BINGE EATING DISORDER
"Signs and Symptoms"
To date, there has been some degree of confusion as to what exactly the term "binge eating" really means. Although the professional community still has yet to define [or quantify] what constitutes a binge-eating episode, it's reasonable to assume the signs and symptoms listed below are a good barometer of what is characteristic binge eating. In many respects, Binge Eating Disorder [BED] is similar to Bulimia without the compensatory behaviors. In addition, the term compulsive overeating may be "interchangeable" with BED - although some compulsive overeaters have a pattern of eating constantly ["grazing"] rather than experiencing episodes of binge eating per se.
Signs and symptoms Binge Eating / Compulsive Overeating [COE]
- Preoccupation with food.
- Rapid consumption of food in significant excess of nutritional need
- Sneaking or hoarding food - even immediately after meals.
- Feeling ashamed or fearful when confronted about the problem.
- Excessive concern about weight and body shape.
- Sense of "losing control" during binge episode.
- Feeling lonely, depressed, worried, self preoccupied
- Spending a great deal of time alone / social isolation
- Alternating between binge eating and "dieting"
Treating BED at Milestones
As with many other eating disorders, the characteristics of a binge eating disorder appear to mimic [inherent among] other dependencies or addictions - whether to a substance or set of behaviors. In fact, the most recent committee of the American Psychiatric Association "officially" included BED as a bona fide disorder [disease]. The link below lists the criteria for "dependency" and requires only three of the several criteria "fit" for a diagnosis of dependency [aka addiction] to be considered.
The program offered at Milestones is comprised of two primary components, making the treatment experience unique in comparison to other programs.
The first is the setting - utilizing apartment-style residences affording residential participants an opportunity to experience treatment in a "real world" environment. Participants grocery shop with our dietitian within the community, learn to prepare their own meals per the prescribed [meal] food / meal plan they have formulated with the dietitian, attend a full schedule of groups and individual therapies at our clinical campus [near the residential complex], attend local community support groups in the evenings, and visit with our physicians and clinical staff regularly throughout their stay. In effect, the experience is one of providing a supportive and structured setting without the restrictive elements of a "hospital" or institutional facility. A key element in providing the support necessary to begin recovery is remaining in the company of other participants during the initial phase of the treatment. This provides both a form of supervision and a deterrent from the behavior often associated with binge eating: namely eating in isolation or alone.
Secondly, Milestones approaches treatment from a more "holistic" perspective. Doing so is best described by the acronym "SERF" - Spirituality, Exercise, Rest, and Food Plan.
Spirituality need not equate with any religious or spiritual beliefs imposed on or by anyone. In fact, Spirituality at Milestones simply is left up to the individual to cultivate with his or her own working definition. For most, it is a belief in a "higher power" and still for others it may be a return to some of their original religious beliefs. For everyone, it is an individual journey.
Exercise is individualized and represents collaboration between the resident and clinical team. It is meant to be in the service of restoring and maintaining a healthy body rather than an "intensive" means of controlling body weight.
Rest is simply about finding the correct balance in recovery between work and play and narrowing the gap between an "all or none", "feast or famine" approach to daily living.
The food plan suggested by Milestones is a blend of structured eating and a combination of healthy, whole foods that are bought and prepared by PARTICIPANTS with the guidance and supervision of our dietitian and ancillary staff. In brief participants select their own preferences within the guidelines of their individual food plans. The guidelines require participants to abstain from "junk foods" and eliminate most highly processed [sugar and flour laden] food products as well as weigh and measure portions per their food plan while in residence.
It is important to mention most participants who seek treatment for most eating disorders may have a tendency to focus on "trading in the binging and/or "purging" to become better at restricting or "losing weight" and as such, it is important to understand the predisposition to replace one form of an eating disorder for another. Acknowledging this is helpful to maintaining the prescribed treatment plan both during and after the residential treatment experience. Body mass and subsequent weight loss will likely change as a result of abstaining from overeating and move in the direction [towards] of a healthy "set point" as an outcome of the recovery process.
Each participant is assigned an individual therapist whom they meet with on a regular basis during their stay as well as attend groups and experiential therapies per the schedule In sum, the physical and emotional aspects of their eating disorder are addressed within these formats.