Is binge eating disorder short lived?

Besides the binge eating, individuals also tend to have depression, anxiety and frequently eat alone. The overwhelming feeling is one of disgust and a vow to lose weight. Unfortunately, any attempt to limit food intake often leads to more eating. Most people have no obvious signs or symptoms of binge eating and this behavior is often first noticed by the family indirectly- due to the lack of food in the home. Most individuals with binge eating syndrome are afraid to go to the doctor for fear of embarrassment. 

Most times, it is the family who encourages the individual to seek help. It is vital to seek help because binge eating can seriously affect the quality of life. Like most things in psychiatry, the cause of binge eating is a mystery. Besides some chemical abnormality in the brain, this eating disorder is felt to occur because of some type of emotional trauma. Other contributing factors to this disorder include living in a society which promotes excessive thinness and bad genes.

How is diagnosis of binge eating disorder made?

In order for someone to be diagnosed with the disorder, certain criteria must be fulfilled and include 1) Eating much more faster than others 2) Eating until one feels extremely uncomfortable 3) Eating large amounts of food even though one does not have hunger 4) Eating alone because of feeling self-conscious by how much one is eating and 5) Feeling sickened with oneself, unhappy, or very guilty afterwards.

People who have binge eating may develop these episodes at least once a week for several months. Unlike bulimia, binge eating is not associated with use of laxatives or self-induced vomiting.

What is Binge eating disorder?

Food eating disorders are very common in our society and one of them is binge eating disorder. In this disorder one frequently consumes an unusually large amount of food. While this may sound innocuous, binge eating disorder is a serious malady. Most of us tend to overeat during the festive season, during a holiday or celebration of an event. But for people with binge eating disorder, the overeating is pathological and is a regular occurrence. Most often, binge eating episodes are done in secrecy. People who tend to binge eat, always feel guilty about the excess food consumption and are too embarrassed to tell anyone about it. 

Despite making promises to stop this type of eating, the behavior is usually out of control. Binge eating disorder is like a strong compulsion that cannot be resisted and thus the cycle continues. Binge eating disorder is more common than anorexia and bulimia but has only recently been classified as a distinct mental health disorder.

How do doctors treat people who have factitious disorder?

The first goal of treatment is stop the person from abusing medical resources. Next, the aim is to ensure safety and protection of any real victims like children. The treatment for the individual resolves round stabilizing the psychosocial issues that are causing the problem. Psychotherapy may help change thinking and behavior. Medications are only used to treat secondary depression or anxiety. 

The prognosis of people with factitious depends on the duration of the illness. For those with short term problems, the prognosis is good but those with long term problem, the prognosis is poor. 

Most people continue their behavior and deny that they are faking symptoms. Some eventually end up with real medical problems which are never taken seriously.  Because the cause of factitious disorder is not known, prevention is not possible.

Why does one develop factitious disorder?

No one knows the origin of factitious disorder but both the environment and genetic factors play a role. There are no reliable statistics on this disorder because most people visit many doctors and are also habitual liars. The diagnosis of factitious disorder is difficult and is only made after exhaustive work up reveals no real medical problem.

How can one know if someone is faking a medical illness?

Warning signs of a factitious disorder include:

- Inconsistent medical history with unclear symptoms

- Dramatic medical tales with predictable relapses

- Extensive medical knowledge and well read on the topic

- Have evidence of many scars

- Continue to complain of symptoms despite negative tests

- Very willing to undergo tests and surgery for minimal indications

- Seeking doctors in different cities and never willing to take family members to meet health professionals or vice versa

Do people who feign medical illness have any other mental health disorder?

Most people with factitious disorder also suffer from other mental disorders and in particular personally disorders. These people often have different thoughts, behavior and clearly stand apart from the norm. They also tend to have labile moods, be impulsive, angry and passive. They also have a lack of ability to cope with problems and most have had very poor interpersonal relationships.

There are a variety of factitious disorders- some may mimic a mental illness and others may mimic a physical disorder like a heart attack. There is also factitious disorder by-proxy where the individual fabricates symptoms of an illness in another person, especially a child.