Binge Eating Officially a Medical Disorder
The American Psychiatric Association is releasing a new draft of its book of mental disorders Wednesday. Often described as the bible of psychiatry, this new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists all the mental disorders recognized by the American Psychiatric Association.
Why is that such exciting news? Because it’s used by insurance companies to decide which treatments they’ll pay for, and by courts to help determine insanity or other mental conditions.
The APA is releasing a new draft of the DSM Wednesday, the first major revision since 1994. This latest version of the book, the DSM-V, proposes some significant changes to the following disorders: Bipolar Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, and “Cutting.”
Binge eating is defined as eating large amounts of food when you’re not hungry and then feeling disgusted and depressed afterward. But most people do this from time to time. It’s the frequency of a person’s binge eating — and the depth of the anguish he or she feels — that raises flags.
What do you think? Will this prove to be beneficial to sufferers? It is already becoming an online joke. “I can’t help it – fried foods are part of my disease.” Is the ultimate benefit worth the hassle?
Eating Disorder Self Test. Take the EAT-26 self test to see if you might have eating disorder symptoms that might require professional evaluation. All answers are confidential.