What is Bulimia Nervosa?
By: Natalia Michaelson
Bulimia nervosa, also known as bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by regular episodes involving the consumption of large quantities of food over a small period of time followed by some form of purging. Purging can include, but is not limited to self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and/or misuse of insulin. Some people living with bulimia report feeling “out of control” during binge episodes. And episodes are commonly followed by feelings of shame, guilt, or physical pain/sickness.
Who develops bulimia?
Bulimia impacts folks of all ages, genders, body sizes, and racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite what our society says, you cannot tell that someone has an eating disorder by looking at them. The belief that eating disorders have a look is misinformed and further fuels harmful biases and assumptions that increase the risk of developing an eating disorder.
What are some medical complications of bulimia?
Medical complications include, but are not limited to, gastrointestinal problems, nutrient imbalances and deficiencies, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, esophageal issues, dental issues, and premature death. Evaluation by a medical provider is a necessary part of the assessment and treatment process.
What are symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa?
Folks battling bulimia don’t necessarily have all symptoms. Each eating disorder presents uniquely. These are some of the most common symptoms of this disorder.
Bingeing, which involves the consumption of large quantities of food in a small period of time that may result in feeling physically sick and uncomfortably full. People who engage in bingeing behaviors report feeling like they are unable to stop eating, are losing control, or are disconnected to the eating experience.
Restriction, which includes physically or mentally restricting specific food(s) and/or food groups. These include dieting and/or yo-yo dieting, fasting, counting/limiting calories, eating less to make up for something else you ate, skipping a meal, making yourself drink water when you’re feeling hungry, telling yourself you “can’t keep x, y, or z in the house,” avoiding certain foods because you “don’t have control around them,” or labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” “healthy” or “unhealthy,” “clean” or “junk” (tying any sort of morality onto food, eating habits, or yourself for eating specific foods).
Purging, which involves excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, and/or misuse of insulin.
Feeling overwhelmed, distressed, or fearful of gaining weight.
Experiencing shame about your body size.
Experiencing high levels of anxiety about clothes shopping or shame related to your clothing size.
Hiding foods to eat later when other people are not around, which is typically rooted in shame and/or anxiety.
Avoiding eating with others or limiting food consumption in the presence of others, which is also often rooted in shame and/or anxiety.
Feeling socially isolated.
Feelings of shame and guilt related to yourself, your body, and the food you eat.
How do you treat Bulimia?
Bulimia can be treated with the support of a team of providers including a Health at Every Size (HAES) aligned eating disorder therapist, an Intuitive Eating and HAES aligned registered dietitian, psychiatrist, and medical doctor. Group therapy can be a helpful tool for those in recovery from Bulimia. When in a group therapy setting, clients not only get the support of an eating disorder therapist but they also receive peer support. Peer support can help those battling eating disorders feel less alone.
Why can’t I “just stop” bingeing and purging?
It’s not that simple. If you tell yourself not to think of a pink elephant, what do you think of? If you thought of a pink elephant, it’s probably because you’re human. It is difficult to “just stop” thoughts or behaviors that may feel automatic, necessary, or overpowering to our subconscious mind. You are not alone, and you’re definitely not broken. Treatment of bulimia involves deepening your understanding of the role eating disorder behaviors play in your life, exploring any unmet emotional needs, and strengthening your relationship with yourself. It involves compassion, curiosity, and introspection.
But wait…what about my health?
With eating disorder recovery, you will likely hear the recommendation of ditching dieting and allowing yourself permission to eat all foods. These two concepts can be hard to hear, especially with a society so deeply entrenched in diet culture and the pursuit of thinness. When offered these suggestions, folks often ask, “but what about my health??” Health is a complex interplay of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Think mind-body connection. It is important for us to challenge the narrative of morality being tied to health. You are not “bad” if you have medical conditions or health concerns; just as you are not “good” if you are free of all health concerns.
Why Stark Therapy Group?
Our philosophy at Stark Therapy Group is to look at the big picture, which includes learning more about your unique symptoms, challenges, and life experiences and how they collectively impact you. Diagnoses are used for billing and coding purposes. You don’t belong in a box, and we’re not interested in putting you there. From our perspective, it’s less about your diagnosis, weight, and behaviors, and more about your relationship with yourself. Your relationship with yourself impacts what you do and how you relate to other people and areas of life (like food, movement, money, shopping, substances, etc.). At Stark Therapy Group, our focus is on supporting YOU as a human, prioritizing your well-being with a holistic approach, treating your symptoms as a team, and guiding you in your journey to healing and connectedness within yourself.
Whether you join us in online therapy, in person therapy, or join one of our groups, we’re passionate about providing individualized, inclusive care because you’re unique and what works for someone else may not work for you. Our therapists work on building a strong therapeutic relationship with you, getting to know you and your specific concerns, providing you with compassionate and quality care, and walking alongside you on your path to healing. If you feel anxious about reaching out for help, that’s okay. We welcome you and would love to hear from you! It can be hard to ask for help and we’re happy you found us. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Services:
Stark Therapy Group offers therapy for all types of eating disorders, including Anorexia, Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia. We offer a 3-tiered family based support for teens in eating disorder recovery. We treat anxiety, depression and general mental health conditions. We offer 3-tiered family based support for teens with general mental health issues. We also offer couples therapy. We would love to help you on your mental health journey. Reach out today for a free consultation!