Let’s Talk About Bingeing

Is bingeing the same thing as Binge Eating Disorder? (No, not exactly.)

Does Binge Eating Disorder require restriction to treat? (NO.)

Is bingeing a response to physical and/or mental restriction? (YES.)

Can trauma/emotions/anxiety cause Binge Eating Disorder without the presence of restriction?? (Yes! However it is extremely rare in our culture for restriction/guilt to not ALSO enter the picture after the fact, and therein lies the importance of addressing restriction, even if and when it isn’t the cause.)

The line between disordered eating (bingeing) and Binge Eating Disorder is blurred, just like it is for all disordered eating/eating disorders.

People binge in response to restriction, and they binge in response to trauma, anxiety, or difficult emotions. The important thing to remember though, is even if restriction isn’t the main cause of your bingeing, it is probably a big piece of it, just because of the culture we live in. Addressing restriction is extremely important, along with any other emotional/trauma-based treatment.

Anyone with an active eating disorder should be getting treatment, and The F*ck It Diet is just a supplement.

(Note: This particle post is associated with an episode that I recorded on August 1st, 2020, responding to a disgruntled instagram follower who was angry that I was “ignoring binge eating disorder” in my instagram posts, and saying that I imply that all binge eating disorder is a response to restriction. To get the full drama, (anonymous) angry comments and DMs, the accusations of being unethical and predatory, and my full response, listen to the episode above. For the purposes of this post, I am going to distill it down to discussing the nuance of bingeing vs. BED.)

The first and most important thing I want people to know about bingeing, is that when it is in response to calorie restriction, it is the body's attempt to protect you against past and future famine. In a very basic sense: it is protective. And if you've tried to diet a lot, whether you were "successful" or not it is also going to be a response to diet thoughts. That's an example of what people mean when they say: "mental" restriction. Restriction doesn't have to be literal and physical (ie, less calories), it can just be mental guilt, rules, or diet ideation.

A LOT of our collective bingeing is because of our collective dieting, and out collective diet culture. The question then becomes, is that all? Do we binge for other reasons?

To make sure I've covered my bases, I consulted Casey Bonano, CEDRD-S to weigh in on bingeing vs Binge Eating Disorder (BED). She is a Dietitian specializing in Eating Disorders, an anti-diet approach, HAES, & Intuitive Eating. You can follow her on instagram here, and find her Food Freedom Guide here.

Here is Casey’s breakdown of the difference between bingeing and Binge Eating Disorder:

“Bingeing is usually based on restriction, and with incorporating all foods, some self reflection, and general coping skills it can be resolved. BED is more complex and will take a deeper dive into the psychological or emotional components, usually requiring mental health professions such as a therapist and a dietitian, but restriction (whether physical or mental) is often a component of BED as well and must first be addressed or ruled out before the emotional work can be done.”

There are people who believe that avoiding binge trigger foods is the way to treat Binge Eating Disorder, along with addressing the emotional/mental components of BED. I do not consider this a full recovery, as it uses restriction as a treatment. This is treating one eating disorder with another eating disorder.