Understanding Binge Eating Disorder (BED): Insights from an Experienced Integrative Therapist & Psychotherapist

“When I decide to binge, I’m free. There’s nothing like it. I can feel my body relax and then kind of disappear. Just me, the TV, the food, and then sleep. I’m just numb. I won’t think about all the things I’m going to screw up tomorrow, or who doesn’t like me, or who is going to leave me.”

“I hate that I do this, but I just can’t stop. I even look forward to it sometimes! What is wrong with me?”

“I stick to my diet so well, and then everything just falls apart. I keep repeating the cycle over and over.”

These are just a few of the many reflections I’ve heard from my clients over the years—testaments to the long, complicated, and often painful relationship people with binge eating disorder (BED) have with food. As an experienced psychotherapist specialising in treating BED, I have worked with countless individuals who have come to me seeking help to stop binge eating. These clients, like most with BED, are resilient, capable, and strong—though they often don’t see themselves this way. They come from all walks of life, of all ages, races, beliefs, physical abilities, genders, socioeconomic groups, and sexual orientations. They are every shape and size. Many have survived extraordinary hardships or have experienced significant trauma. Despite their strength, many feel a profound shame about their eating habits. Yet, they also recognise that food has served as a refuge—a safe, personal space that belongs to them and them alone.

Binge Eating: Finding Relief in Food

One of my clients shared how binge eating became a way for her to feel free, even if only temporarily: “Once I start, it’s like the world falls away,” she said. “I don’t have to think about my life falling apart, or people judging me.” For her, food became a coping mechanism—something that brought relief in the short term. But after the binge, guilt, shame, and regret flooded in, and she would swear to never binge again. Yet, the cycle would repeat itself.

For many of my clients, food becomes a source of comfort, a way to numb the emotions they struggle to process. Food, in these moments, is seen as a safe space where one can escape their emotions, even if just temporarily. However, the relief is fleeting, and it’s followed by feelings of shame, guilt, and frustration. This is the heart of binge eating disorder—the tug of war between the temporary comfort food offers and the long-term emotional consequences.

The Prevalence of BED

Binge eating disorder affects millions of people in the UK, with estimates suggesting that three to five million people struggle with BED at any given time. This makes it more common than anorexia and bulimia combined. BED doesn’t discriminate based on age, gender, race, or socio-economic background. It can affect anyone. Many individuals with BED come from backgrounds of trauma, childhood abuse, or family dynamics that foster unhealthy relationships with food.

For those of us living with BED, food becomes something of an enemy—something that triggers guilt-ridden thoughts, worry about sticking to a food plan, fear of “cheating” on a diet, and anxiety about weight gain. Yet, food can also serve as a refuge, offering a brief escape from life’s overwhelming pressures and emotional pain. The relationship with food becomes tangled with conflicting emotions, making it difficult to break the cycle.

BED Is Not About “Pathology”—It’s About Coping

Contrary to what many people believe, binge eating disorder is not about personal weakness or a lack of willpower. As a therapist, I’ve seen first-hand that BED is deeply tied to coping mechanisms learned over the course of a lifetime. Often, binge eating develops as a way to manage overwhelming emotions, stress, or past trauma.

Food has a soothing effect on the brain. It releases neurochemicals like dopamine that create a temporary feeling of wellbeing, providing comfort in moments of distress. For many of my clients, food became a tool to cope with emotions they didn’t know how to process or express. The relief was instant, but fleeting, leaving behind a deep sense of shame and self-judgment.

As a psychotherapist with decades of experience, I help my clients understand that this behaviour was not their fault. It is a coping mechanism that worked in the moment, often during times when other coping mechanisms were unavailable or unsafe. Over time, though, this coping mechanism can become a trap.

Body Size and BED: It’s Not About What You See

One of the most common misconceptions about BED is that it’s only associated with people in larger bodies. This is simply not true. People with BED come in every shape and size. Some individuals with BED may gain weight, while others may not. What’s important to understand is that BED is not about the body size—it’s about the relationship with food. A person’s struggle with binge eating is often invisible to others, making it even more isolating for those who live with it.

I often remind my clients that they cannot be defined by their weight or body size. It’s crucial to shift the focus away from the scale and onto the emotional, psychological, and behavioural patterns that underpin their eating disorder. It’s this shift in perspective that forms the foundation of healing.

The Weight of Body Shame

One of the most painful aspects of BED is the weight shame that so many individuals carry. Body shame is often a by-product of societal weight stigma—the negative attitudes and judgments about body size that permeate our culture. Many of my clients share stories of being bullied about their weight, criticised by family or doctors, and feeling judged by society for simply existing in their bodies. This shame can be overwhelming, creating a vicious cycle of self-loathing and emotional eating.

A client recently shared, “I’ve been called names, criticised by family, and made to feel like I’m not good enough because of my body. That shame has made everything worse. It’s like food is the only thing that doesn’t judge me.” The shame felt by those with BED can be profound, and it’s often linked to a deep desire to hide from the pain of rejection and judgment.

But the good news is that this cycle can be broken. The first step is to challenge the cultural norms and internalised beliefs about body size and worth. This is where therapy, coupled with nutritional support, can help clients heal not just from the behaviours of BED, but from the shame that surrounds it.

Why Can’t I Just Stick to a Food Plan or Diet Program?

Many clients come to me feeling frustrated with themselves for not being able to stick to a food plan or diet. They often believe that if they could just stick to a diet, their problems would be solved. The truth is, dieting is not the solution to BED—it is often the cause of the problem.

Dieting, particularly restrictive diets, exacerbates binge eating. When we restrict our intake, our bodies respond by increasing hunger and cravings. This often leads to overeating or bingeing, creating an endless cycle of restriction and binging. Moreover, dieting can increase feelings of failure and self-judgment when the inevitable happens—people don’t stick to the diet.

As a psychotherapist, I work with my clients to break free from this cycle. I help them learn to trust their bodies again and develop a healthier relationship with food. We focus on mindful eating and self-compassion rather than restriction and control.

How Do I Know if I Have BED? What is a “Binge”?

Binge eating is often characterised by consuming large quantities of food in a short period, accompanied by a feeling of loss of control. However, binge eating can also manifest in less obvious ways. Some individuals may graze throughout the day, or overeat at regular meals. Others might binge on “healthy” foods or foods they restrict.

What’s important to understand is that binge eating is not just about the food—it’s about the emotional distress that accompanies it. People with BED often experience intense psychological distress during and after a binge, such as guilt, shame, and regret. This emotional turmoil reinforces the cycle of binging and self-punishment.

Who’s at Risk for Developing Binge Eating or BED?

There are many factors that can contribute to the development of BED, and these factors can vary from person to person. Some common risk factors include:

Family history of eating disorders, addiction, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Intense concern with weight and appearance
Difficulty identifying or expressing emotions
A history of trauma or abuse, particularly in childhood
Perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking
Difficulty setting healthy boundaries with others
Mood disorders, including depression and anxiety
Self-soothing behaviours or dissociation (the tendency to “check out” emotionally)

How Do People with BED Use Food as a Coping Tool?

Food often becomes a tool to manage emotions. For many, food provides temporary relief from overwhelming feelings such as loneliness, anxiety, fear, or shame. Some individuals use food to avoid confronting difficult issues, while others may use it to create a sense of control in an otherwise uncontrollable world.

One of my clients described their experience: “When everything feels like too much, food is the only thing that brings me peace. But it doesn’t last, and then I feel worse.”

What Does “Recovered” from BED Mean? Is It Possible?

Recovery from BED is not just about stopping binge eating—it’s about transforming your relationship with food and yourself. It’s about learning to listen to your body, trust its cues, and respond in healthy, balanced ways. It’s about healing the emotional wounds that may have contributed to the disorder in the first place.

Recovery is possible, and it is unique to each person. Some people may experience an occasional episode, but the key to recovery is that it becomes rarer, shorter, and less intense. Over time, the individual learns to trust themselves, stop the cycle of binging and restricting, and develop healthier, more compassionate coping strategies.

How is BED Treated?

As a therapist with extensive experience in treating BED, I use a range of therapeutic approaches, including psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, nutritional therapy, and mindful eating practices to help my clients. I work closely with registered nutritionists to create a balanced, non-restrictive approach to eating, addressing both the emotional and physical aspects of the disorder. Through cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), we work together to break the cycle of negative thoughts and behaviours, and hypnotherapy can help rewire harmful thought patterns related to food and body image.

In addition to individual therapy, I offer group therapy and family therapy to provide support and healing in a community environment. Each client’s treatment plan is tailored to their unique needs, and we work together to build a sustainable, healthy relationship with food and themselves.

Why Choose Me for Your Treatment?

As an experienced and compassionate therapist, I offer a range of services to support individuals struggling with BED and other related issues. Here’s how each of my services works and how they can help you on your journey to recovery:

Counselling for BED and Emotional Support

Counselling is an integral part of any treatment plan for binge eating disorder. It involves providing a safe and confidential space where you can talk freely about your struggles with food, emotions, and self-esteem. Through talk therapy, we can uncover underlying emotional triggers for binge eating and work together on managing stress and anxiety. I offer individual counselling and group therapy, focusing on emotional healing, self-acceptance, and building healthier coping strategies.

SEO Optimised: For clients seeking compassionate counselling for binge eating disorder, I provide therapeutic support to help understand the roots of emotional eating, improve self-esteem, and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

Psychotherapy for Binge Eating Disorder

Psychotherapy, specifically cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), is a scientifically-proven method for treating binge eating disorder. CBT helps address the thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to binge eating. In therapy, we work together to challenge negative beliefs about food, body image, and self-worth, helping you build new, healthier patterns. The goal is to help you stop the cycle of bingeing and restriction and gain control over your eating habits.

SEO Optimised: Psychotherapy for binge eating disorder offers evidence-based strategies like CBT to help you regain control over your eating, heal emotional wounds, and break free from unhealthy habits.

Registered Nutritionist Therapy for Binge Eating Disorder

As a Registered Nutritionist, I work closely with clients to create personalised nutrition plans that promote health and well-being without restrictive diets. We focus on mindful eating, balanced meals, and sustainable changes that support mental and physical health. My approach ensures that food is no longer a source of shame or restriction but a tool for nourishing your body.

SEO Optimised: Nutrition therapy for binge eating offers expert guidance from a Registered Nutritionist to create a sustainable, non-restrictive approach to eating, helping you heal your relationship with food.

Registered Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool for overcoming BED by addressing the subconscious thoughts and patterns that fuel emotional eating. As a Registered Clinical Medical Hypnotherapist, I guide clients into a deeply relaxed state where we can explore and reframe the root causes of binge eating. This therapeutic approach helps change the way you view food and your body, promoting healthier choices and a calmer mind.

SEO Optimised: Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy for BED is an effective, non-invasive treatment to address subconscious patterns and reduce the urges to binge, helping clients make lasting changes.

Advanced Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT)

Advanced RTT is an integrated approach combining hypnosis, CBT, and coaching to help clients transform limiting beliefs and emotional patterns. It’s particularly effective for binge eating disorder, as it targets the deep-rooted beliefs that drive disordered eating. RTT helps you reframe negative thinking, eliminate food-related guilt, and adopt a healthier mindset about food and your body.

SEO Optimised: Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) is a cutting-edge approach to healing binge eating disorder, addressing subconscious beliefs and creating lasting change in just a few sessions.

Ready to Take the First Step?

If you’re struggling with binge eating disorder, you don’t have to face it alone. With my expertise in psychotherapy, counselling, hypnotherapy, nutrition, and RTT, I am here to support you on your journey to recovery. Together, we can break the cycle of binge eating, heal emotional wounds, and create a healthier, more balanced relationship with food and yourself.

Contact me today to schedule your initial consultation and start your path to healing. Your journey to recovery begins now.

Understanding Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and How Therapy Can Help

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a deeply challenging condition that affects millions of people worldwide, yet it’s often misunderstood. Many of my clients who struggle with BED have shared sentiments like:

“When I decide to binge, I’m free. There is nothing like it. I can feel my body relax and then kind of disappear. Just me, the TV, the food, and then sleep. I’m just numb. I won’t think about all the things I’m going to screw up tomorrow, or who doesn’t like me, or who is going to leave me.”

“I hate that I do this, but I just can’t stop. I even look forward to it sometimes! What is wrong with me?”

“I stick to my diet so well, and then everything just falls apart. I keep repeating the cycle over and over.”

These feelings are all too familiar to those who experience Binge Eating Disorder. As a psychotherapist specialising in eating disorders, I have worked with many individuals who experience the distressing cycle of overeating, guilt, and shame that comes with BED. I have also seen firsthand the profound healing that can occur when the right support is offered.

What Is Binge Eating Disorder (BED)?

Binge Eating Disorder is characterised by consuming large amounts of food in a short period, often accompanied by a sense of loss of control. Unlike other eating disorders like bulimia, individuals with BED don’t engage in compensatory behaviours like purging. Instead, the binge episodes are often followed by intense feelings of guilt, shame, and self-criticism.

But BED isn’t just about overeating—it’s about the emotional and psychological struggles behind it. People with BED often use food as a way to cope with overwhelming feelings like stress, sadness, loneliness, or anxiety. Over time, this leads to a cycle of emotional eating, which becomes harder to break without professional support.

The Emotional Struggles Behind BED

The journey of binge eating often begins with emotional triggers. You might find yourself eating to escape feelings of stress, trauma, or anxiety. It feels like a temporary solution to the pain, but it’s never lasting. Afterward, there’s guilt—“Why did I do that again? I hate that I can’t control myself.”

Many individuals with BED find food to be a source of comfort. But unfortunately, food becomes a crutch, providing temporary relief but exacerbating feelings of shame and self-loathing in the long term. These emotions are what keep the cycle going. Healing from Binge Eating Disorder requires addressing these deep-rooted feelings and offering healthier ways to cope.

Is It Just About Willpower?

One common misconception I encounter is that Binge Eating Disorder is simply about lacking willpower. Many of my clients come to me feeling defeated, believing they should be able to control their eating. But BED is not a simple matter of control—it’s about the emotional and psychological factors at play. People don’t just binge because they’re “weak”; they do so because food has become a way to cope with difficult emotions.

How Therapy Helps with BED

The key to overcoming Binge Eating Disorder is addressing the underlying causes rather than simply focusing on food and weight. Through a combination of psychotherapy, nutrition therapy, hypnotherapy, and Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), I guide my clients through a holistic healing process that addresses both the emotional and physical aspects of BED.

Here’s how each therapy can help:

Psychotherapy: Understanding the Root Causes

Psychotherapy plays an essential role in treating Binge Eating Disorder. When you come to therapy, the first step is often to identify and explore the emotional triggers behind your binge eating. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify patterns of negative thinking that lead to overeating. By addressing these thought patterns and replacing them with healthier coping strategies, clients can begin to heal and break the cycle of binge eating.

In therapy, we also explore past trauma, low self-esteem, and other underlying emotional struggles that may be contributing to your disordered eating. This process is not about blaming yourself but about understanding why food has become a way of managing your feelings.

Registered Nutritionist Therapy: Nourishing Your Body Without Guilt

As a Registered Nutritionist, I provide a compassionate and practical approach to nutrition therapy. One of the most common misconceptions about Binge Eating Disorder is that it’s all about eating less or dieting. In reality, treating BED involves finding balance and learning how to nourish your body in a healthy, sustainable way.

Rather than focusing on dieting or weight loss, nutrition therapy for BED works to help you reconnect with your body’s natural hunger cues. Together, we’ll explore how to eat in a way that nourishes your body and helps you feel empowered. We’ll also work on eliminating the guilt that often accompanies eating, so that you can develop a healthier relationship with food.

Hypnotherapy: Unlocking the Subconscious Mind

As a Registered Clinical Medical Hypnotherapist, I offer hypnotherapy as an effective treatment for Binge Eating Disorder. Hypnotherapy allows us to access your subconscious mind, where many of your emotions, beliefs, and patterns related to food are rooted. Through hypnosis, we can change the emotional triggers that lead to binge eating and replace them with healthier, more empowering beliefs about food and your body.

Many individuals with BED have deeply held beliefs about themselves—beliefs that they are unworthy, unlovable, or not in control of their lives. Hypnotherapy can help dissolve these limiting beliefs and replace them with a sense of self-compassion and control, making it easier to break the cycle of emotional eating.

Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT): A Powerful Solution for Lasting Change

Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) is another powerful tool I use to help clients struggling with Binge Eating Disorder. RTT combines the best aspects of hypnotherapy, coaching, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to address the root causes of eating behaviours. By working directly with your subconscious mind, RTT helps to reprogram negative thought patterns and emotional triggers, replacing them with healthier, more positive beliefs.

What makes RTT particularly effective is its ability to address deep-rooted emotional trauma and reframe the limiting beliefs that fuel binge eating. RTT helps you make lasting changes, leading to a healthier relationship with food and a more balanced emotional life.

Why It’s Important to Seek Help for BED

If you’re struggling with Binge Eating Disorder, seeking professional help is the first step towards healing. It’s important to understand that BED is not about lack of willpower, and it’s not something you can simply “snap out of” on your own. BED is a complex disorder with both emotional and physiological components, and recovery requires a comprehensive, compassionate approach.

When working with someone who struggles with BED, I offer a safe space where individuals can begin to understand the emotional and psychological factors contributing to their disordered eating. Through a combination of psychotherapy, nutrition therapy, hypnotherapy, and Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), we can work together to heal your relationship with food and your body.

Take the First Step Toward Healing

Overcoming Binge Eating Disorder is a journey, and the first step is often the hardest. If you’re ready to break free from the cycle of binge eating and heal your relationship with food, consider seeking help from a compassionate psychotherapist and Registered Nutritionist. My approach is holistic and tailored to each individual’s needs, using a blend of therapies like hypnotherapy and RTT to promote lasting healing.

Remember, recovery is possible, and you don’t have to face this alone. I’m here to help you take the first step toward freedom, peace, and a healthier, happier relationship with food.

Additional Resources Remotely, ONLINE including ZOOM, and one to one In person Therapy: Therapy Near Me, Counselling Near me, Nutritionist Near Me, Hypnotherapy Near Me

If you’re seeking therapy near me, counselling near me, nutritionist near me, hypnotherapy near me, or RTT near me, I offer a variety of services and locations in person and online tailored to your lifestyle and time needs and individual needs. Each session is designed to support you progressively in your journey towards healing, providing the guidance and care necessary to address Binge Eating Disorder effectively, returning you to peace, health and happiness.

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