Bulimia

Bulimia is an eating disorder also known as bulimia nervosa that affects both women and men around the world.

Bulimia is characterized by recurring and frequent binge eating, or eating large amounts of food at one time, accompanied by feeling a lack of control and helplessness. According to Psychology Today, a person with bulimia can consume as many as 3,400 calories in one hour. After the binge episode, the person with bulimia then purges to try and avoid the calories they have just consumed. Purging can include vomiting, excessively exercising, and using laxatives, enemas or diuretics. For bulimia help, call us today!

Bulimia Symptoms

For those with bulimia, symptoms can occur for years without a diagnosis. Somewhere between 1 and 2 percent of women suffer from bulimia. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to:

• Re-occurring binge eating and eating a large amount of food.
• A lack of control or feelings of helplessness when it comes to eating.
• After binge eating, reoccurring episodes of vomiting, taking laxatives, diuretics or enemas or excessive exercise or fasting.
• An extreme fear of gaining weight, an obsession with body image and extreme measures to maintain or lose weight.
• Inflamed throat, swollen glands or tooth decay as a result of vomiting.
• Acid reflux or other intestinal disorders from laxative use.
• Kidney problems from excessive diuretics.
• Dehydration from purging episodes.

At Best Bulimia Treatment information about bulimia and its symptoms are just a phone call away. Contact us 24 hours a day for a confidential consultation at 1-800-655-9861.

How Bulimia Affects Other Disorders

When combined with other disorders, bulimia can become quite dangerous. For example, bulimics diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes are beginning a risky trend of restricting their insulin to maintain weight gain. Psychology Today reports that 30 percent of diabetic women will use insulin restriction for weight loss at some point in their lives.

Many times, those with bulimia will have a dual diagnosis with another psychological disorder, such as depression. Often the client will be prescribed an antidepressant, such as Prozac, to help with the depressive disorder.

Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are the two most frequently diagnosed eating disorders in the United States today, according to the APA. However, rarely are the two disorders a dual diagnosis; rather, they are two separate disorders, each with different subsets.

Bulimia can be diagnosed with two different types: Purging type is characterized by regularly induced vomiting or misused laxatives, diuretics, or enemas, while Nonpurging type has other purging behaviors such as excessive exercise or fasting.

Anorexia also can be diagnosed with two different subtypes: Restricting type is characterized by maintaining low body weight by restricting food intake and exercise only, while Binge-eating/purging type in addition to food restriction, also takes part in binge eating and/or purging behaviors.

Bulimia Treatment

For those with bulimia, treatment is similar to that with other eating disorders. It involves psychological counseling combined with medical assessments and nutritional counseling to address the specific issues the client has with food and body image. Behavioral therapy is another popular method of treatment, which can help those with bulimia learn new behaviors when it comes to eating, purging and exercise.

When a person with bulimia also has another disorder co-occurring with the bulimia, medications may be applied or other therapies in a dual-diagnosis capacity.

At Best Bulimia Treatment, we have the most up-to-date information for bulimia and treatment. Call us today at 1-800-655-9861 or visit us at www.bestbulimiatreatment.com.