Binge Eating Disorder: Chasing the Feeling of Fullness

Sometimes I feel like my binge eating disorder leaves me chasing the feeling of fullness. It’s a strange concept for me to put into words, but I constantly feel that if I’m not full of food, I’m empty; and that sense of being empty makes me panic. Sometimes it strikes me that when I don't have the feeling of fullness I feel as though something’s off and I have to fix it. With binge eating disorder, I seem to chase the feeling of fullness.

Chasing Fullness after You’ve Already Eaten

Occasionally, I will find myself chasing fullness even when I’m full. It strikes me most times that what I’m after is something emotional and not physical. But the physical feeling of fullness has become so deeply engrained in my mind as a feeling of satisfaction I often feel as though I can’t be truly satisfied unless I feel full as well.

When my binging gets out of control, I sometimes find myself chasing the feeling of fullness despite the fact no amount of fullness is what I actually need or want. What is truly bothersome about the feeling of fullness is that you never, ever reach it. Because you can’t.

Chasing The Feeling Of Fullness Is a Never-Ending Downward Spiral

Sometimes when I’m chasing the feeling of fullness, I will binge and tell myself that this will make me feel better. But it never does. Binging usually makes me feel guilty and more stressed out than I did before. Because of my gastric sleeve weight loss surgery, being overly full often leads to physical discomfort and sometimes painful reflux.

It took me quite a while to realize just how badly bingeing was impacting my body and my mind, but it took me even longer to realize I needed to figure out some coping skills to deal with it.

How I Stopped Chasing the Feeling of Fullness and Regained Control

Here are some of the ways I helped myself to stop chasing this feeling and realize what it was doing to myself.

• I stop and remind myself. The feeling I’m chasing is not going to be achieved through any amount of food.
• I mentally play out what will happen if chase this feeling. For example, I will eat too much food, I will feel physically uncomfortable, I won’t be satisfied, and I will feel terrible about losing control (Addiction Relapse Prevention: Play That Tape to the End).
• I find another outlet for my energy. Sometimes I just need to redirect my energy to something else -- even if it’s just a game of Angry Birds (10 Tips to Reduce Your Anxiety in 10 Minutes Or Less).

If you're struggling with this issue, talk to your physician or binge eating disorder therapist.

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