Breaking the Binging Cycle

One of the biggest enemies of keeping a healthy weight and lifestyle free of guilt is binging. Every now and again some individuals seem unable to resist from eating or drinking to excess. At the end of the binging period, they fall into the other extreme and go on a purge phase that is just as bad as the actual binging itself. The feelings of guilt that characterize the purging period fuel the next binge and so everything becomes a circle of self-destruction as the individual moves between extremes instead of living a normal life.

Binging means eating and drinking not because you feel hungry or thirsty, but because some unpleasant feelings that cannot be repressed force the mind to seek comfort. Self-indulgent overeating and drinking is usually a way of trying to stash emotional problems even deeper, but this kind of quick fix never works, specially long term. The problems don’t go away and the binging – goes on as long as the person in question can keep doing it. torturing yourself with a purge does not stop future binges. It just reinforces a cycle of indulgence and punishment that grows stronger and stronger.

The most important thing is to find out what is the defining thing that drives you to binge. It’s not feeling hungry that prompts people to eat enough food for a whole party of ten, which means that it has to be something else. Some basic dissatisfaction with life or some stressful situations push us into doing a thing that we usually end up hating ourselves for later. It takes courage to delve into that matter and see what is wrong. It takes willpower to put an end to this behavior and breaking the cycle for good. But it all starts with the question “Why am i doing this” and goes on from there to find a solution.

Seeking professional help should not be seen as a sign of weakness. If the binging – purging cycle has gone on for quite some time, then it’s clear that the person in question cannot stop it by him or herself. So professional help may be required to get to the bottom of the problem and change the harmful behavior once and for all. There are also books dealing with binging and how to stop it by understanding the reasons behind the addiction. So, if going to a psychologist may seem like too big a step to take at once, then reading a book written by a professional in the binging field is a good alternative. Actually, anything that puts an end to denial is a good alternative.