What Is Binge Eating Disorder? Signs, Symptoms, & Support That Actually Helps

by Dr. Marianne Miller, LMFT, offering binge eating disorder therapy in San Diego, and throughout California, Texas, and Washington D.C.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States—and yet, it's one of the most misunderstood. While pop culture often paints binge eating as a “lack of willpower” or frames it as a dramatic overeating episode, the truth is much more complex and deeply human.

Let’s explore what Binge Eating Disorder really is, how to recognize the signs, and what kind of support actually makes a difference in recovery—especially for folks who feel unseen in traditional treatment spaces.

What Is Binge Eating Disorder?

Binge Eating Disorder is a recognized mental health condition characterized by recurring episodes of eating large amounts of food—often quickly and to the point of physical discomfort—without the use of compensatory behaviors like purging or over-exercising.

These episodes are typically accompanied by intense feelings of shame, guilt, or distress. But BED isn’t just about food. It’s often a way people cope with overwhelming emotions, sensory overload, trauma, or unmet needs.

Importantly, BED can affect people of all body sizes, genders, races, neurotypes, and backgrounds. You cannot tell who has BED by looking at them—and you don’t need to be in a larger body to be struggling.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

Here are some signs that might indicate someone is living with BED:

🍽️ Eating much more rapidly than usual
🍽️ Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry
🍽️ Eating alone due to embarrassment about the amount
🍽️ Feeling out of control during eating episodes
🍽️ Feeling disgusted, depressed, or very guilty afterward
🍽️ Frequent fluctuations in eating patterns (all-or-nothing cycles)
🍽️ Preoccupation with food, body, or shame-based dieting attempts

If any of these resonate, please know you’re not alone. BED is a real and treatable condition—one that deservescompassion, not blame.

BED Is Often Misunderstood—Here’s Why That Matters

One reason BED can go undiagnosed is because our culture is deeply steeped in fatphobia and diet culture. Many people with BED have been praised for restrictive dieting—even when those behaviors were contributing to binge cycles. Others have been told their eating wasn’t “severe enough” to warrant care because of their body size.

This kind of medical gaslighting can be especially intense for fat folks, BIPOC individuals, and neurodivergent people whose eating patterns may already differ from the norm due to sensory sensitivities, trauma history, or executive functioning challenges.

What Support Actually Helps?

A few key elements are essential for compassionate and effective support:

🧠 Trauma-Informed Care
BED is often rooted in emotional pain, stress, trauma, or unmet needs. Working with providers who understand trauma’s impact on eating behaviors is essential.

🌈 Neurodivergent-Affirming Approaches
For folks with ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergences, traditional food rules and structured meal plans may backfire. Support needs to honor sensory preferences, executive function limitations, and nervous system regulation.

💛 Fat-Liberation and Anti-Diet Frameworks
Healing from BED requires stepping away from shame-based diet culture. Approaches rooted in fat liberation and intuitive eating can help people reconnect with trust, attunement, and body respect.

🌿 Skill Building, Not Shame Building
Support that focuses on building emotional regulation, distress tolerance, self-compassion, and interoceptive awareness (aka tuning into body cues) is much more helpful than calorie counting or willpower narratives.

📍 Therapy in San Diego, and Throughout California, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
If you're in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C., I offer specialized therapy for binge eating disorder, ARFID, and body image concerns. My practice is trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, and rooted in fat liberation. Sessions are available virtually or in person (San Diego area) depending on your needs. Learn more about therapy with me here.

You Deserve Help That Honors Your Full Humanity

If you're struggling with binge eating, it’s not a personal failure—it’s a sign your body and brain are trying to cope in the best way they know how. You deserve support that honors the why behind the binge, not just the behavior.

✨ Recovery is possible.
✨ You are not broken.
✨ And you’re not alone.

Want Binge Eating Disorder Support That’s Actually Designed for You?

🎧 Check out my podcast Dr. Marianne-Land — where we talk about BED recovery, body liberation, and what healing really looks like (especially for neurodivergent and marginalized folks).

💻 Looking for community-centered, virtual support?
My Binge Eating Recovery Membership is designed to help you move toward food peace without shame or restriction.

Come exactly as you are—no food tracking, no weight-loss agenda, no judgment. Just real tools, real compassion, and real healing.