Homeopathic pharmacist Jamar Tejada points out the main characteristics of binge eating and explains why it differs from “emotional eating”
Many people misuse the words “binge eating.” The point is, this fallacy ends up downplaying or mischaracterizing quite serious health issues.
How many times have you heard that friend or colleague (when it’s not you) say you’re depressed, when in reality you’re just going through a difficult problem or phase or simply because you’re too lazy to take positive and/or energetic action in your life? your life?
How many don’t talk about having a craving for sweets or food, when, in fact, there is a very broad bridge between craving, emotional hunger, and overeating? But doesn’t it seem much nicer to say it’s compulsive than to say it’s over the top?
Sure you’ve indulged in that Sunday lunch at Grandma’s house or gorged on well-married ones at those cousins’ wedding, ended up with three bars of chocolate before walking into that stressful meeting, or done that damage on the pizza rotation. While it may seem, at the time, that this hunger may be stronger than you are, it’s not a compulsion. And there’s nothing unusual about that, even if it’s scary at times.
After all, what is a food compulsion?
Binge eating is a disorder, a psychiatric disease in which the main aspect is the ingestion during a short period of a much larger amount of food than a person would eat in that circumstance. In duress, usually these moments should occur at least once a week.
In addition, bingeing makes you eat faster than normal, until you really feel “full”, even if there is no feeling of hunger. In this situation, you often end up sneaking out of shame about how much or what you’re eating or even out of control. After the episode comes that heavy feeling of guilt or sadness, as well as the significantly marked distress due to the food compulsion.
But, after all, how does compulsion arise?
Is it just a biochemical deviation or a hormonal imbalance? Food for many is not just a way to appease hunger or even feed themselves, but a way to find warmth and comfort, to soothe feelings denied in childhood and now reflected in adult life.
The binge eating can be mainly related to the need for maternal or paternal affection that the person has not received. When we see a puppy with a mother, we realize this overprotection and we too, as human puppies, need and seek this care, affection and security. Therefore, this uncontrolled search for food could only be the need to heal this void caused by the relationship with his parents, as a way to feel strong and protected from the dangers of the world.
emotional hunger
“Emotional eating” – as it is called in clinical practice – is a behavior in which the person searches for food even in the absence of physical hunger, which is physiological. It can be driven by both negative and positive feelings. For example, you eat to deal with a negative feeling or to celebrate good news. But there is a big difference between the two.
Emotional hunger foods usually feature good affective memories of the past or an experience of great pleasure, comfort, or relief. In general, they are highly palatable foods, which can be sweet or savoury, depending on the particular historical gustatory characteristic of each.
In the case of compulsion, however, the acceptable issue does not always prevail. What comes into play is to appease uncontrollable hunger with the food in front of you. Seeking comfort in food is normal. The problem with emotional hunger is when the person only knows how to resolve their pain by eating. And then you end up eating more than you need. Food cannot be a refuge for dealing with feelings and emotions.
Restrictive diets and binge eating
Experts recommend that people with food compulsions avoid restrictive diets. The more the person restricts, the higher the risk of having a compulsive episode later, because the brain experiencing the restriction can trigger loss-of-control mechanisms that lead to the craving. Stopping dieting can already be a big step for someone with the disorder.
The idea is to acquire good control of binge eating and consequently improve food choices.
How to treat?
Pharmacological treatment is present according to the severity of the symptoms and the presence of other associated pathologies, such as depression and anxiety, which simultaneously deserve the indication of drug therapy, in addition to the important monitoring of a nutritionist focused on eating behavior – and not just on a diet. Many times, the unprepared nutritionist can make things worse with advice like: “Just don’t buy chocolate”, “Just try to think of something else”. The health professional must understand that the focus is not on weight, but on the psychiatric disorder.
Balancing the emotions of the individual leads us to treat the root of the problem. The use of Bach remedies can help in this battle, as they act in the body by transmitting impulses that stimulate the development of regulatory activities in the ailments.
There is no ready-made floral formula for every individual, as everyone has different needs and problems, so each person should consult a floral therapist.
Homeopathy also acts on energy and encourages our own body to rebalance itself energetically. This must be indicated by a homeopath.
Phytotherapy can also be used, especially those that treat anxiety, but unlike flowers and homeopathy, they do not act on the energy imbalance of the individual, but as medicine on hormonal imbalances that lead to a lack of control and, obviously, must be used directed by a qualified healthcare professional.
I think that after reading a little more about compulsion, you can start to evaluate your attitudes more clearly and see the real signs. Now is the time to seek help.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
