Compulsive eating is a form of eating disorder where people are addicted to food and turn to food to overcome unresolved emotional trauma.

Compulsive overeating may have its beginning in the early childhood years when the child unknowingly turned to food for comfort. Compulsive eaters lack the ability to stop eating when they have consumed enough. They may spend hours eating compulsively and may have more than one eating 'episode' in a day.

Fortunately, it is possible to treat compulsive overeating completely. The treatment approach consists of medical, psychological and nutritional assistance.

The pharmacological treatment for compulsive eating consists of antidepressants primarily. In some cases, psychological treatment is also provided in the form of behavioral and interpersonal therapy. In the long term, this therapy can help build the self confidence of sufferers.

Another important part of the treatment of compulsive overeating involves understanding the nutritional requirements of the body so that sufferers can supply these needs in the appropriate manner. Ongoing nutritional counseling develops a proper plan for eating well and ensures that the patient is following this plan religiously.

Behavior modification lies at the heart of the treatment of compulsive eating.

Some helpful techniques include:

- The regular maintenance of a food diary

- Developing habits that make it easy to be more disciplined about food (like eating food in one place, eating at the same time etc)

- Abstaining from storing problem foods

- Avoiding eating when alone

- Shopping for groceries when you are not hungry

- Trying to find other outlets for emotional issues than compulsive eating

- Setting small achievable goals and be patient with yourself while you get there

- Rewarding yourself - but not with food

The treatment for compulsive eating takes some time. Even after a patient has been completely cured, there might be times when stress and pain can push them towards taking comfort in food. But, constant awareness of underlying problems and complete dedication to the cause of overcoming compulsive eating can help patients overcome compulsive overeating and live a joyful life.