Compulsive eating disorders and other conditions like anorexia and bulimia can wreck havoc on a person’s body and can cause emotional turmoil as well. Usually victims of compulsive eating disorders are suffering from psychological unrest that manifests itself in destructive and compulsive ways and frequently victims of depression and/or anxiety suffer from compulsive eating disorders or addictions as well. This is why it is essential to treat both the mind and the body and to cultivate inner peace and serenity when managing compulsive eating disorders.
If you think that you or someone you love may be suffering from a compulsive eating disorder, look for the following signs:
- frequent episodes of compulsive, out-of-control eating and bingeing
- frequently eating an abnormally large amount of food in a short period of time
- Indeating much more rapidly than normal
- eating until feeling uncomfortably full
- eating excessive amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
- eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
- lack of control over eating during the binge episodes
- feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
- bingeing on food without using purging methods
While bulimia and compulsive overeating both involve binging and are dangerous conditions, the primary difference is that people with compulsive overeating or binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories by means of vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, or misusing laxatives as is seen with bulimia patients. Therefore, many people with the disorder have a history of weight fluctuations or are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame with can lead to bingeing again, creating a vicious cycle of binge-eating and self-loathing.
