Despite the fact that it is three times more common than both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, most people know very little about Binge Eating Disorder (BED) [1]. In fact, many US citizens likely struggle with BED and are not aware that this might be concerning because these behaviors are socially accepted or hidden by the individual. At Trellis Recovery Centers in Los Angeles, CA, our team will conduct a full assessment to determine if binge eating disorder treatment is necessary.
Binge Eating Disorder is an eating disorder diagnosis characterized by episodes of eating an atypically large amount of food in a short period of time while feeling of loss of control during the episode and immense shame and guilt afterward.
Unlike bulimia nervosa, individuals that struggle with BED do not engage in compensatory behaviors after binge eating episodes.
There is no one cause of BED as there are many psychological, social, emotional, and physical factors that can contribute to binge eating behaviors. For example, many individuals express that their binge eating behaviors are related to their emotional regulation and that they may binge to cope with negative emotions or increase experience of positive emotions. Studies support this, with research indicating that individuals that struggle with emotion regulation and emotional awareness have an increased likelihood of BED behaviors [2].
There is also a link between BED behaviors and an individual’s experience of reward sensitivity and impulsivity.
There are many behavioral and psychological signs of BED. Knowing these is important as society has normalized many disordered eating behaviors that are cause-for-concern. In addition, it can help you or a loved one decide whether or not to contact trained professionals such as those at our binge eating disorder treatment center in Los Angeles, California. Some symptoms to be aware of include:
Some view Binge Eating Disorder as less severe than anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, however, the consequences for binge eating behaviors should be considered just as serious as those for any other eating disorder. Impacts of consistent binge eating behaviors include:
As the list above makes clear, Binge Eating Disorder can have serious medical and psychological consequences. Our society, sadly, normalizes BED behaviors as well as generates such stigma around binge eating that many do not know they may have a problem or feel too ashamed to acknowledge their behaviors. This leads to many individuals with BED behaviors not receiving the help they need.
Lack of treatment for BED behaviors not only leads to the physical and emotional impacts above as it can also cause concerning relational issues. BED behaviors can impact an individual’s self-view, relationship with themselves and their body, connection with others, and ability to complete their daily tasks.
Receiving treatment for Binge Eating Disorder at a residential facility such as Trellis Recovery Centers in Los Angeles, CA is critical to minimizing the damage to one’s life that these behaviors can lead to.
Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder must include a multidisciplinary team that includes a therapist, dietitian, medical provider, and psychiatrist. Each of these areas are impacted by binge eating behaviors and, therefore, must be addressed in treatment.
BED At Trellis Recovery Centers in Los Angeles, binge eating disorder treatment also involves utilizing the most up-to-date evidence-based treatments which include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness and somatic therapies. These treatments work to address the eating disorder holistically by supporting the individual in connecting with their body and bodily cues, learning and building skills that help with triggering people and/or situations, and exploring the beliefs that impact eating disorder behaviors.
Treatment for BED is also most effective when provided from a Health At Every Size perspective. Individuals with BED often struggle with the stigmatization that they do not “look sick.” Our culture has created this stigma based on the misconception that individuals with eating disorders must live in emaciated bodies. The reality is that less than 6% of those with an eating disorder are underweight. A treatment program that understands that eating disorders do not come in one size is critical for non-stigmatizing, supportive, and effective BED care.
The team at Trellis Recovery Centers has developed an eating disorder residential treatment program that considers all of the information above and applies it to effectively care for our clients here in Los Angeles, California. Our leadership team consists of 3 therapists, a Registered Dietitian (RD), a Psychiatrist, a Registered Nurse (RN), a Director of Nursing, and an MD that are all eating disorder trained and informed and have over 20 combined years of experience in the field. Beyond this, our nursing and mental health worker staff have all received specific eating disorder training in addition to, training on mental health, residential treatment, and trauma-informed care.
Our clinical team utilizes CBT, DBT, mindful, and somatic therapies as well as Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and Motivational Interviewing strategies. Clients in our care will experience exposure to fear-based beliefs and experiences in a supported and contained environment that guides them in coping with these aspects effectively without their eating disorder or other harmful behaviors.
In addition, our treatment approach is based on the HAES perspective as the Trellis team is aware that one’s body weight, size, and/or appearance does not indicate their wellness. We strive to support our clients in connecting with their body and learning to nourish it fully without stigmatizing body size or weight or relating their body appearance to their value as individuals.
If you or your loved one are exhibiting any of the symptoms above, know that you are not alone and there is help. Our Trellis Recovery Centers team members in Los Angeles, CA are ready to provide treatment education and support to guide our clients to eating disorder recovery. Contact our Admissions team today to receive a free Clinical Assessment so that we can help you learn the best level-of-care for you or your loved one and help you begin the road to recovery.
References
[1] Hudson J.I., Hiripi, E., Pope, H.G. Jr, and Kessler, R.C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 61(3):348-58.
[2] Iqbal, A., Rehman, A. (2021). Binge eating Disorder. StatPearls. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551700/.