Once you identify the destructive thoughts patterns that you default to, you can start to challenge them with questions such as:. As you cross-examine your negative thoughts, you may be surprised at how quickly they crumble. If you suspect that your friend or family member has bulimia, talk to the person about your concerns. Either way, bulimia should never be ignored.
Offer compassion and support. Keep in mind that the person may get defensive or angry. But if he or she does open up, listen without judgment and make sure the person knows you care. Avoid insults, scare tactics, guilt trips, and patronizing comments. Since bulimia is often caused and exacerbated by stress, low self-esteem, and shame, negativity will only make it worse. Set a good example for healthy eating, exercising, and body image.
Accept your limits. The person with bulimia must make the decision to move forward. Take care of yourself. Know when to seek advice for yourself from a counselor or health professional. Dealing with an eating disorder is stressful, and it will help if you have your own support system in place. Authors: Melinda Smith, M. A generous donor will match all contributions made before December 31 — doubling your gift and your impact! Cookie Policy. Explore the warning signs, symptoms, and treatment options.
What is bulimia? But if you have the eating disorder bulimia nervosa, overeating is more like a compulsion. Bulimia is characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating followed by extreme efforts to avoid gaining weight, often by vomiting, using laxatives, or exercising to excess.
This vicious cycle of bingeing and purging can take a toll on your body and emotional well-being. It can cause damage to your digestive system and create chemical imbalances in the body that harm the functioning of major organs, including the heart. It can even be fatal. While it is most common among young women, bulimia can affect women and men of all ages. No matter how trapped in this vicious cycle you feel, though, there is hope.
With treatment and support, you can break the cycle, learn to manage unpleasant emotions in a healthier way, and regain control of your life.
The most commonly recognized form of purging is self-induced vomiting where the person will stimulate the gag reflex by putting their fingers down their throat to induce vomiting or they will drink salty water or another substance to induce vomiting.
Exposure of the teeth to the stomach acid in vomit can also cause irreparable damage and tooth decay. Another type of purging is self-induced diarrhea. This is typically achieved by using laxatives to clear out the lower part of the digestive system.
Diarrhea is also harmful to the digestive system, causing dehydration and malabsorption of vitamins, and over time, risking constipation if laxatives are over-used. A less well-recognized form of purging is excessive exercise. Exercise is typically considered to be a healthy behavior, particularly among people who are overweight or obese, so exercise is rarely discouraged until harm results from it.
Exercising enough to burn off the calories of a binge can take hours per day, resulting in time being taken away from other activities. People who are not taking in enough nutrients through a balanced diet to support the demands on the body of excessive exercise may become malnourished.
And without carefully managing your fluid and mineral intake through the exercise process, you can risk dehydration or hyponatremia. Purging with exercise can also be fueled by the use of stimulant drugs , such as meth and other amphetamines, cocaine , ecstasy or caffeine. These drugs can give temporary bursts of energy, increase physical and mental alertness and increase the ability to exercise for prolonged periods of time.
Typically, these drugs have a rebound effect, resulting in exhaustion after they wear off. Bingeing and purging are not, in themselves, eating disorders , although individually and in combination, they can be symptoms of an eating disorder such as binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa. Both bingeing and purging are compulsive behaviors, meaning that people can get into a pattern of repeatedly carrying out these behaviors, even against their better judgment. Often, the trigger for bingeing and purging is stress or low self-esteem , rather than an objective assessment of the need for weight control.
Bingeing and purging are well recognized within the mental health system. Talk to your family doctor about your concerns regarding bingeing and purging and get an appropriate referral. Typically, people who binge and purge are referred to a to a mental health professional or to a specialized eating disorders clinic. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life.
The medical complications associated with purging. Int J Eat Disord. Driven exercise in the absence of binge eating: Implications for purging disorder. But you may be offered an antidepressant, such as fluoxetine Prozac , in combination with therapy or self-help treatment, to help you manage other conditions, such as:. Most people with bulimia will be able to stay at home during their treatment. You'll usually have appointments at your clinic and then be able to go home. Your doctors will keep a very careful eye on your weight and health if you're being cared for in hospital.
They will help you to reach a healthy weight gradually, and either start or continue any therapy you're having. Once they are happy with your weight, as well as your physical and mental health, you should be able to return home. Page last reviewed: 10 November Next review due: 10 November Treatment - Bulimia.
Treatment may take time, but you can recover from bulimia. Treatment for bulimia is slightly different for adults and those under 18 years old. Treatment for adults Guided help You will probably be offered a guided self-help programme as a first step in treating your bulimia. These self-help books may take you through a programme that helps you to: Monitor what you are eating — this can help you notice and try to change patterns in your behaviour.
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