Over-eating is common. Nearly everyone has done it at least once. However, binge eating is a different thing altogether, and it can be hazardous. It can lead to unhealthy habits and a full-blown eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is actually more common than both bulimia and anorexia. That means that people who are eating fast and frequently every week over the course of a few months are at risk of a binge eating disorder. Seeking treatment is integral to recovering from an eating disorder. Crossroads offers both residential and outpatient options for women for binge eating disorder treatment. Our team is standing by to answer any questions you have at 877.978.1667.
What Is Binge Eating Disorder?
If you’re binge eating at least one day a week for weeks and months on end, that’s a red flag that you’re suffering from a binge eating disorder. Binge eating can also involve eating in secret, continuing to eat when you’re already full, or having no control at all over what and how much you’re eating.
Dangers of Binge Eating
The mental and physical effects of a binge eating disorder take a toll and make it challenging to find the road to long-term sustainable recovery. The most common dangers of binge eating include the following:
Heart Disease
The extra weight brought on by binge eating can put immense stress on the heart. This is because the heart has to work that much harder to pump blood through the entire body. A greater amount of fat on the body also puts the body at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other heart-related issues. If you experience chest pain, numbness, or shortness of breath, you should seek immediate help as you could be having a heart attack.
Type 2 Diabetes
Binge eating increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which is a lifelong illness that, at this point, has no cure. Diabetes treatment is ongoing for the rest of your life. It becomes even more challenging to control blood sugar levels when binge eating.
Unhealthy Weight
There is a direct correlation between people who suffer from binge eating disorder and their weight. Almost two-thirds of those people are overweight and may even be obese because they are so quickly eating so much unhealthy food. Eating a greater number of calories than you can burn, over an extended period of time, leads to this unhealthy type of weight gain. Weight gain, in turn, leads to a range of health issues.
Emotional Disorders
The physical effects of binge eating also manifest themselves into emotional effects, which can include:
- Guilt
- Extreme sadness
- Depression
- Stress
- Hopelessness
- Lack of energy
Binge eating is a comfort that temporarily lifts them out of these moods, but in the end, it only adds fuel to the fire. It’s a vicious cycle of eating that can too easily get out of hand.
Crossroads Can Provide Eating Disorder Treatment
Crossroads prides itself on providing an engaging, therapeutic, and healing environment for women to engage in treatment for eating disorders and addiction. At our treatment facilities in picturesque Maine, women receive the support they need to take their eating disorder treatment seriously and make their well-being a priority. We focus on treatment for women by women. Our team works to build confidence and tailor each woman’s individual treatment to what works for them.
Crossroads offers a truly integrated approach that is unlike any other program in the country. Women can grow, heal, and become whole in their own time and build the strategies and skills they need for lasting recovery. Call our caring and compassionate team today at 877.978.1667.
