Bulimia Nervosa : Awareness
Hey, Everyone! Recently I started a series of awareness posts on Eating Disorders. I have covered Binge Eating Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa so far. Now I would like to take some time to explain Bulimia Nervosa in detail in this post.
What is Bulimia Nervosa?
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder usually characterised by periods of binging—or excessive overeating—followed by purging. It is usually known as Bulimia. People with bulimia have a fear of gaining weight; however, that does not mean all people with bulimia are underweight. Some people with bulimia are overweight or obese. They attempt to use purging to manage their weight or prevent additional weight gain. Bulimia nervosa is a serious mental illness that requires intensive treatment. Getting help for your bulimia gives you the best chance to overcome this eating disorder.
What are the major types of Bulimia Nervosa?
There are two common types of bulimia nervosa, which are as follows:
-Bulimia Nervosa Purging type -This type of bulimia nervosa accounts for the majority of cases of those suffering from this eating disorder. In this form, individuals will regularly engage in self-induced vomiting or abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after a period of bingeing.
-Bulimia Nervosa Non-purging type -In this form of bulimia nervosa, the individual will use other inappropriate methods of compensation for binge episodes, such as excessive exercising or fasting. In these cases, the typical forms of purging, such as self-induced vomiting, are not regularly utilised.
What are the symptoms of Bulimia?
Symptoms of bulimia include:
-Repeated binge eating, or eating larger amounts of food than most people would in a similar situation, in a short period of time (2 hours or less).
-Frequently getting rid of the calories you've eaten (purging) by making yourself vomit, fasting, exercising too much.
-Feeling a loss of control over how much you eat.
-Feeling ashamed of overeating and very fearful of gaining weight.
-Basing your self-esteem and value upon your body shape and weight.
-Thinking about food, your body, or dieting so much that it distracts you from other tasks.
What causes Bulimia?
The exact cause of bulimia is unknown. There are many factors that could play a role in the development of eating disorders, including biology, emotional health, societal expectations and other issues.
Risk factors
Factors that increase your risk of bulimia may include:
-Being female: Girls and women are more likely to have bulimia than boys and men are.
-Age: Bulimia often begins in the late teens or early adulthood.
-Biology: People with first-degree relatives (siblings, parents or children) with an eating disorder may be more likely to develop an eating disorder, suggesting a possible genetic link. It's also possible that a deficiency in the brain chemical serotonin may play a role. And, being overweight as a child or teen may increase the risk.
-Psychological and emotional issues: Psychological and emotional problems, such as anxiety disorder or low self-esteem, can contribute to eating disorders. Triggers for bingeing may include stress, poor body self-image, food, restrictive dieting or boredom. In some cases, traumatic events and environmental stress may be contributing factors.
-Media and societal pressure: The media, such as TV and fashion magazines, frequently feature a parade of skinny models and actors. These images seem to equate thinness with success and popularity. But whether the media merely reflect social values or actually drive them isn't clear.
-Sports, work or artistic pressures: Athletes, actors, dancers and models are at a higher risk of eating disorders. Coaches and parents may inadvertently raise the risk by encouraging young athletes to lose weight, maintain a low weight and restrict eating for better performance.
Thank You all for reading. If you have bulimia then please answer the following questions.
1)What type of Bulimia you have?
2)When did you develop Bulimia?
3)What factors influenced your Bulimia?
4)What effect does your Bulimia has on your mental health?
5)Have you found any coping skills regarding it?
@EssenceOfHope
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1) What type of Bulimia you have?
Bulimia Nervosa Non-purging type (I didn't even know this existed til now!). A few purges, but mostly scared to death of them because I grew up hearing my mother purge and it terrified me.
2) When did you develop Bulimia?
In my teens.
3) What factors influenced your Bulimia?
I was insecure about my weight, no matter how little I weighed, I "felt" fat. Not good enough.
4) What effect does your Bulimia has on your mental health?
A constant struggle. I fight with myself, why can't I control my eating habits? I feel fat and unhealthy and it's just a constant, never-ending guilt-trip.
5) Have you found any coping skills regarding it?
Nothing yet.
@MistyMountainHope
Hey ! Yes it does exist but since there is barely any awareness that is why most people don't consider it as Bulimia and it can often be classified as Anorexia .Thank you for answering . So i am seeing that just like your binge eating disorder this also started during your teen years . Being insecure about one's own weight is a tough thing to deal with indeed.I can understand that constant fusturation , one starts to blame themselve because after all we think its just food right ? it should be easy ? why is it so tempting and difficult to eat right ? all these questions are often brought to our attention by our minds but the truth is its not about the food , the issue is way deeper than that , it is not that easy but it is worth it for sure , as far as coping strategies go , i will be making a post on that soon .
@Hope thank you for taking the time to do this, Its really helpful!!(TW?) But i have a question.. if i didnt binge or overeat then felt the need to purge would i be considered bulimic? like no matter how small the meal is the urge is there
@Hope
I have never admitted to anyone that I have bulimia. Ever. I couldnt even tell my therapist because I am too ashamed. But... here goes nothing.
1)What type of Bulimia you have?
Binge/purging type.
2)When did you develop Bulimia?
I first forced myself to vomit when I was in early high school.
3)What factors influenced your Bulimia?
I would not have known about purging as a way to control/lose weight if it had not been taught to us in health class in 7th grade. I didnt care about the danger and I didnt know it would become an addiction. I just wanted to look normal in a swimsuit, I wanted my mom to stop harassing me about my weight.
4)What effect does your Bulimia have on your mental health?
It has always affirmed what I thought to be true... how little self-control I have, how worthless I sometimes feel, and how much pain I am willing to suffer for acceptance.
5)Have you found any coping skills regarding it?
I found that successfully tracking my food helps because when I manage to stay in a healthy balance with food, water, and exercise; I feel good about myself and the temptation to purge after eating isnt there. I feel valuable and in control.
@hope as a note for reference, I am now 35 years old and married with three children... my husband doesnt know about my purging. Honestly, its much less frequent when he is home... currently, he is deployed overseas and I believe the stress of three kids and a PCS (military relocation, 6 time zones) has driven me back to it.
Hi all, I find it really helpful looking through some of the other posts on this thread and seeing that other people either feel like they haven't acknolwedged it to themselves or to others that they have bulimia.
1)What type of Bulimia you have?
I go through phases of purging and at other times I go through periods of excessive exercising. I also go through phases of obsessively tracking calories and working hard to always keep it so that I am burning more than eating...even if I binge. It is very stressful.
2)When did you develop Bulimia?
No idea. Maybe only sometime in the past year did I suddenly realise that maybe I had an unhealthy relationship with food and my body. Even though I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. But no one ever talked about bulimia being anything other than being sick so I had no idea I had a 'real' problem.
3)What factors influenced your Bulimia?
I used to be a ballet dancer until 17 and of course my school was filled with all the typical horror of dance teachers throwing people out for being overweight or having the wrong bone/muscle structure. I was always told I had the right body for a dancer and I guess that at some point then was internalised and I now struggle with maintaining this.
4)What effect does your Bulimia has on your mental health?
It is horrible its almost all I can think about for days, weeks, months on end. Especially during lockdown I am just constantly thinking about my body and about eating, and then what I will have to do to maintain the body I want.
5)Have you found any coping skills regarding it?
No...
I want to thank you for posting this, as I believed my issue may have been Bulimia, but I was unsure. I've always been "thin" and my friends always talk about my body and almost "praise" it in a way saying "look at your hour glass figure" or "damn girl look at your curves" and I used to workout way too much. I would eat like a pig all day, then restrict myself from eating and workout at least 2 hours everyday. They love my body, but they don't know the story behind my body...over a year ago I lost the habit of working out like that, and I gained quite some weight which made me insecure, so I started purging...it wasn't until then that I realized there was something going on, but I never spoke about it. Last time the never ending cycle of binge eating, then purging and restrictive eating happened, I couldn't leave my bed because I would get sick if I did. This time I felt nauseous nearly every day, I lost 8 pounds in less than a week, and I made myself purge...I didn't know Bulimia was even a thing until I decided to open up to someone I trust and she told me she thinks that's what is affecting me. I want to tell my parents and get the help I need, but I'm too scared to...
1) Bulimia purging type 2) Six months ago 3) When certain family members found out about it, everything got way worse 4) Extreme suicidal thoughts 5) No i didn't
@Hope
I started out anorexic; first due to financial issues then the high of losing weight. There came a point where I couldn't not eat anymore. I was 20 and in college, sleeping in my car. The blinding headaches and inability to concentrate found me in Wal-Mart buying everything that looked good. That night I became a purging bulimic. I ate it all and felt so sick. After that I kept up with my running 8 miles each morning, but at least once a week I purged. As the years went on the purging became more frequent. It was about body image for awhile, but now I'm so isolated I don't care about that anymore. I don't like or eat very much, but when I do I get that sick feeling in my stomach. It has to get out. I haven't found a very good solution except keep away from heavy foods and don't eat early or late in the day.
