As an experienced eating disorder therapist, I specialize in eating disorder treatments in St. Louis and can help you overcome your emotional and binge eating habits. Conquering the struggles of binge eating or emotional eating will help you to form a healthy relationship with food and create a positive self-body image.
Do you overeat when you are stressed, sad, or depressed? Once you start eating, is it difficult to stop? How do you feel about how much you eat? For more information regarding eating disorder treatment call 314-643-8224 or complete an online contact form.
St. Louis Eating Disorder Therapy
What is Emotional Eating?
Emotional eating is consuming large quantities of food, usually “comfort” or junk foods, in response to feelings or emotions rather than hunger.
Not all “emotional” eaters are “binge” eaters. But most “binge” eaters are “emotional” eaters.
Emotional eating is something that many people struggle with. It is not a psychological “disorder”, but rather a behavior that can lead to:
– Weight gain
– Guilt
– Anxiety
Learning to regulate your emotions, and recognize triggers for emotional eating can help change the behavior.
Sometimes, dealing with difficult emotions is overwhelming and we need help. Seeking counseling to address underlying emotions can often resolve emotional eating behaviors.
What is Binge Eating?
Binge eating is the consumption of huge quantities of food in a short amount of time. When a person binge eats they continue eating even if they feel full. Binge eating can lead to binge eating disorder. It is important that you seek help if you struggle with binge eating disorder.
Causes of Binge Eating
The cause of binge eating is unknown, but it may be a sign that a person doesn’t handle their emotions in a healthy way. Binge eating disorder is also related to depression. More women experience binge eating disorder than men. People who are obese are also at a larger risk of getting binge eating disorder than people of normal weight.
Symptoms of Binge Eating
According to WebMD, symptoms for binge eating disorder may include the following:
- Eat more food than others around you
- Feeling like you can’t control how much you eat
- Feel upset after you binge eat
- Having an eating binge at least once a month for 3 months, on average
- Eat a lot of food very quickly in one seating
- Eat enough to feel uncomfortably full
- Even when you aren’t hungry you eat a lot
- Eat alone so no one sees how much food you have consumed
- Feel guilty, disgusted, or depressed about your eating
If you feel you have trouble with binge eating, take the Binge Eating Quiz.
Binge Eating Treatment
I provide customized treatment for binge or emotional eating called emotional eating therapy. Treatment plans focus on the thoughts and environmental triggers that cause binges or emotional eating. I will help you learn to have a healthier relationship with food and find other ways to feed your feelings.
You will begin to recognize what triggers your binges or emotional eating habits so that you can stop them once and for all. My goal is not just to teach you coping skills, but more importantly, to help you identify the underlying causes and beliefs that lead to binge eating or emotional eating. By resolving these underlying causes, you will eliminate cravings and eliminate the problematic behavior.
For more information regarding eating disorder treatment call 314-643-8224 or complete an online contact form.