When people think about binge eating, also referred to as compulsive overeating or loss of control over eating, they often think about the amount of food consumed. In reality, the experience is much more complicated than that.
What matters most is not whether someone else would consider it “a lot” of food — it’s the sense of distress, loss of control or emotional pain surrounding the experience. Many people who struggle with binge eating spend a lot of time questioning whether their behavior is “serious enough” to count.
If eating feels emotionally overwhelming or difficult to control, that deserves attention and support.
What is bingeing?
Some people, when they hear the word “binge,” picture a scene where food wrappers are strewn across a room, empty food boxes line dirty tables and crumbs cover every surface.
But binge eating doesn’t always look obvious from the outside. In fact, many people who struggle with it appear completely “normal” around food to others. A binge may happen privately late at night or during a meal that looks ordinary to everyone else.
The common thread is not simply the food itself — it’s the feeling that eating has become overwhelming, compulsive or emotionally distressing.
How do you define binge eating disorder?
Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by frequent episodes of overeating accompanied by a sense of loss of control. During a binge episode, a person may feel unable to slow down, stop or make intentional choices around food — even when they’re physically uncomfortable.
To meet diagnostic criteria, binge eating episodes typically occur at least once a week for three months. But diagnoses are not the most important part of the conversation. Many people struggle with binge eating behaviors long before they receive a diagnosis — or even realize that what they’re experiencing has a name.
Binge eating disorder is not about lacking willpower. It is a real mental health condition that can affect emotional well-being, physical health, relationships and quality of life.
The difference between binge eating and overeating
Feeling out of control is the key difference between binge eating and overeating. A binge episode must include both a consumption of an objectively large amount of food accompanied by a feeling of loss of control, and three or more of the following behaviors:[1]
Eating faster than usual
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating when not actually hungry
Eating alone to avoid feelings of embarrassment
Feeling guilty, disgusted or ashamed afterward
When overeating, you may feel like you could stop if you wanted to. Maybe it’s a holiday dinner and you feel full but grab an extra dessert because you’re enjoying yourself. Or you order more food than usual after a stressful day. The difference is that you still feel in control.
There is no true objective definition of overeating, and society’s emphasis on "diet culture" further warps many people’s sense of normal eating.
Is binge eating disorder an addiction?
According to the DSM-5-TR, binge eating disorder is grouped as an eating disorder, not a substance-related or addictive disorder. However, binge eating does share a lot of characteristics of an addiction such as:
Feeling a loss of control
Having cravings/urges
Continuing the behavior despite the consequences
Feeling temporary relief followed by negative emotions
But it’s more complicated than that. Treatment for an addiction includes cutting the substance out entirely, which isn’t possible with BED. Unlike alcohol or drugs, we can’t live without food. That complexity is part of what can make binge eating feel confusing and emotionally painful for many people.
What diagnoses overlap with binge eating disorder?
Research shows that BED often occurs alongside other mental health conditions. In one large study, 94% of individuals with BED reported a lifetime mental health condition.[2] Most commonly:
Depression (approximately 70%)
Substance use disorders (approximately 68%)
Anxiety disorders (approximately 59%)
Other conditions may also co-occur, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline personality disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
It’s common to have more than one diagnosis. If you’re struggling with binge eating or another mental health condition, you’re not alone.
Is binge eating a sign of ADHD?
Research shows overlap between ADHD and binge eating or overeating. Impulsivity is one of the core features of ADHD and can contribute to eating without pausing or checking in on fullness cues. Reward and self-control, another key factor of ADHD, can make food feel more immediately rewarding, which can make it harder to regulate snacks or meals.
This may look like forgetting to eat for hours until hunger catches up, and you grab whatever’s easiest — sometimes eating more than you meant to. Once you start, it can be hard to slow down or stop, even when you’re full.
Food can also become a quick way to get a boost of dopamine — whether that’s energy, focus or just something to break up boredom. Over time, this can turn into a pattern: feeling underwhelmed and overeating to fill that empty feeling.
Do you struggle with binge eating?
If you are reading this, you may be wondering, “Do I have binge eating disorder?”
When patients come to us with that question, we take the focus away from the amount of food and instead talk about how it feels after the behavior happens.
For example:
Did eating feel comforting, numbing or overwhelming?
Did you feel disconnected or unable to stop?
What emotions came up afterward? Relief? Shame? Guilt? Panic
Celebrating a birthday with loved ones and eating a three-course dinner with dessert is an example we usually give patients. Someone might feel really full after, but there is usually no shame or embarrassment associated with the experience.
If you’re feeling out of control or distressed about your eating patterns, it may be time to talk to a trained professional about bingeing. And we’re here to help.
While BED is the most common eating disorder, it is also treatable with specialized care from experienced professionals.
Wondering if you have BED? Take the quiz here.
Heal from home with virtual binge eating disorder treatment
In Eating Recovery Center’s (ERC) virtual binge eating treatment program, Eating Recovery At Home, the goal of treatment is to help you better identify your true values so you can experience a more meaningful, fulfilling life.
The program can also help you find freedom from the shame and guilt you may experience related to food or your body. The goal is not perfection. It’s creating a more stable, compassionate and sustainable relationship with eating and with yourself.
Since treatment takes place at home, you get to create a safe, healing environment where you’ll be able to address emotions, thoughts and behaviors related to binge eating and body image.
You’ll meet with compassionate therapists and others as you learn and practice a consistent, mindful approach to eating.
In-person binge eating disorder treatment in Chicago
ERC also offers specialized binge eating treatment programs in Chicago to help you heal your relationship with food and your body.
If you are looking for help related to binge eating, whether it's for you or someone you care about, please fill out this form or give us a call at 877-825-8584 to learn more about recovery.