Hey guys, what's up? Today, as I was browsing through Quora I saw some great content and I was upvoting them, but it got to the stage where I was thinking about not wasting my voting power. I guess that's the Steemit effect.
Steemit has totally changed my lifestyle. I rarely visit other social media these days. I just find it hard to go to those places again. Is it me or does this happen to everyone?

Once again, thank you all for your support and comments on my previous post. I'm really appreciative.

I was reading about one of the greatest female tennis player of all time - Monica Seles. In 2009 she released a memoir titled Getting a grip: On my body, My mind, Myself. She discussed at great lengths about her depression and BED disorder after she was stabbed. Monica was a great player, but she was stabbed while playing in Hamburg in 1993. She recovered from the wound after some weeks but didn't return to competitive tennis for more than two years.

Her story introduced me to BED. At first sight, I thought it was a disorder about sleeping too much in bed but, oh boy, I was wrong. BED is an acronym for Binge Eating Disorder. This stems from the compulsive consumption of abnormal amounts of food.

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What is BED

Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by chronic overeating or consumption of large amounts of food within a short period of time without being able to stop. Binge-eating episodes are identified by occurring at least twice in a week for 6 months.

Dr. Albert Stunkard in 1959 was the first to explain BED, although known as Night Eating Syndrome (NES). The term Binge Eating Disorder was adopted to erase the night aspect.

The Binge Eating Disorder can happen in males and females of normal weight, and it leads to gaining of unnecessary weight, or obesity; which can lead to a vicious cycle whereby you eat to feel better, then feel worse after eating, then turn back to eating for comfort.

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Depression or anxiety is most often associated with people who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder. They are also often filled up with emotions of guilt and disgust. It is one of the most common eating disorder in the United States.

Not to be confused with bulimia in which after binge the person tries self-induced vomiting, fasting or over exercising.

Signs and symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

People suffering from Binge Eating Disorder are often embarrassed or ashamed about their eating habits, so symptoms may be hidden. The following are possible symptoms of BED:

Eating on even when full or not hungry
Keeping of food for later consumption secretly
Rapid consumption of food
Frequent eating alone or in secret
Dieting frequently
Fluctuations in weight
Having food rituals i.e eating only a particular type of food.
Showing extreme concern about body shape and weight.

The aftermath of BED entails various physical, social and emotional hardships. Some of these complications include:

Cardiovascular disease
Type 2 diabetes
Insomnia
Hypertension
Gallbladder disease
Muscle pain
Gastrointestinal difficulties
Depression and anxiety
Obesity

Causes of Binge eating disorder

The actual cause of BED is unknown, but there are various factors which are believed to influence the manifestation of this disorder. These factors include:

Biological: hormonal irregularities and genetic mutations are often associated with chronic overeating and food addiction. Also biological abnormalities such as the improper functioning of the hypothalamus (the part of the brain responsible for controlling appetite).
Psychological: a strong correlation has been found between binge-eating and depression. Most binge eaters are either depressed or have been before. Low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction also aid binge-eating disorders.
Social and Cultural: traumatic experiences like sexual assault or domestic violence increases the risk of binge eating. Peer pressure to be thin, often as seen on social media, may induce emotional eating.

Although BED might feel like falling into an endless pit, you can be pulled out. The following are some recovery tips.

Develop a healthier relationship with food

As stated above, recovery will be challenging and take great effort. Other addictions require withdrawal but you need food to survive and can't replace it with another substance. Instead, you have to initiate a healthier relationship with food in terms of nutritional needs and not emotional needs. This can be accomplished by stopping the vicious binge eating cycle; by:

Eliminating temptation. Overeating can only happen if you have junk food or unhealthy snacks. By getting rid of these items in your fridge and food cupboard, this will help avoid the temptation.

Know your body better. Strive to learn the difference between emotional and physical hunger. If you are craving for food and you just ate, so long as you don't have rumblings in your tummy then you are most likely not hungry so you shouldn't eat.

Eat regularly. Don't skip meals, eat when you are supposed to; as waiting till you are very hungry will only lead to overeating.

Fight boredom. When you are alone and you are thinking about eating to pass the time, find other things to do like distracting yourself, taking a walk, calling friends or family.

Focus on what you are eating. Instead of just chewing and gobbling food rapidly, take your time to find out what each bite or spoonful tastes like. Admire the texture and flavor. This will not only stop binge eating, but you will actually enjoy your food.

The importance of not dieting. After a binge session, dieting might be the next line of action to compensate for the overeating. Dieting leads to hunger and strong cravings which will most likely result in overeating. So instead if dieting, emphasis can be placed on eating in moderation. Also, avoid banning certain foods - like saying you will “never eat ice cream again”. Rather, say “ice cream will only be consumed on special occasions.”

Interesting fact about BED
Binge eating disorder is more common than these common diseases breast cancer, HIV, and schizophrenia

Tip 2: Research better ways to feed your feelings

Odious emotions like depression, anxiety, stress and loneliness are the main reasons for binge eating. When having a bad day, it might seem as if food is your only companion. Binge eating will provide temporary relief from this unpleasant emotions, but this relief is short-lived.

Pinpoint triggers with food-and-mood diary

An effective way of recognizing the patterns of binge eating is to record events in a food-and-mood diary. Anytime you feel the urge to reach out for your comfort food, take a moment to decipher what caused the craving. If you pause to reflect, you will find what set off the urge to binge.

Record everything in your food-and-mood diary; what you wanted to eat (or what you ate), what caused it, how you felt while eating, what you felt when eating it. Compare observations over time and you'll see a pattern emerge.

Binge-eating disorder treatment

Seeking help from professionals who specialize in Binge-eating disorder treatment is the best way to go as regards to getting free from the shackles of this disorder.

Psychiatrist, therapist and nutritionist create treatment program which centres on the genesis of the problem. Much effort is placed on the treating the emotional triggers that cause the binge eating and how to cope better with anxiety, stress and depression.

There are therapies that are particularly helpful in combating Binge-eating disorder, they are :

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): This form of therapy helps one understand the thought and feelings that shapes their behavior.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): This type of therapy helps one building skills and better ways of dealing with stress, anxiety and depression.
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT): This form of therapy focuses on one's relationships with friends and family and the way they see she other

Conclusion

I hope I've been able to improve your knowledge and not confuse you about this eating disorder.

You should provide emotional support for your friend suffering from this disorder and try and be as available as possible. Don't mock them and courage exercising and eating healthy. Seek professional help for them and encourage them.

Resources and References

If you write STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related posts, consider joining #steemSTEM on steemit chat or discord here. If you are from Nigeria, you may want to include the #stemng tag in your post. You can visit this blog by @stemng for more details.

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BED: TRUST ME NOT THE ONE YOU WANT TO SLEEP ON