June 19, 2024 • 8 mins
In todays episode, we talk about binge eating disorder and ways to cope with these episodes. Including self-compassion and an exercise to help you identify triggers.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Everyone has these two boxes intheir brain and one of them, so
(00:04):
let's say the first box is whatwe should be doing.
Um, and then the second box iswhat we're actually doing.
When those two things don'talign, we can experience guilt
and shame Hey guys, I hope thatyou're doing well and I'm so
glad to have you here with me onthis episode of Landing
Imperfect.
I'm your host Jen Lander.
(00:25):
I'm a psychiatric nursepractitioner who's been helping
or who has been specializing ineating disorders for, um, Five
years now.
So I've been helping peoplealong their journey of treatment
and recovery.
Um, so today I wanted to talk alittle bit about understanding
and coping with binge eatingdisorder.
This is going to be a quickepisode.
(00:45):
So I hope in further episodes wecan dive a little bit deeper.
It's just been a wild June forme.
So very, very busy summer sofar.
Um, but I do have all theintention to dive deeper,
especially if you're interestedin this episode, learning more
about binge eating and ways tokind of cope with that.
(01:05):
So, uh, I'll I wanted to firstsay what exactly binge eating
disorder is.
So unlike bulimia, there's nopurging after a binge.
People can fall into yo yodieting or they can restrict
pretty heavily after they bingeand then later the next day or,
(01:25):
you know, the following daysthey may engage in binge eating
behaviors, but there's nocompensatory behaviors that
follow binge eating.
Um, as far as purging goes andoverexercise, none of that's
happening.
Um, so these binge eatingepisodes are very intense and
they're marked by a loss ofcontrol, rapid consumption of
(01:47):
large amounts of food, and deepemotional distress afterwards.
Um, I will say that behind bingeeating disorder, it goes, far
beyond willpower.
And I want to be clear aboutthat because I think a lot of
people are invalidated when itcomes to binge eating disorder.
(02:09):
And they might hear things like,well, just stop eating or like,
just don't eat so much, youknow?
I mean, that is completelyinvalidating for what's truly
going on underneath the surfacefor someone who's struggling
with binge eating disorder.
So there is I mean, let'simagine your brain's reward
system as a reward center at anamusement park.
(02:31):
In healthy brains, completingtasks or eating a satisfying
meal triggers the release ofdopamine, which is that feel
good chemical.
This keeps us motivated andregulates our appetite.
But in people who have bingeeating disorder, the reward
system might be a littleglitchy.
So dopamine releases.
(02:52):
Dopamine releases.
Might be blunted, making itharder to find pleasure in
everyday activities.
Food, however, can become areliable source of that dopamine
hit.
This creates a cycle of bingingfor temporary emotional boost,
followed by guilt and shame.
And I try to explain this that,and it's not just people who
(03:13):
have binge eating disorder.
Everyone has these two boxes intheir brain and one of them, so
let's say the first box is whatwe should be doing.
Um, and then the second box iswhat we're actually doing.
When those two things don'talign, we can experience guilt
and shame.
So if someone has a rule intheir minds, in their brain, I
(03:33):
don't binge eat.
We don't binge eat.
That's bad.
And then they binge, they havean episode of binging, then
that's not aligning.
And then they start toexperience shame and guilt
around the binge eating episode.
Um.
There are a couple things thatyou can do to help your binge
eating episodes.
So identify your triggers forone.
(03:56):
So what situations, whatemotions, or even the time of
day typically lead you to binge?
So think of It like pinpointingpotholes on your emotional road.
Once you know your triggers, youcan start to develop ways to
cope to avoid following it,falling into binge cycles, and
(04:18):
then practiced.
Practice mindful eating.
So slow down, pace is a reallybig thing here.
So try savoring your food andfocus on taste and texture.
So be very intentional on whatyou're eating.
Mindful eating helps you toconnect with your body's hunger
cues and stop before overeating.
(04:39):
And challenge distortedthoughts.
So often we have critical innervoices that fuel shame and guilt
after a binge.
Mindful challenge thesethoughts.
Would you talk to a friend thisharshly?
And remember compassion is thekey to building a healthy
relationship with food.
When, when we're thinking aboutrecovery and our treatment, when
(05:00):
it comes to binge eating, whenwe have guilt and shame based
off of like the motivation tostop binging, it's, it's going
to be very, very difficult tohave long lasting recovery.
But when, when, recovery mindsetis based off of self compassion
(05:20):
and being compassionate towardswhat you're going through.
That is where you can reallystart to see some long lasting
changes.
So it's not motivation behindshame.
Like I'm going to talk trash toyou, you know, to try to get you
to stop binging.
That's not going to help.
Long term, it might helptemporarily for some people, but
it's not going to be that longlasting change.
(05:41):
There has to be some selfcompassion that's going along
with what's happening when itcomes to these binge eating
episodes.
So there's a quick exercise thatyou can try to identify your
triggers.
I want you to grab a piece ofpaper and draw a large spider
web.
So in the center, write bingeeating.
And now I want you to draw, todraw lines that are radiating
(06:05):
from the center and write downsituations.
Write down emotions, or even thetime of day, like we were
talking about before, thattypically triggers your binges.
Analyzing this web can help youidentify patterns and develop
coping mechanisms.
So, sometimes, if some of thesethings aren't aren't working for
(06:29):
you, it doesn't mean that it'shelpless and there's always
hope, but you may need moresupport.
So it's reaching out to atherapist or a psychiatrist, if
you can, or an eating disorderfacility that can help you help
give you an assessment to see ifthere's a different level of
care or different support thatyou may need.
(06:51):
And.
Just know that, I mean, thereare, there of course are
resources out there.
There's incredible books,podcasts, you know, that, that
cover this topic, but sometimeswe just need more accountability
and we need to be able to talkthrough what's going on
emotionally.
That's causing some of thesebinges with a trusted
professional, a therapist, youknow, someone who can really
(07:12):
guide you and help you throughwhat's going on.
So.
Know that you are amazing, evenif you don't feel like it.
I know that you are.
You, uh, you deserve, you know,treatment because, not because
you're like incredible orspecial or unique or anything
like that, even though I'm surethat you are, but you just
deserve it because you arehuman, just like everyone else.
It's that simple.
(07:33):
You deserve.
Treatment, help, support,guidance, if you're really
struggling on something likethis, just simply because you're
human.
And I wish you all the best andI hope that, you know, soon in
further episodes we can divedeeper into this topic because I
think it's really important andthere's many, many people out
there who do struggle with bingeeating disorder.
(07:55):
And I hope that you just giveyourself some, some compassion
and I will see you next week forthe next episode.
Thank you so much for joining meon this episode of landing
imperfect.
I truly appreciate you being apart of this community and
sharing this journey with me.
If you do want to connectfurther, then don't hesitate to
follow me on Instagram at Jendot Lander.
(08:17):
I would love to hear yourthoughts, any questions or any
stories that you want to share.
So, DME there, I also have awebsite.
It's a landing and perfectwebsite where I share a blog
post about my podcast, and thenyou can join my email list.
I have a PDF that providesanxiety and stress management
tools that you can.
And use as well when you join myemail list.
So check it out.
My website will be linked in myshow notes.
(08:38):
So don't hesitate to reach
Everyone has these two boxes intheir brain and one of them, so
(00:04):
let's say the first box is whatwe should be doing.
Um, and then the second box iswhat we're actually doing.
When those two things don'talign, we can experience guilt
and shame Hey guys, I hope thatyou're doing well and I'm so
glad to have you here with me onthis episode of Landing
Imperfect.
I'm your host Jen Lander.
(00:25):
I'm a psychiatric nursepractitioner who's been helping
or who has been specializing ineating disorders for, um, Five
years now.
So I've been helping peoplealong their journey of treatment
and recovery.
Um, so today I wanted to talk alittle bit about understanding
and coping with binge eatingdisorder.
This is going to be a quickepisode.
(00:45):
So I hope in further episodes wecan dive a little bit deeper.
It's just been a wild June forme.
So very, very busy summer sofar.
Um, but I do have all theintention to dive deeper,
especially if you're interestedin this episode, learning more
about binge eating and ways tokind of cope with that.
(01:05):
So, uh, I'll I wanted to firstsay what exactly binge eating
disorder is.
So unlike bulimia, there's nopurging after a binge.
People can fall into yo yodieting or they can restrict
pretty heavily after they bingeand then later the next day or,
(01:25):
you know, the following daysthey may engage in binge eating
behaviors, but there's nocompensatory behaviors that
follow binge eating.
Um, as far as purging goes andoverexercise, none of that's
happening.
Um, so these binge eatingepisodes are very intense and
they're marked by a loss ofcontrol, rapid consumption of
(01:47):
large amounts of food, and deepemotional distress afterwards.
Um, I will say that behind bingeeating disorder, it goes, far
beyond willpower.
And I want to be clear aboutthat because I think a lot of
people are invalidated when itcomes to binge eating disorder.
(02:09):
And they might hear things like,well, just stop eating or like,
just don't eat so much, youknow?
I mean, that is completelyinvalidating for what's truly
going on underneath the surfacefor someone who's struggling
with binge eating disorder.
So there is I mean, let'simagine your brain's reward
system as a reward center at anamusement park.
(02:31):
In healthy brains, completingtasks or eating a satisfying
meal triggers the release ofdopamine, which is that feel
good chemical.
This keeps us motivated andregulates our appetite.
But in people who have bingeeating disorder, the reward
system might be a littleglitchy.
So dopamine releases.
(02:52):
Dopamine releases.
Might be blunted, making itharder to find pleasure in
everyday activities.
Food, however, can become areliable source of that dopamine
hit.
This creates a cycle of bingingfor temporary emotional boost,
followed by guilt and shame.
And I try to explain this that,and it's not just people who
(03:13):
have binge eating disorder.
Everyone has these two boxes intheir brain and one of them, so
let's say the first box is whatwe should be doing.
Um, and then the second box iswhat we're actually doing.
When those two things don'talign, we can experience guilt
and shame.
So if someone has a rule intheir minds, in their brain, I
(03:33):
don't binge eat.
We don't binge eat.
That's bad.
And then they binge, they havean episode of binging, then
that's not aligning.
And then they start toexperience shame and guilt
around the binge eating episode.
Um.
There are a couple things thatyou can do to help your binge
eating episodes.
So identify your triggers forone.
(03:56):
So what situations, whatemotions, or even the time of
day typically lead you to binge?
So think of It like pinpointingpotholes on your emotional road.
Once you know your triggers, youcan start to develop ways to
cope to avoid following it,falling into binge cycles, and
(04:18):
then practiced.
Practice mindful eating.
So slow down, pace is a reallybig thing here.
So try savoring your food andfocus on taste and texture.
So be very intentional on whatyou're eating.
Mindful eating helps you toconnect with your body's hunger
cues and stop before overeating.
(04:39):
And challenge distortedthoughts.
So often we have critical innervoices that fuel shame and guilt
after a binge.
Mindful challenge thesethoughts.
Would you talk to a friend thisharshly?
And remember compassion is thekey to building a healthy
relationship with food.
When, when we're thinking aboutrecovery and our treatment, when
(05:00):
it comes to binge eating, whenwe have guilt and shame based
off of like the motivation tostop binging, it's, it's going
to be very, very difficult tohave long lasting recovery.
But when, when, recovery mindsetis based off of self compassion
(05:20):
and being compassionate towardswhat you're going through.
That is where you can reallystart to see some long lasting
changes.
So it's not motivation behindshame.
Like I'm going to talk trash toyou, you know, to try to get you
to stop binging.
That's not going to help.
Long term, it might helptemporarily for some people, but
it's not going to be that longlasting change.
(05:41):
There has to be some selfcompassion that's going along
with what's happening when itcomes to these binge eating
episodes.
So there's a quick exercise thatyou can try to identify your
triggers.
I want you to grab a piece ofpaper and draw a large spider
web.
So in the center, write bingeeating.
And now I want you to draw, todraw lines that are radiating
(06:05):
from the center and write downsituations.
Write down emotions, or even thetime of day, like we were
talking about before, thattypically triggers your binges.
Analyzing this web can help youidentify patterns and develop
coping mechanisms.
So, sometimes, if some of thesethings aren't aren't working for
(06:29):
you, it doesn't mean that it'shelpless and there's always
hope, but you may need moresupport.
So it's reaching out to atherapist or a psychiatrist, if
you can, or an eating disorderfacility that can help you help
give you an assessment to see ifthere's a different level of
care or different support thatyou may need.
(06:51):
And.
Just know that, I mean, thereare, there of course are
resources out there.
There's incredible books,podcasts, you know, that, that
cover this topic, but sometimeswe just need more accountability
and we need to be able to talkthrough what's going on
emotionally.
That's causing some of thesebinges with a trusted
professional, a therapist, youknow, someone who can really
(07:12):
guide you and help you throughwhat's going on.
So.
Know that you are amazing, evenif you don't feel like it.
I know that you are.
You, uh, you deserve, you know,treatment because, not because
you're like incredible orspecial or unique or anything
like that, even though I'm surethat you are, but you just
deserve it because you arehuman, just like everyone else.
It's that simple.
(07:33):
You deserve.
Treatment, help, support,guidance, if you're really
struggling on something likethis, just simply because you're
human.
And I wish you all the best andI hope that, you know, soon in
further episodes we can divedeeper into this topic because I
think it's really important andthere's many, many people out
there who do struggle with bingeeating disorder.
(07:55):
And I hope that you just giveyourself some, some compassion
and I will see you next week forthe next episode.
Thank you so much for joining meon this episode of landing
imperfect.
I truly appreciate you being apart of this community and
sharing this journey with me.
If you do want to connectfurther, then don't hesitate to
follow me on Instagram at Jendot Lander.
(08:17):
I would love to hear yourthoughts, any questions or any
stories that you want to share.
So, DME there, I also have awebsite.
It's a landing and perfectwebsite where I share a blog
post about my podcast, and thenyou can join my email list.
I have a PDF that providesanxiety and stress management
tools that you can.
And use as well when you join myemail list.
So check it out.
My website will be linked in myshow notes.
(08:38):
So don't hesitate to reach
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