Binge eating disorder is a real illness. Shocking, I know. Something in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V) (the manual for psychiatric disorders), something that doctors, therapists, and other mental health professionals have been working with, something that has medication for it, is actually a real illness. Take your time, if you need some. I know this might be really startling. But stay with me; binge eating disorder is a real illness..

When you have binge eating disorder you always have to be careful about what medications your take due to the medication side effects and your binge eating disorder. Some medications can have an impact on your metabolism or your appetite. Some can exacerbate symptoms from comorbid disorders that you have. In the end, everyone should be careful of what pills they take and what these pills can do to their bodies. But binge eating disorder and medication side effects are even more critical to consider.

Eating at a restaurant when you have binge eating disorder can become stressful and entirely too invasive. Everyone should have the right to eat what they want and how they want in peace. It shouldn't occur to others to question your dietary habits or problems, especially when you have no idea if the person you're talking to has an eating disorder. Here are some of my tips about eating at restaurants when you have binge eating disorder.

I had been discussing my binge eating disorder with a friend and they asked me if I could describe what a binge felt like, physically and emotionally. It took me a second to put my thoughts into words. Describing a binge to someone turned out to be a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. If only for the fact that you are describing mental illness and that takes a very discomforting amount of honesty to do. Here are my thoughts on what a binge feels like.

Life will not stop for binge eating disorder. There's a saying that life will not give you more than you can handle, however, this is not true. Sometimes you get handed much more than you can take on and you wish life would stop for something binge eating disorder.

You've probably had a visit from the food police no matter what your eating habits are, but when you have binge eating disorder you can get a special visit from the binge eating disorder food police. Anyone who tries to control or regulate your eating is doing a disservice to themselves and to you. However, there's not a lot you can do to prevent the binge eating disorder food police from appearing.

Dating is difficult enough by itself, but when you date and have binge eating disorder, there are sometimes issues that pop up even when having a simple dinner. There's no easy way to navigate the world of dating or binge eating disorder, but when you are confident, honest, and open, you can make everything a little bit easier. Here are my tips for dating with binge eating disorder without losing your mind.

Anxiety definitely impacts binge eating disorder. Anxiety is a problem that all people face in their lives but when you have binge eating disorder, this problem can compound your issues and make dealing with your mental illness that much more difficult. The truth is, that there is no way to completely insulate yourself from ever having to deal with an anxious situation ever again. But even when anxiety impacts binge eating disorder, once you have the skills and tools that you need to cope with not only your anxiety but also your binge eating disorder, both can be manageable.

Binge eating disorder can control your life -- if you let it. It is a major mental illness that can lead to an entire host of problems in a person's everyday life. There can be periods of relative calm where the problem is not at the forefront of a sufferer's thinking every day. But there can also be days where the struggle is too much to bear and things quickly get out of control. At times binge eating disorder did control my life.

People who seek therapy for binge eating disorder may face stigma. But there is a lot to gain by going to therapy in general, and when you have an eating disorder, it can help to change your behavior and allow you to understand yourself better. Don't let other people's ideas about what therapy is or isn't stop you from getting the help you need by going to binge eating disorder therapy.