Anorexia & Binge Eating: The Binge-Restrict Cycle in Long-Term Eating Disorder Recovery

Can you have anorexia and struggle with binge eating, too? If you find yourself moving between food restriction and binge eating, you may wonder whether your eating disorder has changed or whether you're somehow failing at recovery.

In this solo episode, Dr. Marianne talks about the binge-restrict cycle, why eating disorder symptoms can shift over time, and what it means when binge eating shows up during anorexia recovery. Binge eating after restriction does not automatically mean you have binge eating disorder (BED). Extreme hunger, reactive eating, subjective binges, and eating that feels out of control can all occur in the context of restriction and long-term eating disorder recovery.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Dr. Marianne discusses why restriction can make food feel increasingly urgent, why returning to restriction after a binge can keep the cycle going, and why subtle forms of restriction are easy to miss.

She also explains why restriction may feel safer or more familiar than binge eating, especially for people who have lived with anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders for years or decades. For neurodivergent people with ADHD, autism, or AuDHD, food restriction can also become intertwined with routine, sensory needs, predictability, executive functioning, autonomy, and nervous system regulation.

You’ll learn why binge eating doesn't erase a history of anorexia, why eating more isn't automatically evidence of BED, and why the goal isn't necessarily to determine which eating disorder you "really" have.

BREAKING THE BINGE-RESTRICT CYCLE

What happens after a binge or an episode of eating more than you intended matters. Skipping meals, delaying breakfast, cutting portions, avoiding certain foods, or exercising to compensate can restart the restriction-binge cycle.

Instead, Dr. Marianne discusses returning to consistent nourishment, identifying hidden restriction, getting curious about what preceded the binge, and resisting the pull to romanticize anorexia when binge eating feels frightening.

For people with chronic or long-term eating disorders, progress may mean recognizing the cycle sooner, reducing its intensity, and responding to difficult eating experiences without punishment or compensation.

EATING DISORDER THERAPY & SUPPORT

If you’re navigating anorexia, binge eating, bulimia, ARFID, or a long-term eating disorder that doesn't fit neatly into one diagnostic category, Dr. Marianne offers neurodivergent-affirming, sensory-attuned, trauma-informed eating disorder therapy.

Learn more about eating disorder therapy, working with Dr. Marianne, and additional resources at drmariannemiller.com.

Topics include: anorexia, anorexia recovery, binge eating, binge eating disorder, BED, binge-restrict cycle, restriction-binge cycle, restrictive eating, extreme hunger, reactive eating, chronic eating disorders, long-term eating disorder recovery, neurodivergent eating disorders, autism and eating disorders, ADHD and eating disorders, eating disorder therapy, and eating disorder recovery.

RELATED EPISODES

ADHD & Bulimia: Dopamine, Impulsivity, & the Hidden Link to Binge Eating With Kirsten Book, PMHNP-BC on Apple and Spotify.

Beyond Anorexia: The Truth About Long-Term Restrictive Eating on Apple and Spotify.

Why Eating Feels So Chaotic With ADHD: Binge Eating, Bulimia, & Executive Function Challenges on Apple and Spotify.