How To Treat Bulimia
Bulimia Nervosa is a psychological disorder characterized by binge eating and purging. If left untreated, this may bring life threatening complications, like heart problems, electrolyte imbalances and death. Here are a few things you need to know about bulimia.
Causes
There is no definite cause for bulimia, but there are certain factors that can lead to this condition.
Obsession on body shape and weight. A bulimic fears getting fat.
Socio-cultural factors. Beauty in the society means being thin. A person may become bulimic as she frustratingly tries to fit in the societal conception of beauty.
Peer pressure. Most teenage girls will resort to binge eating and purging to maintain her position or be accepted in a group.
Low self esteem and perfectionism may lead to bulimia as the patient feels that the only thing she can control and be good at is maintaining her weight.
Symptoms
The physical symptoms of bulimia nervosa are results of chronic purging.
Inflamed neck glands. This is due to stress and increased pressure when vomiting.
Heartburn. As you purge, acids are brought up to your esophagus, causing damage to the area.
Irregular menstrual periods are due to hormonal imbalances caused by malnutrition and stress.
Weakness. A person may become weak from lack of nutrition and excessive exercise.
Sore throat. Acid from the stomach may irritate your throat.
Behavioral and emotional symptoms that are may lead to bulimia are:
Binge eating is characterized as eating too much food in a short period of time than a normal person would. This is a person’s coping mechanism to stress, depression and low self-esteem. A binge episode releases a person’s anxiety temporarily.
Purging is a way of eliminating food in the body by vomiting after a binge episode. When the binge episode has passed, a patient will feel guilty of losing control over her eating habits.
Constant dieting. A patient overly conscious with her weight that she will constantly try different diet plans to lose weight.
Excessive exercise. Apart from binge eating and purging, a person may also follow a strict exercise routine. She will perform these exercises to the point of exhaustion.
Distorted body image. A person with bulimia sees herself as a fat person even if she’s not. No matter what she does, she will never be satisfied with how she looks. She will always feel like she isn’t trying hard enough to lose weight.
Frequent trips to the bathroom after eating. A patient will try to keep her purging habit a secret. She will always find reasons to excuse herself after a meal to purge.
Laxative, enema and diuretic abuse. A person with bulimia may not be satisfied with purging and working out. She may also resort to the use of these substances to further lose weight.
Anxiety increases as the person tries so hard to shed off some weight.
Depression results from the person’s perception of not being able to achieve her desired weight and body shape.
Treatments
Medical Care. Complications should be treated first in order for the patient to effectively participate in the psychological therapy for bulimia
Cognitive Behavioral therapy identifies the patient’s negative thoughts and behaviors. The goal is to replace these unacceptable thoughts and habits with more acceptable ones.
Interpersonal therapy is directed towards improving a person’s relationships with other people. A patient will learn how to deal with problems using healthier and more acceptable alternatives.
Nutritional Therapy teaches the patient about the importance of having a healthy diet. A dietician may also make a healthy meal plan the patient should follow.
Antidepressant medications may be given to treat depression. It may also be used to lessen binge eating and purging. The approved antidepressant drug for bulimia is Fluoxatine(Prozac) but doctors may choose to give their patients a different drug.
Unlike Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa may be hard to detect as most patients look normal and is not underweight. An awareness of this condition and its warning signs would be very helpful especially if you suspect that a family member or a friend has this disorder.