Bulimia, also known as bulimia nervosa, is an Eating Behavior Disorder (ED). It is characterized by severe binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive physical exercise or use of laxatives and/or diuretics.
Bulimia causes very harmful consequences in the person who suffers from it. Some of them can be irreversible and seriously damage the affected person, such as tooth decay, esophageal damage, digestive disorders, peptic ulcers and hormonal irregularities.
Eating Behavior Disorders (ED) also include anorexia nervosa, obesity, binge eating disorders and night eating syndrome.
According to psychology specialists, millions of young people, mainly women, suffer from Eating Behavior Disorders (ED).
Bulimia: what are the symptoms?
There are many symptoms that indicate that a person suffers from bulimia.
- Emotional: fear of gaining weight, obsession with the body, guilt, anxiety, sadness and depression.
- Behavioral: dieting, eating large amounts of food, restrictive dieting or excessive exercise. Tendency to lie, hide food, stop eating with family, avoid meals or dinners with friends.
- Preoccupation with figure
- Sudden weight changes
- Changes in appearance or manner of dressing, such as wearing baggy clothing
- Unexplained changes in behavior, e.g. becoming withdrawn and withdrawing from social life
- Increased irritability (everything bothers him/her), sadness, etc.
- Eats alone when he/she did not before or does not eat, always using the excuse that he/she has already eaten.
- Uses laxatives, diuretics or enemas
- May have difficulties in her/his studies
- Judges her/his life under a body image vision
- Gastrointestinal or endocrine disturbances
- Changes in eating and nutritional habits
- Excessive physical exercise
- Family problems and relationship problems with other people or friends
Treatment for bulimia
Bulimia is an Eating Behavior Disorder (ED) and as such must be treated by a psychologist, who will work as a team with a psychiatrist and nutritionist if necessary.
The treatment for bulimia is based on:
- having information about the problem
- modifying inappropriate eating behaviors
- having a realistic body image
- achieving an adequate and stable emotional state
- re-establishing social relationships
Nowadays, there are the necessary techniques and enough knowledge to treat bulimia successfully and without relapses. People who have suffered from bulimia manage to have an absolutely normal life, maintaining an adequate relationship with food, their body and with emotional well-being.