Bulimia Nervosa: An Eating Disorder of Extremes

By Martha Michael

Bulimia Nervosa

For many people, taking a seat at the dinner table or catching a bite in a restaurant is a highlight. For those suffering from disordered eating patterns it can trigger negative emotions leading to unhealthy behaviors. Millions of Americans are struggling with bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by bingeing and purging; these behaviors result from a person’s distorted image of their body shape and size.

What is Bulimia Nervosa?

There are a number of eating disorders outlined in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, used by healthcare professionals. Research continues as various types of disordered eating patterns continue to burden people today with eroding health outcomes.

An article by the Mayo Clinic says that victims of bulimia feel a loss of control and they respond by binge eating and later throwing up to lose the extra calories they consume. The behaviors associated with bulimia are often done in secret because they feel ashamed of both phases -- overeating and forcing themselves to vomit afterwards.

Symptoms of bulimia include the following.

Preoccupation with body shape
Fear of gaining weight
Inability to control eating patterns
Forced vomiting
Use of diuretics and laxatives
Obsession with weight loss products

Bulimia nervosa is not just a food disorder – it’s a mental health disorder that’s tied to an overall view of oneself. Bulimic individuals tend to judge their appearance and focus on perceived flaws. Those thoughts can cause disordered eating habits leading to unhealthy long-term effects of bulimia.

What Causes Bulimia Nervosa?

Experts have not drawn clear conclusions about the cause of bulimia. It often develops because of a combination of factors, not just the desire to overeat followed by efforts to lose weight. An article by the Cleveland Clinic says that anything in your environment that offers a negative reflection of your appearance or self-worth can contribute to thoughts that lead to disordered eating patterns.

Your genetics and the behaviors you learn from your family and subculture play a part in your relationship to food. Bulimia can be an outcropping of outside influences that cause you to feel the following ways.

Stress
Depression
Anxiety
Loss of control
Shame about eating
Socially withdrawn
Fearful of gaining weight

When negative emotions arise, bulimic individuals turn to food to suppress the messaging and comfort themselves. When the shame of overeating sets in, they try to rid themselves of the excess calories.

How Is Bulimia Nervosa Different From Anorexia Nervosa?

Both anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders that cause people to have a distorted body image, says an article by Healthline. They differ, however, in the types of behaviors that result from each of the conditions. Approximately 1.5 percent of American women will develop bulimia and about 1 percent develop symptoms of anorexia.

People with anorexia nervosa sense a dissatisfaction with their body that leads to extreme weight loss through undereating and excessive exercise. Individuals who are severely underweight can look in the mirror and view themselves as fat.

Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:

Extreme weight loss
Dehydration
Constipation
Insomnia
Dizziness
Fainting
Weakness
Loss of hair

Eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia may be caused by a combination of factors igniting emotional and behavioral symptoms that are damaging and can be life-threatening. People with bulimia overeat and then look for ways to counteract the behavior, typically through purging, which presents an added threat to their health.

Excessive vomiting can cause health problems such as:

Mouth sensitivity
Tooth decay
Swollen lymph nodes
Calluses or sores on knuckles
Bloodshot eyes
Chapped or cracked lips

It’s not a pretty sight.

How Can We Overcome Bulimia Nervosa?

When a person decides to stop the cycle of bulimic behaviors, there are experts and resources available to begin the process. Reaching out for help is the first step to recovery, according to an article on the website for the Center for Discovery, a treatment center for eating disorders. It may begin with a conversation with a trusted friend or family member who can help navigate your options for recovery.

Seek Out a Professional

There are mental health professionals who specialize in treating people with bulimia and other eating disorders. Many individuals have found that a psychotherapist can be an effective member of their support system. Check your insurance benefits for behavioral health coverage.

Address Your Relationship with Food

Learning the causes of your binge-and-purge cycle can help you begin the challenge of dismantling the behavior. Though it may sound counterintuitive, simply restricting your food intake is not the best way to treat bulimia. Deprivation is one of the biggest triggers for bingeing, so patients are often told to be sure they eat regularly rather than adopting diet restrictions.

Just as everybody has a different set of tastes and interests, the triggers for a person are unique to them. There may be a particular time or place that generates sad feelings, anxiety, loneliness, or stress. The exploration process is important to make that discovery in the process of overcoming bulimia.

Develop a Plan

From gaining personal feedback through support groups to meditation and meal planning, you can create a blueprint that motivates you to choose a more healthy course of action when faced with the desire to binge. Connecting with other people can be helpful for distraction, safety, and to keep you on course.

Manage Your Anxiety

Aside from daily stressors, engaging in the painful process of changing your disordered eating patterns may add pressure to your life. Finding a technique for diffusing anxious feelings can be difficult, but there are many modalities for treating anxiety, including:

Talk therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy
Distraction
Repetitive tasks
Relaxing hobbies
Music

Embrace Health

A common goal when establishing the kinds of habits that serve you well is to live a more balanced, healthy life. Healing from physical or emotional wounds requires hard work, but the benefit is your ability to move forward more easily. Recovering from bulimia nervosa will provide you with more energy to invest in other healthy choices, for instance:

Exercise
Lifelong learning
Routine chiropractic care
Developing community
Purposeful work or volunteerism

There are charities, hotlines, and other resources available if you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder. Eating Disorder Hope is an online community dedicated to connecting sufferers with resources. The website offers the following options you can reach out to for help.

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness Helpline - It’s appropriate for individuals struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, or body image issues. Call 866-662-1235 or visit https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Call 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741).

We all need to eat, so the subject of what we consume is a relevant one. Whether you’re lean and active, or have a tendency to carry more body weight, it’s a good idea to ask yourself if you could develop a healthier relationship with food. Sometimes we don’t know we’re being weighed down by its burdensome effects.

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