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Kisha A. Patterson, MS, OTRL is an occupational therapist in Saint Louis Park, MN specializing in occupational therapy and physical therapy.
Binge-Eating Disorder
Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a condition where people repeatedly consume large amounts of food in one setting. People with BED feel that they are unable to control the amount of food they eat, and may continue after reaching a point of fullness. These binges are often accompanied by feelings of sadness, guilt, and shame. BED may lead to physical symptoms like:
People with BED tend to experience cycles of negative emotions and binges. For example, a traumatic event may lead a person with BED to binge eat. Feelings of shame and guilt following a binge might prompt another binge. While in the midst of a binge, people with BED may feel comforted or happy from a sudden rush of dopamine. This can promote a repeated pattern of overeating to alleviate negative emotions. Binges or BED episodes are often provoked by:
Other risk factors for BED include experience with dieting, mental health problems, and a family history of eating disorders. BED may progress and worsen over decades, increasing the chances of causing obesity, or related conditions such as diabetes and joint pain.
Treatment for BED aims to reduce binge frequency and to help patients gain healthy eating practices. Therapy, nutrition counseling, and eating disorder support groups help patients to recover from BED. For example, patients are frequently asked to share their binge patterns and feelings to develop a treatment strategy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common BED treatment. This technique helps patients avoid negative thought patterns that trigger binges. Another treatment option is medication. For example, the FDA approved Vyvanse as an oral medication for BED. While typically used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD), Vyvanse prevents binging by curbing impulses for some people with BED. People with BED are frequently prescribed antidepressant medication, which may accompany cognitive behavioral therapy. With proper treatment and support, many with BED are able to break free from the cycle of overeating and improve their eating habits.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are mental and physical illnesses that impact behavior, emotions, and thoughts about eating, food, body appearance, and weight. These disorders are characterized by preoccupations with food and physical size, resulting in dramatic lifestyle changes and adverse health effects. In the past, eating disorders were often diagnosed using BMI (body mass index), or by assessing someone's weight. Eating disorders specialists now recognize that eating disorders may occur in people of all sizes. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder (BED).
Anorexia nervosa, frequently referred to as anorexia, is a disorder where people severely restrict the types and quantity of food they eat. Those with anorexia have an extreme fear of eating and gaining weight and may repeatedly weigh themselves or engage in harmful behaviors such as excessive exercise or starvation. Those with anorexia often find themselves preoccupied with food, but unable to consume a healthy amount of it. This results in symptoms such as abnormally low BMI, vitamin deficiency, fatigue, fainting, and amenorrhea (lack of menstruation in women). Anorexia may cause bluish discoloration of the hands, brittle and falling out hair, yellowish skin, and lanugo (fine, downy hair). Left untreated, anorexia can lead to organ failure, brain damage, and even death.
Bulimia nervosa, typically called bulimia, is a disorder where people binge (eat large quantities of food) and purge the food that they just consumed by vomiting, laxative abuse, fasting, or excessive exercise. This behavior is usually motivated by a feeling of powerlessness over eating and a fear of weight gain or desire for weight loss. Bulimia can occur in underweight, normal weight, and overweight people. Symptoms of bulimia include acid reflux, intestinal distress, dehydration from purging, amenorrhea, and dental erosion from vomiting. Some people with bulimia have swollen parotid glands (salivary glands near the cheeks) and red scars and marks on the backs of their knuckles. Electrolyte imbalance from bulimia can be particularly severe and may lead to heart attack or stroke.
Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder. People with BED feel that they are unable to control the amount of food they eat and may continue to binge after reaching a point of fullness. BED binges (consuming large amounts of food) are often accompanied by feelings of sadness, guilt, and shame. Symptoms of BED include obesity, acid reflux, weight gain, and dissatisfaction with one's body. People with BED tend to experience cycles of negative emotions and binges. Binges or BED episodes can be provoked by stress, boredom, restrictive dieting, depression, and other triggers.
Other common eating disorders include:
Many people with eating disorders do not consciously develop them, and have difficulty seeking treatment. For this reason, it's important to detect and treat eating disorders as early as possible. Treatment for eating disorders can vary from therapy visits to inpatient treatment, depending on the disorder and its severity. Treatment aims to not only restore physical health and correct negative behaviors, but to also promote psychological well-being and self-confidence.
She has a state license in Minnesota.
Licensed In: Minnesota
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Ms. Kisha Patterson's areas of specialization are physical therapy and occupational therapy; she sees patients in Saint Louis Park, MN. Ms. Patterson's clinical interests include substance use disorder, type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes), and binge-eating disorder. Her practice in Saint Louis Park, MN is open to new patients as reported by HealthPartners.
