it alone.

As you know, loved ones can’t eat for you or attend your appointments for you, but they certainly can support you in your recovery in many different ways.

As you go through recovery, you are going to need help, and that is okay. Often, part of what keeps people stuck in the eating disorder is isolation and feeling like they have to recover alone.

Barriers to asking for help often include fear of appearing weak, feelings of shame or guilt, or worry about burdening others. Your fears most likely are unfounded, as most people like to help others.

So what does asking for help in recovery look like?

Well, at different times in your recovery, it could mean different things. But, for some, it could be eating a meal with someone, it could mean being social, or it could mean simply talking.

It could also mean asking loved ones to learn more about eating disorders or attending a family therapy session or doctor’s appointment.

Consider making a list of people whom you could ask for help by asking yourself, “Who has my best interest at heart and who believes in me?”. Having some people in mind ahead of time can make it easier to ask for help.

Lastly, don’t feel like you have to be in crisis to ask for help. If you have any inkling that you may need help, reach out. Sometimes just the act of reaching out and talking to someone can be supportive.

The recovery road is always bumpy. But, having a strong treatment team as a foundation, making recovery a priority, setting firm boundaries, and calling on loved one for support can often make the bumps feel more manageable.

Must-Ask Questions When Looking For An Eating Disorder Therapist

Posted on June 12, 2019June 12, 2019 by Alison Pelz, LD, RD, CDE, LCSW

Let’s face it, finding the right eating disorder therapist for your eating disorder can be daunting. It can feel downright overwhelming. You may be ambivalent about getting treatment. Maybe you are worried that your eating disorder isn’t “bad enough” to warrant treatment (trust me, it is). Or perhaps you are feeling hopeless about finding another therapist after being treated in the past.

Whether you are an individual with an eating disorder or a loved one of a person with an eating disorder, looking for a qualified therapist can be tough.

This post will give you tips on what to look for in a treatment provider, and questions to ask to help you determine the right eating disorder therapist for you.

Most therapists are willing to talk with you on the phone before you set an initial appointment. They will help assess goodness of fit in regards to scheduling, payment, and issues you may want to address in therapy.

If the therapist doesn’t offer a phone consultation, then these questions can be asked in the initial face-to-face appointment.

You can use the following questions and talking points when interviewing a potential therapist:

How do you help clients with eating disorders?

If a therapist has a lot of experience treating eating disorders, they should have a concise and clear answer. Many well-meaning therapists indicate on their website, referral site, or insurance websites that eating disorders are their specialty, but really don’t have experience treating eating disorders.

Because of the complex nature of eating disorders, try to get a therapist with extensive experience with eating disorders if possible.

Do you have a network of other professionals who have experience treating an eating disorder to whom you can refer me?

If the therapist has experience treating eating disorders, they should have a relationship with other treatment providers in your community. To learn more about eating disorder treatment teams click here.

What hours do you see clients and what are the payment options?

The course of eating disorder treatment can be long. Having a conversation up front with a potential eating disorder therapist about finances and scheduling is important. Be sure that the scheduling and payment options work for you over the longer -term.

Here are a few resources to help you find a qualified eating disorder therapist in your area:

Finding an eating disorder therapist can take time. Consider breaking down your search into smaller pieces and chip away at it each day.

Additionally, if you feel overwhelmed trying to find an eating disorder therapist, ask a friend or family member to help you in your search.

Please call for a free 15-minute phone consultation to learn how I work with clients with eating disorders.

Don’t live in the Austin Area, but want tips about how to improve your relationship with food and your body? Subscribe to my newsletter here.

2018 Year In Review

Posted on December 18, 2018December 5, 2018 by Crowncreatives

As we come into the end of the year, I wanted to reflect on the posts I’ve published here in the last year, so here is 2018 in review!

If you’ve read the blog before or visited my site, you’ll know that my mission is to help people make peace with food & their bodies. My goal is to help people challenged with ED and other food & weight-related concerns to move from constantly worrying about food and their weight to being free to create the lives they want.

This year, I wrote a lot about recovery, intuitive eating, and supporting loved ones with eating disorders, to name a few topics. I’ve compiled every single post from this year, so you can catch up if you missed a post or refresh your memory if you’d like!

Are you already feeling diet culture pressure?

Before the new year, read why you should Forget About Diets To Improve Your Health This Year. Another concept to become familiar with is how Rejecting the Diet Mentality is Key to Healing Your Relationship with Food.

How can you support the people in your life to develop positive body image and/or work through disordered eating?

Here are 5 Surprising Ways to Support Your Loved One with an Eating Disorder and a post especially for Dads: 6 tips to Help your Daughter Develop a Positive Body Image.

Recovery from an eating disorder is not an easy process.

This year I wrote about 4 Tips to Cope with Weight Gain in Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa, Tips to Support Eating Disorder Recovery this Semester, 5 Steps to Reconnect with Exercise in Eating Disorder Recovery, and How to Stay on Track with Eating Disorder Recovery during the Summer: Tips for College Students.

Are you curious about Intuitive Eating?

Here are 3 Important FAQs about Intuitive Eating that you should know.

Recognizing that it’s time to get treatment for your eating disorder is a huge step.

Here are 5 Signs That It Is Time to Get Treatment for Your Eating Disorder.

And finally, a treatment team can make all the difference.

Here are my tips on how Building a Treatment Team to Help You Conquer Your Eating Disorder, and 5 Ways a Dietitian Can Help Reduce Binge Eating.

I hope you have enjoyed all of the posts from this year! Please let me know if there are any topics you would like for me to cover in 2019. If you’re looking for even more resources, make sure you’re following me on Facebook and Pinterest – I share tons of resources from me + other experts in the field on both platforms!