What do you imagine when you think of an eating binge? Here’s an example in the context of bulimia nervosa(Natenshon, 2006):
…(O)ne young woman with bulimia found herself, at a time of great stress, compelled to drive into a 7-11 convenience store where she purchasing three cupcakes; she then proceeded to stuff them down her throat whole in an emotional frenzy in the dark and deserted alley behind the store.
There are several things to notice about this binge. First, the woman was feeling stress, and in response, she felt compelled to drive to the store. Further, she consumes the cupcakes
- in “an emotional frenzy”
- in a place that is not warm and inviting
- at a speed that ensures that she cannot enjoy them
These observations make it clear that this woman's eating disorder, is not about food. This woman did everything she could have, it seems, to make sure that she would not enjoy the cupcakes.
The woman’s assessment of what happened reveals more:
As far as she was concerned, her binge had begun at the moment when she drove her car up to the front door and did not finish until she had purged the cupcakes. She felt that she was in an altered state throughout the five-minute interval, and experienced a profound sense of relief from her anxiety following the binge/purge cycle.
A binge takes a person away from reality for a short time. Relieving anxiety becomes all-important in the moment, and whatever created the stress in the first place fades into the background.
The problem is that the relief is temporary. In its place come guilt and anxiety over binging and purging. This anxiety, in turn, begins the cycle again, fueling the stress that ultimately leads to another binge.
Reference
Natenshon, Abigail. 2006. “Bulimia Nervosa: Symptoms, Causes, Recovery.” <http://www.empoweredparents.com/1eatingdisorders/bulimia.htm>. Accessed 13 October 2006.
