What is compulsive overeating, how to diagnose and how to treat
Health / / December 19, 2019
Lydia Janko
Psychiatrist, psychotherapist, the psychiatrist FNKTS FMBA of Russia.
Food human behavior - taste preferences, diet, diet - dependent on the cultural, social, family, and biological factors. Strongly influence the feeding behavior of the established notions of beauty in society, especially women's.
There are several types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and compulsive overeating. The latter is often associated with obesity and anorexia nervosa in the absence of treatment can lead to death.
The main manifestations of these disorders - fear of completeness, self-restraint in eating, bouts of overeating and unloading.
If a person wakes up in a state of stress just gargantuan appetiteWith which he can not fight, we are talking about eating disorders. This is not the norm. And how can provoke an attack of a serious situation (death of a loved one, dismissal) and minor unpleasant moments that cause negative emotions (the chief raised his voice, quarrel with favorite). Unfortunately, the habit of seizing any problem a lot of high-calorie food - one of the most common causes of obesity.
Diagnostics
The problem of binge eating need to go to a therapist - that he is engaged in treatment of this disease. Since no tests and imaging studies can not confirm or refute the diagnosis using conventional interview and conducted a special test.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical ManualDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of Mental Disorders, the diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of three of five criteria:
- The feeling of gastric fullness after eating causes discomfort.
- Even large portion of It is eaten very quickly, almost imperceptibly.
- Self-loathing, depressed mood, feelings of guilt after overeating.
- Food intake in the absence of hunger.
- Dining alone.
If the patient confirms that he has at least three symptoms, the therapist diagnoses compulsive overeating.
Further monitoring is carried weight: how many patients weighing up to a stressful situation, and how many - at the time of treatment to the doctor. Increased body mass index - this is another confirmation of the diagnosis.
Treatment
Therapy will be held on two fronts, as the disease is complex. It combines the psychological and physiological factors.
First, the disorder leads to weight gain and obesity are drawn after him, metabolic syndrome, metabolic disorders, an excessive load on the internal organs, steatosis and other related disease. All of these diseases have to be treated.
Secondly, the need to eliminate the root cause of overeating, ie to treat depression, reduce anxiety, Normalize sleep.
Psychotherapy
In order to overcome compulsive overeating, a psychotherapist can offer several treatment methods - depending on the condition and personal characteristics of the patient.
It uses cognitive-behavioral, personality-oriented, group or hypnosuggestive therapy.
Cognitive-behavioral approach - a "transformation" of the patient thought, and the circumstances that surround it. For example, the desire to eat another chocolate bar gives an opportunity to show toned body on the beach. Among the main components of this method - goal setting, self-monitoring, feedback / strengthening, strengthening belief incentives.
Personal-oriented approach in the fight against obesity - intrapsychological solution of the conflict, that is, the mental stress caused by the inability to meet a particular need. Initially, the solution is to identify the conflict, and then realize its essence, identify the reasons that can be taken and by whom should be abandoned.
The latter method - hypnotherapy. The therapist identifies experiences that bother the patient, and usually accompanied by psychosomatic, resulting in the emergence of various diseases, for example, asthma, hypertension, problems with the stomach and the duodenum, allergic reactions. During the treatment, the psychologist makes the traumatic experience in the resource purified from bodily manifestations.
For a quick recovery is important to find good doctor. When choosing a therapist, you must first pay attention to the professional qualifications and the proposed method of treatment. The average treatment lasts about six sessions between them must pass a certain time, so that the body has had time to adapt to change. The timing of this will take at least three months. So doctors that offer you to get rid of the causes of obesity in a week or even a month, most likely charlatans.
Food
It is very important to organize a food binge eating properly: it is part of the therapy. Since the treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, it falls on the shoulders of the patient. Due to the fact that the disorder psychological reasons, the person will be difficult, and certainly need help someone from the family, so that they could control on the part of the schedule and size of meals servings.
Any recommendations in this case should be followed?
- Learning to distinguish hunger from psychological biological. To satisfy only the latter. Do not ignore the help of relatives and friends, let them take control of the meals.
- Include at least three full meal during the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can afford a light snack, but the choice is you need to stop on natural products - fruit or yogurt. We must remember that fasting when binge eating a blow throughout the body, since the body will store fat "in reserve". Therefore, methods of food should be regular and useful.
- Find an alternative way to relieve nervous tension (which may be books, sports, music, cinema, dance and other hobbies).
- Eat mostly low-calorie food. Do not go to restaurants, cafes and fast food restaurants. Do not buy just a lot of products. Acquire sweet, flour, give preference to vegetables and fruits.
- Abandon aimless marches through the grocery store. Do not watch the culinary TV show, flipping book with recipes. Not to discuss with anyone the subject of food. Arm yourself with the small dishes that will eliminate the use of large portions.
- Not sit on diets and not put on the hard bans favorite foods - allow yourself to relax at least once a week (up to gluttony, but a pack of potato chips will not hurt). If himself into too strict framework, stress will increase, and with it will increase the probability of break.
The best option - to consult a dietitian. Depending on the degree of neglect of the disease and dietary habits of the patient, he will be able to develop a customized diet and menu. This will contribute to more rapid recovery.
It is important to remember that an eating disorder - a psychological problem, so change power without taking into account the psychological aspect can lead to the fact that the weight will come back again. Only an integrated approach in conjunction with the advice of competent specialist will help stabilize weight and do not overeat in the future. This process takes time and effort, but with proper treatment and respect for the result of the optimal mode power supply will continue for years to come.
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- Get rid of these habits to life was less stressful
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