Bulimia

Bulimia (bulimia nervosa) is an eating disorder that is characterized by patterns of binge eating followed by compensatory behavior, most often purging which consists of induced vomiting or the use of laxatives. Bulimia, much like anorexia, is characterized by an excessive preoccupation with controlling body weight, focusing on diet, restricted food intake, and the alike. A timely diagnosis is key for efficient treatment because of the multitude of health complications that can arise.

Bulimia, like anorexia, is more often found in women than in men and most often appears in the adolescent period. Specific causes of bulimia haven’t been determined but it is suspected that, as with many mental disorders, it is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Patterns of bulimia can appear together with those of anorexia (link), restricted eating followed by binge eating and purging. The most common comorbid disorders are major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of binge eating include consuming a very large amount of food in a specific time frame, eating fast, eating until it is uncomfortable, eating alone because of feelings of shame, a strong sense of shame associated with food, often going on strict diets sometimes without success in weight loss.

Symptoms of compensatory behavior in bulimia include:

- Purging – induced vomiting or using laxatives to make sure the food moves faster through the body.

- Excessive exercise

- Fasting - a period of extremely restrictive eating following a period of binging.

With time bulimia can cause multiple other health complications because of the specific physical aspects of this mental disorder. Some of them are:

- Chronic throat inflammation

- Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw

- Worn tooth enamel, decaying teeth, caused by frequent exposure of the teeth to stomach acid

- Heartburn and other gastrointestinal problems

- Dehydration caused by purging

- Disbalance of electrolytes in the body, which can even lead to a stroke or heart attack

Treatment:

The primary goal of treatment is to stop binge eating and compensatory behaviors.

Nutritional rehabilitation is central to the process of recovering from this disorder.

Psychotherapy has a significant role in understanding and changing negative thoughts, and emotional and behavioral patterns, as with patients and so with their families and ones closest to them. Specific forms of psychotherapy will depend on the specific case.

Medicaments such as specific antidepressants can be used to regulate some symptoms of bulimia without regard for the presence of depression. They should be used in combination with psychotherapy.

If the symptoms are extreme and other health complications exist, hospitalization might be necessary.

Written by: Bachelor of Psychology, Aleksa Holcer.

*This text is intended for informational purposes only. If you experience any symptoms, it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.*

*Image taken from the site:https://unsplash.com/photos/flat-lay-photography-of-stem-glasses-saucers-plate-and-bread-and-butter-knives-NcFBGQBiRDo

Jain, A., & Yilanli, M. (2023, July 31). Bulimia nervosa. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562178/

ICD-10 version:2019. (n.d.). https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en#F50.8

National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Eating disorders. https://medlineplus.gov/eatingdisorders.html

Patel, R. S., Olten, B., Patel, P., Shah, K., & Mansuri, Z. (2018). Hospitalization Outcomes and comorbidities of bulimia nervosa: a nationwide inpatient study. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.2583