A Binge Eating Disorder is not the kind of eating disorder that is commonly talked about. People suffering from this disorder periodically loose control of their eating, but do not purge or excessively exercise after an episode. It is not uncommon for those who have the disorder to feel ashamed or guilty when they binge, and often try dieting to counteract the effects of their binges. I know that all of this is true because I have a binge eating disorder. While everyone with the disorder encounters different "symptoms" in different extremes, it is not easy for anybody to deal with.
My personal experience with a binge eating disorder has not been a fun one (obviously...). At least for me, it branches off of extreme anxiety. If I am the slightest bit anxious, my odds of having a binge episode skyrocket. Nobody (that I know of) in my family suffers from a binge eating disorder but I know anxiety is pretty common among my relatives. Because of that, I am much more comfortable talking to my family about my anxiety than I am talking to them about my eating disorder. When I try to explain my family and closest friend what it is I go through, they try to be supportive but can't exactly comprehend what I'm saying. Their facial expressions make their concern and confusion very evident.
It is extremely difficult to deal with a binge eating disorder when nobody seems to understand what you're going through. I've had family members tell me to just "stop eating so much" or "avoid food if its that much of a problem."
My parents get mad because I don't tell them every time I have a binge episode and my brothers get mad because I am too ashamed to explain to them anything about my "condition." None of them understand how stressful and embarrassing a binge eating disorder is. Don't get me wrong, I know they care and believe me, but my struggle is one that someone has to experience to truly understand. They don't understand that it's not something that can be cured. Binge Eating is a disorder that can only be tamed/controlled with tactics that an individual learns over time.
Over the years, I have tamed my eating disorder more than I ever thought I would be able to. I can now usually talk myself through a situation where I could potentially revert to a binge. While I am not always 100 percent successful, I am now able to make progress while dieting and I don't binge even half as much as I used to. Animals, distractions, music, reading and staying busy have really helped me to succeed in my own fight against binge eating.
