Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

Now that may seem like either an impossible goal or an unlikely outcome, but learning how to deal with panic attacks is doable, and in my view a real, viable way to go about ridding yourself of these terrible attacks, which can rip the very fabric of your life apart, keeping you seemingly hostage to fears and emotions that you feel as though are out of your sphere of control.

The conventional wisdom in dealing with these types of anxiety or panic disorders is to prescribe a treatment course of either powerful drugs , expensive therapy, or both. Neither course works very well very often, leaving you on the hook for continued use of these drugs and doctors, perhaps for very long periods of time. What the outcome of a course of treatment like this usually turns out to be is a combination of more panic and less cash. (Which can cause more panic!)

What’s worse, nobody is certain about the long-term effects of drugs like these, and who needs to roll those dice? Especially when there are alternate methods, none of which involve pharmaceuticals or a full dance card with a psychotherapist. There are more holistic approaches in treating panic attacks, that, when used consistently and with some thought, can not only give you better results, but in a lot shorter time frame and with far less money out of your pocket.

No one is denying that these panic attacks are real, and that they cause actual, physical symptoms that cannot be refuted. What I’m suggesting however, is that you need to look past what modern medicine and its paramour, the pharmaceutical industry, would have you choose to help you learn how to deal with panic attacks. They would have you on these drugs for the rest of your life if they could manage it, and you’d be no closer to being rid of your panic attacks than before.

No, you need to take hold of your own treatment, take responsibility for your own life and help chart your own course. There are many methods out there purporting to teach you you how to deal with panic attacks, but my favorite and one that has helped more than 100,000 people worldwide is by a gentleman named Joe Barry, and is called PanicAway. It helps you overcome panic attacks by counter attacking, and not taking this lying down. You can defeat panic attacks for good; you just need a road map. This is one that will get you there!

Binge-eating disorder is also known as compulsive overeating.

A person with binge-eating disorder frequently eats abnormally large amounts of food (usually junk food) quickly at one sitting, even when they are not hungry. They feel a loss of control over how much they are eating and will continue to eat until they are uncomfortably full – even in pain.

This eating behaviour is likely to take place in secret due to the feelings of shame and disgust that follow a binge-eating episode.

Although binge eating is an element of the eating disorder bulimia, binge-eating disorder is different from bulimia because it does not involve the purging of calories after a binge by vomiting or the use of laxatives (or some other means).

Binge-eating disorder is likely to result in the sufferer becoming overweight or obese, although this is not always the case.

Who Suffers from Binge-Eating Disorder?

Unlike anorexia and bulimia, binge-eating disorder has only been accepted relatively recently as a serious eating disorder. It is difficult to say how many people suffer from binge-eating disorder as it is thought many cases go unreported.

It is estimated that between 2 percent and 5 percent of Americans experience binge-eating disorder in a 6-month period (NIMH).

Sufferers of binge-eating disorder are likely to be overweight or obese (although most people who are overweight or obese do not suffer from binge-eating disorder).

What Causes Binge-Eating Disorder?

Several causes of binge-eating disorder have been proposed which are likely to be interrelated.

Binge-eating disorder is widely considered to have an underlying psychological cause. Negative emotional states including depression, stress, boredom, anxiety, low self-esteem and general unhappiness are thought to trigger the use of food as a form of comfort. This may or may not be a behaviour that is learned in childhood.

Other proposed causes include:
* A genetic predisposition
* Chemical imbalances in the brain and metabolism

Binge-eating disorder can be thought of as something of a vicious circle: a person binge eats because they are unhappy, and they are unhappy because they binge eat.

Physical Characteristics of Binge-Eating Disorder

All or some of these characteristics may be present:

Behavioural Characteristics of Binge-Eating Disorder

All or some of these characteristics may be present:

Health Risks of Binge-Eating Disorder

The health risks of binge-eating disorder include:

Preventing Binge-Eating Disorder

It is feasible that binge eating is a learned behaviour in childhood, especially if parents encourage the use of food as comfort for stressful or upsetting situations. Therefore it is important not to use food as a comfort tool and instead encourage healthy eating habits by eating nutritional meals together as a family whenever possible.

Knowing the physical and behavioural signs that someone may be binge eating is important. Encouraging the person concerned to get help early on will help them to prevent the long-term negative health consequences of becoming overweight or obese.

Risk Factors for Binge-Eating Disorder

The following have been cited as risk factors:

Diagnosis, Treatment and Recovery of Binge-Eating Disorder

There are different approaches to dealing with binge-eating disorder, and different approaches work for different people. The sooner treatment is sought, the better, as being overweight has negative consequences for long-term health.

It is usually not enough to just ‘go on a diet’, as this does not address the root cause of the problem and could exacerbate the dieting / binge eating cycle.

In addition to a general practitioner examining the sufferer’s physical health, they may advise cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy or self-help groups, which can be useful in addressing the triggers for binge eating. In some cases antidepressants may be prescribed.

As with all eating disorders, there is an abundance of help available and a full recovery is possible.