No Comments
Binge-eating disorder is characterized by periods of excessive overeating, often accompanied by feelings of guilt, shame, and loss of control over eating habits. Unlike bulimia, people with binge-eating disorder (BED) usually do not purge or vomit after binge sessions. Binge eating can lead to hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Posted in Eating Disorders
No Comments
A new study has revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can significantly help patients overcome bulimia and binge eating disorder.
Posted in Bulimia
No Comments
By Colin Gilbert
Among the many types of treatment available to individuals suffering from eating disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) stands out as especially effective. Because it targets the complex relationships between thoughts, feelings, and actions, CBT efficiently gets to the root of bulimia, anorexia, and other disorders where a person’s distorted self-image leads them to adopt unhealthy eating habits.
With most eating disorders, a warped perception of self is responsible for harmful eating habits. As a result of societal pressure or interpersonal abuse, a person may obsess over her weight and feel overweight even when she is not. Or, an overweight individual may erroneously associate food with comfort and safety. Feelings of fear, guilt, and despair often accompany the overwhelming preoccupation with eating or not eating, and the thoughts can lead to various types of damaging behavior.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the idea that thoughts and actions are inexorably tied. Every person develops habits of thought that are the product of genetic disposition, environmental stimuli, and personal choices. In turn, those cognitive habits lead to specific kinds of behavior which can sometimes be self-destructive.
The aim of CBT is to identify and repair unhealthy patterns of thought, and consequently break the cycle of destructive behavior. For those who feel powerless in stopping the harm done by their sickness, CBT offers the encouraging idea that each individual has the power and potential to initiate his or her own healing.
According to University of Chicago’s Department of Psychiatry, cognitive behavioral therapy is ideal for treating bulimia nervosa and is also recommended in cases of anorexia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and other eating disorders. The university’s research suggests that CBT adds to the benefits of medication and other forms of psychotherapy.
Patients receiving CBT are typically asked to keep a journal of food consumption as well as a record of cravings, aversions, binging and purging episodes, and the feelings that accompany the behaviors. Planned meals help build healthy eating habits and appropriate attitudes toward diet and nutrition.
CBT sessions for eating disorders are typically an hour long and can be either private or group-based. Meetings are usually scheduled weekly or every two weeks and may last for one to six months. While CBT is often successful in managing eating disorders, it is not necessarily a permanent cure, and continued discipline on the part of the patient is required for long-term health.
Battling an eating disorder can be a terrifying and lonely experience, but help is available to those seeking it. Anyone interested in pursuing cognitive behavioral therapy for an eating disorder should contact his or her general practitioner for advice on finding local help. Links are also available through www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
Posted in Eating Disorder Treatment
No Comments
By Leslie Thompson
Over the past few decades, obesity has become a highly prevalent problem in American society, and it is one of the fastest-growing health epidemics in the country. Recent reports show that 34 percent of adult Americans are obese and/or overweight, and more than 30 percent of children are similarly obese. With such a high percentage of the population battling obesity, many different treatment programs have been developed to help combat this issue. One such form of treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy.
Posted in Eating Disorders
