Labeling yourself with “binge eating disorder”, “compulsive overeating disorder” or “food addiction”
Almost every book or self-help article I have read on binge eating disorder or food addiction has a section to help the reader decide if you really have binge eating disorder, binge eating disorder, or are a “food addict.” “.
Often there is a checklist with questions like “Do you eat more than expected more than 3 times a week?” Or “Do you hide how much you eat?”
These books or articles are often written by someone who has no personal experience with bingeing or by people who believe in addictive diseases. By asking questions like this, in your opinion, you are setting you up to conclude that you have a problem.
In my own opinion, I prefer to take the opposite angle: If you are not sure you have an eating problem, you probably do not. If you have a problem or struggle with it, you know it.
I will not post information or spend time in my books or programs to teach you what it is like to overeat, binge eating, or food addiction. It is different for everyone. If you feel like you have a problem, you are well aware that you need to seek help to resolve it. It would be arrogant of me to label you as someone who has a problem if you firmly believe not.
However, if you are reading this and suspect that you have a problem with regular overeating, you probably have a problem to address.
I guess your assumption is based on your experience of overeating on a fairly regular basis, or often thinking that you know you will “give in” and feel like you can’t stop eating.
You’re probably immersed in an internal debate about what to do: eat less at certain times, try to find a diet with foods you don’t want to overeat, eat “safe” foods just in case you overeat. etc. This conflict or indecision fits my definition of having a “problem” with food that doesn’t make you happy.
By knowing the symptoms of binge eating disorder or binge eating disorder, it can be easy to adopt the label of “disorder” and see yourself as someone with a “disorder.”
Why?
Because assuming the concept that you have a disorder and binge eating is a symptom of it, a great deal of responsibility can be taken off your shoulders.
I remember thinking this when I was dealing with anorexia, and then bulimia, and then bingeing. I saw myself as someone with a disorder that I would have to deal with for the rest of my life. It was this “thing” that was part of me and required constant management.
Taking the idea that I had a lifelong eating “disorder” that had simply changed shape, it no longer seemed like I was being stupid and blind. I no longer felt the urgent need to stop binge eating or to punish myself for being weak. I was just doing what people with eating disorders do.
While it certainly helps to recognize if you have a problem with food, there is one step that you take that will either keep you stuck or help you overcome the problem: take action. Seeing that there is something that does not make you happy, you now have a world of possibilities that can be opened because you can choose to take new actions that will lead you to be happy.
You can work on developing your ability to recognize your conflicting thoughts about wanting to eat and wanting to feel in control. Those conflicting thoughts are the result of two parts of your brain in conflict … your “primary” animal brain and your “higher” logic brain.
When you can distinguish between the two parties and understand the motivations behind each, you quickly gain influence over yourself and can overcome behavior that you are dissatisfied with.