Bulimia nervosa
When we're feeling lonely, bored, or stressed, many of us turn to food. Although if you have the bulimia nervosa eating disorder, overeating is almost of a compulsion. Bulimia is characterized by repeated binge eating episodes accompanied by severe attempts to prevent weight gain, often by vomiting, laxative use, or exercise to excess.
This bingeing and purging vicious cycle will take a toll on your body and emotional well-being. It may harm the digestive system and produce chemical imbalances that damage the functioning of major organs, including the heart, in the body. It can be deadly, too.
Bulimia can affect women and men of all ages, even though it is most common among young women. Life is a constant battle between the need to lose weight and the intense urge to binge eat as you deal with the eating disorder. You don't want to binge, you know you're going to feel guilty and embarrassed afterwards, but you give in time and again. Shock sets in after the binge ends and you resort to extreme measures to over-eat your food, such as taking laxatives, vomiting, or going for an intense run.
No matter how stuck you feel in this vicious loop, there is hope though. You can break the loop with care and help, learn to handle negative feelings in a healthy way, and regain control of your life.
"Not all bulimics purge"
It's important to remember that bulimia doesn't necessarily entail purging: by throwing up or using laxatives, enemas, or diuretics, physically extracting the food from your body. This also counts as bulimia, whether you make up for your binges by fasting, exercising to excess, or going on crash diets.
Signs and symptoms of bulimia
If you've been dealing with bulimia for a while, to hide your bingeing and purging patterns, you've actually "done it all." It's only human to feel guilty of having a rough time balancing yourself with food, so you're more likely to binge on your own. If you eat a doughnut box, you should replace it so that your friends or relatives won't miss it. You could shop at four different markets while buying food for a binge, so the checker won't guess. But in spite of your secret existence, those who are closest to you probably believe that something is wrong.
Binge eating signs and symptoms
Lack of eating power. Unable to avoid feeding until the point of pain and physical discomfort.
Secrecy around eating. Going into the kitchen after all the others have gone to bed. Going out on unforeseen food runs alone.
Eating disproportionately large quantities of food with no noticeable weight change.
Disappearance of food in the trash, multiple empty wrappers or food containers, or secret fast food stashes.
Alternating between fasting and overeating. It's all-or-nothing when it comes to food, consuming regular meals seldom.
Purging signs and symptoms
Going to the toilet after a meal. Disappearing regularly after coughing up meals. Running water to disguise the vomiting noises.
Since feeding, use laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Or take diet pills or use the sauna to "sweat out" the weight of water.
Odor of vomit. The toilet or even the individual might smell like vomit. They can try to use mouthwash, perfume, air freshener, gum, or mint to cover up the smell.
Excessive after-eating workout. High-intensity calorie burners, such as running or aerobics, are common sports.
Physical signs and symptoms
Calluses or marks from inserting fingers down their throat on knuckles or palms to cause vomiting.
Puffy cheeks of "chipmunk" caused by repeated vomiting.
Discolored teeth from stomach acid damage upon throwing up. It can look yellow, ragged, or translucent.
Not being underweight. Bulimia males and females are typically of average weight or slightly overweight. Being underweight when purging could suggest a form of anorexia purging.
Frequent weight swings, due to alternating bingeing and purging, by 10 pounds or more.
Bulimia causes and risk factors
No single cause of bulimia exists. There are several other contributing factors, but low self-esteem and worries about weight and body image play major roles. When you feel frustrated, depressed, overwhelmed, or nervous, you may have difficulty controlling your feelings in a healthy manner and use food as an emotional outlet, bingeing and purging.
Risk factors for bulimia include:
Poor body image, especially when combined with strict dieting.
Low self-esteem, mostly due to depression, perfectionism, or a critical climate at home.
Stressful changes in life, like a divorce, going to college, starting a new career, or going through puberty.
Trauma or violence past. This involves topics such as sexual harassment, neglect or violence in childhood, troubled family relationships, or a loved one's death.
Effects of bulimia
You put your body, and even your life, at risk while you are dealing with bulimia. Dehydration due to purging is the most harmful side effect of bulimia. Electrolyte imbalances in the body, most often in the form of low potassium levels, may be caused by vomiting, laxatives, and diuretics. A wide variety of symptoms, ranging from lethargy and cloudy thinking to irregular heartbeat and death, are caused by low potassium levels. Chronically low levels of potassium can also result in kidney failure. Ipecac syrup is also very harmful and can lead to sudden death.
Getting help for bulimia
You will learn to break the binge and purge cycle and cultivate a healthy attitude about food and your body, regardless of how long you've suffered with bulimia.
Steps to recovery from bulimia
Admit that you've got a problem. Up to now, if you lose more weight and watch what you eat, you have been investing in the belief that life will be easier, that you will actually feel healthy. The first step in recovery from bulimia is to admit that your relationship with food is skewed and out of control.
Talk to others. Talking about what you're going through can be challenging, particularly if you've been keeping your bulimia a secret for a long time. You may be ashamed of what others will think, ambivalent, or afraid. But knowing that you're not alone is vital. Find a good listener, someone who can guide you when you continue to change yourself.
Keep away from individuals, locations, and events that trigger the desire to binge or purge. You will need to stop looking at fashion or fitness magazines, spend less time talking about losing weight with friends who regularly diet, and stay away from weight loss blogs and bulimia-promoting "pro-mia" pages. You will also need to be vigilant when it comes to magazines and shows for meal preparation and cooking.
Fix any mood condition underlying it. It is common for people with bulimia to suffer from anxiety or depression as well. It is vital for your bulimia recovery to get assistance for co-existing conditions.
Seek professional assistance. Professional eating disorder therapists' advice and guidance will help you recover your health, learn to eat regularly again, and develop healthy attitudes towards food and your body.
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