WHAT IS BINGE EATING?
We are talking about a binge eating episode when, in 2h or less, someone eats an amount of food that is definitely larger than what someone would eat in a similar period of time, under similar circumstances.
There is a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode. The food is ingested rapidly, without necessarily being hungry, and until feeling uncomfortably full.
Episodes are more likely to happen when someone is alone. My clients have often told me they feel disconnected from reality and their bodies during the episode.
There is a high level of distress associated with binge eating. Episodes are followed usually by strong emotions, like embarrassment, guilt, self-disgust, and/or depression.
In some cases (ie. bulimia), binge-eating episodes are followed by compensatory behaviours, such as fasting, purging, and overexercising.
WHAT TO DO AFTER BINGE EATING?
1- Ground yourself
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As mentioned above, there is often a sense of disconnect from reality during a binge-eating episode. Grounding yourself can help you come back to the “here and now.” Using your senses is a great way to ground yourself.
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Here’s an adaptation of the 5 senses exercise to use after a binge eating episode.
***What are 5 things that you can see?
Pay attention to the walls, ceilings, furniture, and objects around you. Look for details you’ve never noticed before.
***What are 4 things that you can feel?
I would encourage you to focus on parts of your body that are not triggering for body image issues, such as your feet and hands. For example, you could pay attention to the contact of your feet on the floor or pick up an object and notice the texture, weight, and sensations on your fingers.
***What are 3 things that you can hear?
Pay attention to the sounds of your breathing, of your home, and to the noises from outside.
***What is 2 thing that you can smell?
Try to notice the smell of the air. You can also smell a non-food item like a candle or some essential oils.
***Note: I wouldn’t recommend doing the last step of this exercise (ie, finding 1 thing that you can taste) as it might be triggering in this context.
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2- Put on comfortable clothes
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The feedback of tight clothing on your skin can accentuate physical discomfort and even trigger body image-related thoughts.
Putting on comfy clothing can help relieve some of the physical pain, especially around the stomach area, which might leave you more available to work on your internal dialogue and on your emotions.
3- Work on your internal dialogue
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Pay attention to your thoughts and to the way you are talking to yourself. A lot of people have a harsh, self-destructive inner dialogue after a binge. Try to let go of these thoughts.
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Instead, try these 3 steps:
***Step 1:
Acknowledge that this is a moment of suffering for you. This could sound like: “I am having a really hard time right now” or “I don’t feel good about myself right now”.
***Step 2:
Remember that you are not the only one struggling with this. Try to connect mentally with all the other people in the world that might feel just like you at this time and tell yourself: “I am not alone”.
***Step 3:
Try to find some kind/compassionate words to comfort yourself. If it is hard to do, think about what you would say to a good friend if they were in the same difficult situation. This may look like: “Ok, that was too much food but let’s try to learn from this experience.”; “I need to be patient with myself as I am learning new ways to handle my emotions.”; “Let’s move on.”
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If you want to learn more about this, here are some useful guided meditations: https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#guided-meditations
4- Identify your emotions
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In her Food and Feeling Workbook, Karen R. Koenig suggests that 7 emotions are likely to be linked to eating disorders:
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Loneliness
- Guilt
- Shame
- Disappointment
- Helplessness
She argues that the only way to end the food and weight obsession is to get comfortable with these 7 emotions.
After a binge-eating episode, I would encourage you to look at that list and ask yourself if one or many of these emotions were present before the episode. Try to express these emotions, whether it’s in a journal, talking to someone or in an artistic way.
Learning to acknowledge and cope differently with these 7 emotions can take time and practice. Don’t hesitate to book an appointment with a professional if you need support in this process: mylifecounselling.janeapp.com
5- Engage your senses with an activity
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As mentioned above, a binge-eating episode can leave you quite distressed. To help you stop ruminating and move on, try to engage back with life by finding an activity to do.
Ideally, this activity would engage your senses, without requiring too much effort/concentration.
Here are some examples: going for a walk, listening to music, playing some music, drawing, painting, puzzling, gardening, doing dishes, cleaning a bathroom, watching a funny video, etc.
6- Eat your next meal normally
Picture from Luisa Brimble – Unsplash
Literature shows that binge-eating cycles tend to persist over time when calorie intakes are irregular, leading to a sense of deprivation.
In other words, skipping meals sets our brain in survival mode, and makes us feel hungrier and become overly focused on food.
Eating regular meals and snacks may seem counterintuitive when we live with the fear of losing control around food. But in fact, it is calming the “survival” part of your brain, leaving more space and freedom to focus on other things than food.
CONCLUSION
Struggling with the Binge Eating Cycles can feel like being stuck alone on a desert island with no issues. I would invite you to break those helplessness and loneliness feelings by reaching out for help, whether it is through a trusted family member, a good friend, a mental health professional, or a support group.
You can book an appointment with a skilled therapist here: mylifecounselling.janeapp.com