Attending Parties While in Binge Eating Disorder Recovery

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Director of Content and Social Media at Eating Disorder Hope

Many social events are often structured around food, and celebratory events customarily will include sharing a meal together. Be it a wedding, anniversary, birthday party or any other holiday, celebrations are often made to highlight the food that is involved with the event.

For someone who might be struggling with binge eating disorder, food and social events can be triggering and anxiety-provoking. What might be intended as a joyous occasion or celebration may actually be an overwhelming and difficult situation to work through.

Characteristics of Binge Eating Disorder

Contrary to what may be general knowledge about this eating disorder, binge eating disorder is actually more commonly experienced than both anorexia and bulimia nervosa combined. Many individuals may struggle with the behaviors associated with binge eating disorder without fully understanding the scope of what they are dealing with. Some of the most common behaviors associated with binge eating disorder include:

• Eating abnormally large quantity of foods in a short period of time
• Continuing to eat even when physically full
• Feeling out of control or unable to stop eating
• Hoarding food to binge on at a later time
• Feeling ashamed or guilty after binge episodes

On the surface level, these behaviors may appear as though a person has simply “lost control” when it comes to food and eating; however, binge eating disorder is a severe psychiatric illness that goes beyond just the food.

Working Around Triggers in Social Events

Binge eating disorder is influenced by many different factors, including biological, psychosocial, and environmental, and learning to navigate through the many different triggers that can occur is an important aspect of binge eating recovery.

Food presented as social events, parties and celebrations is not something that can be avoided, as this is a common occurrence in life and relationships. Rather, learning to appropriately navigate through triggers that may be encountered is necessarily for developing healthy coping mechanisms.

For example, it is important not to attend events or parties feeling famished or hungry. Physical hunger in itself can be triggering and escalate urges to binge beyond what is necessary for physical satiation. Eating regular and consistent meals throughout the day can help better control physical triggers that might influence urges to binge eat.

Other aspects include having healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with emotional triggers that may arise, such as anxiety, stress, anger, etc. Parties can be triggering simply because of the people that are involved, revisiting past events, and more. Learning how to cope with these feelings outside of binging is another important aspect of being able to attend an event successfully.

Developing a normalized meal plan and learning healthy coping mechanisms is something that can be guided with the support of a professional treatment team. If you are struggling with binge eating disorder, it is important to reach out for the help you need to begin your recovery journey today.

Community Discussion – Share Your Thoughts Here!

What has helped you overcome binging urges at parties and social events where food is involved?

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating.

Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on September 20, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com