severe restriction/binge eating cycle

[Driven199]

Dr. Pitts, I am so weary of fluctutating wildly between severely restricting my food intake for several weeks only to eventually and inevitably succumb to several weeks of senseless binge eating - - alternatively losing and gaining 20 pounds during each torturous cycle. I am 50 years old and have been doing this most of my life. I think I may have done permanent damage to my metabolism when I would often go several days eating absolutely nothing during my senior year in high school. I especially battled with this eating disorder during my college years, and it has become totally out of control since my divorce 9 years ago. I have been through countless hours of therapy as I've tried and failed to discover some elusive psychological "source" for my food addiction. I have gone through L.A. Weight Loss and other regulatory procedures in an attempt to overcome this affliction, but to no avail. I now avoid people and social eating situations for two reasons: I'll either embarrass myself as I gorge on everything in sight, or I'll sit there and embarrass myself by refusing to eat nothing - - only to then go home and prowl the kitchen pantry in a mind-numbing stupor as I stuff myself mercilessly often to the saturation point of being sick to my stomach yet unable to stop. I am in a living hell. I yearn to be stable, balanced, in control of myself, and able to participate in life with other people by simply eating small portions of food in a normal way. Is there a way out of this self-destructive cycle?

[Patricia Pitts, PhD]

Dear Drivenn199,

Wow…you have been through a lot.  Although I can understand why you would feel such despair about getting out of years of your self-destructive cycle, I know there is hope.  Since 1981, I have seen numerous individuals suffering with shame, guilt and out of control eating behaviors, find effective coping skills to deal with the pain of their lives and embrace healthy lives. You have been on your journey of recovery.  You just haven’t yet found your way out of your maze.  You may need an outpatient eating disorder treatment program to more comprehensively address your eating disorder.

Visit our website and take our eating disorder survey and review our treatment options.  And when you’re ready, call The Bella Vita office at 323.255.0400 or 1.877.91BELLA.  Ask for our free initial consultation.

Best,

Dr. Pitts

Patricia Pitts, PhD
The Bella Vita
Los Angeles, California