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Identifying Binge Triggers
Let’s start with the external factors. Ask yourself the following questions. Where were you when you binged? What time of day or night
was it? Which foods were available and in what quantities? Jot down
some ideas about the external factors that seem to be linked to your
binge episodes.
Triggers from the External Environment
.
.
.
.
.
Next, examine the social factors. Consider the following: Were you
alone or with others? Who was present, and how would you characterize your general relationship with this person and the nature of
the interaction around the time of your binge? Was there any type of
interpersonal conflict that might have affected you? Record your impressions of the significant social triggers.
Triggers from the Social Environment
.
.
.
.
.
Robin F. Apple, W. Stewart Agras
Overcoming Your Eating Disorder: Understanding Binge Triggers. Copyright © 2007 by Oxford University Press
Oxford Clinical Psychology | Oxford University Press
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Finally, consider the internal factors. First, put these into three separate groups: thoughts, feelings (including your general level of
“arousal”), and your state of hunger or satiety.
Let’s take hunger and satiety first. How hungry were you at or
around the time that you binged? If you were not aware of feeling
hungry, had there been a pattern of dietary restriction in the hours
or days before your binge that might have contributed in some way?
Had you recently overeaten then intended to restrict your eating but
violated your rules about what you should or shouldn’t eat, leading
you to binge? Record the aspects of your experience of hunger that
seem to be related to your binges.
Triggers from the Internal Environment (Hunger)
.
.
.
.
.
Next, let’s look at strong feeling states, both positive and negative,
and general level of arousal. Consider the following: How were
you feeling and what was your general mood before (during, and
after) your binge? Did you eat in an attempt to tone down or distract
yourself from feelings (either positive or negative) that were too
strong? Was eating an attempt to experience pleasure or enjoyment?
Or, knowing that you’d feel worse after eating, was it a form of selfpunishment? Jot down some notes regarding the connection between your feelings and your binges.
Triggers from the Internal Environment (Feelings)
.
.
.
.
.
Robin F. Apple, W. Stewart Agras
Overcoming Your Eating Disorder: Understanding Binge Triggers. Copyright © 2007 by Oxford University Press
Oxford Clinical Psychology | Oxford University Press
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8:50 AM
Page 115
The third aspect of internal factors pertains to your thoughts. In
identifying the thoughts that may play a role in your binge episodes,
consider the following: What were you thinking about before, during, or after your binge? Were the thoughts positive or negative? Did
the nature of your thoughts change as a result of the binge; for example, did you binge to shift your focus from negative thoughts to
thoughts about eating? Were you thinking critically about food, eating, or your body, for example, exaggerating the amounts you had
consumed or the possibility that you might gain weight based on
what you had consumed? Were you dwelling on a specific, recurrent
troubling thought, such as a preoccupation or over-concern with
some aspect of your body shape or physical appearance or confusion
about how to resolve a problem in your life? List the ways in which
your thoughts have been related to your binge-eating episodes.
Triggers from the Internal Environment (Thoughts)
.
.
.
.
.
The following chart was designed to help you summarize the information you’ve obtained regarding your most prominent binge triggers. List the primary binge triggers you identified above in the
appropriate categories.
We hope this exercise has helped you identify the primary external, social, and internal factors associated with your tendency to
binge. The next step is to develop a set of interventions to help you
control the influence of these factors on your eating. The next few
chapters will introduce methods to solve problem situations and
challenge troubling thoughts, specifically concerns about body shape
and weight. Remember, you’ve already learned the most helpful
intervention—eliminating dieting by eating regularly and incorporating a wide range of foods into your diet. Also, you have already
learned the advantages of referring to a list of pleasurable alternative
Robin F. Apple, W. Stewart Agras
Overcoming Your Eating Disorder: Understanding Binge Triggers. Copyright © 2007 by Oxford University Press
Oxford Clinical Psychology | Oxford University Press
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8:50 AM
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Summary of Factors that Contribute to Binges
Internal Factors
External Factors
Social Factors
Hunger
Feelings
Robin F. Apple, W. Stewart Agras
Overcoming Your Eating Disorder: Understanding Binge Triggers. Copyright © 2007 by Oxford University Press
Oxford Clinical Psychology | Oxford University Press
Thoughts