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Binge Eating Disorder: An Unofficial But a Common Disorder

You must discuss this problem with your family and friends. This is truly a serious problem and must be attended. It needs guidance of an expert. You may visit a psychologist or a dietician to take guidance.

This disorder is not considered as an official disorder but is truly serious. To those who suffer from binge eating disorder, these are just meaningless words. Their lives are dominated by food, many times to the point where they consider suicide as their only option to end their suffering. There is no regularity in their food pattern. They consume very large quantities of food at one time to the point where they feel uncomfortably full. Many use food as a way to cope with, or block, feelings they don't want to feel such as anger and fear. This is really a psychological problem and that too a serious one.

There are many people who suffer from this disorder and it mainly occurs due to depression and stress. The person or the sufferer tries to hide the true feelings by merely eating and eating. His metabolism is seriously affected with this. They use food as a means of numbing themselves, of filling an emotional void in their lives such as loneliness. Food can be their way of coping with stress. To recover from a binge eating disorder, they must seek professional assistance from a therapist and/or in-patient recovery program that specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.

Among those suffering from a binge eating disorder, some of the signs and symptoms are visible, but most are not. These individuals are almost always obese. Weight gain is noticeable as is weight loss when the individual goes on a near-starvation diet that doesn't work because it's not nutritionally sound. A fluctuation in weight is common among obese sufferers of binge eating disorder.

In binge eating disorder, sufferers feel out of control of their eating behavior. They have very low self-esteem and are disgusted with themselves for not being able to stop eating. A co-existing depressive disorder such as Major Depression or Dysthymia, and an anxiety disorder such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder are very common among those who suffer from eating disorders.

Other signs and symptoms of this disorder include loss of sexual interest, hiding or hording food, a belief that life would be better if only they lost weight, having secretive eating habits, and avoidance of social situations where food will be present. Obese sufferers rarely let anyone else see them eat. They're used to the stigma of being fat, believing (correctly) that others will criticize them if they eat just the smallest amount of food. These people do not enter the restaurant or a hotel as people can see them eating. They purchase the food from food outlets.

This is a serious problem and if it goes untreated can lead to life threatening complications. Obesity causes numerous dangerous medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, liver and kidney problems, heart problems and high cholesterol. The psychological problem can definitely lead to life threatening physiological problems.

In addition to problems caused directly from obesity, those with binge eating disorder often suffer from osteoarthritis due to poor nutrition, shortness of breath, and decreased mobility. All these medical conditions must be treated during the sufferer's mental health treatment. You must know that eating forms a very important part of your life. You must never over eat or under eat. Eating regular meals make you healthy and keep you away from many disorders. There are many health problems that are caused merely because of bad eating habits. Thus to carry out your metabolic functions, body needs proportionate amount of food. This is why it is so important to truly watch yourself, especially if you are going through a time of extreme stress or confusion, because these are the times when you are more likely to begin suffering from something such as an eating disorder. Also know that eating disorders are an incredibly serious thing, and that you should never pretend or think otherwise.

Binge eating disorder and the behaviors that accompany it are very hard on the heart, making it pump faster to insure blood flow. Eventually the heart simply gives out, and sufferers from this disorder die from cardiac arrest. This is a death that could have been avoided.

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