“Bulimia” is an important and even life-threatening eating disorder. People with this disorder usually lose control of their eating and then try to excrete food in an unhealthy way. People with bulimia nervosa use a variety of methods to eliminate food and prevent obesity. People with bulimia nervosa may excrete weight-loss supplements, diuretics, or enema foods they have eaten after overeating by deliberately vomiting or using constipation medications. Some people with this disorder may resort to strict diets or excessive exercise to prevent obesity.
What are the hallmarks of people with bulimia nervosa or bulimia?
Many people with bulimia have a common mental state, and stress and anxiety are very common. These people often have difficulty regulating their emotions and cannot be moderate. Dieting or eating disorders can increase the risk of developing bulimia. In some cases, the body changes due to constant deprivation of food, and the person suffers from anorexia nervosa (bulimia). Recent studies have shown that there are very real differences in neuroprocessing between the brains of healthy people and those with bulimia.
How do eating disorders occur?
Eating disorders start with negative energy (higher metabolism than calories), which is often (but not always) associated with weight loss. This initial calorie restriction is usually in response to environmental stressors such as bullying, shame from obesity, weight gain in schools, studying in nutrition-related disciplines, pressure to lose weight, the need to lose weight to participate in a particular sport, or advice Is done by a doctor to lose weight.
In other cases, this negative energy can be transmitted to the person as a result of an illness or injury or sexual abuse that leads to anorexia.
8 important facts about bulimia nervosa
- Depression often comes at the same time as bulimia nervosa. In many cases, depressed people are more prone to the disorder than others.
- Bulimia nervosa can interfere with a woman’s fertility. Bulimia directly affects the reproductive cycle and, in some cases, can even cause infertility.
- The effects of bulimia nervosa can also damage the body’s overall health. Bulimia can cause dry skin, kidney problems, digestive problems, anemia, etc.
- Bulimia is a permanent disorder. Most people with this disorder have to endure it for the rest of their lives.
- Bulimia may be genetic. In some cases, patients’ parents also suffered from the same disorder.
- Not all people with bulimia nervosa are thin and many are normal weight.
- Men can also get bulimia. Although the majority of the patient population is women, many men also suffer from this disease.
- Bulimia is a neurological disorder that manifests itself physically but begins in the human brain.
Causes of bulimia nervosa
The main cause of bulimia nervosa is not yet known, but it is thought that several factors together cause eating disorders. These factors can be genetic, environmental, physical, and cultural. Some of the main causes of bulimia are:
- Stressful changes and transformations of life
- Have a history of sexual abuse or trauma
- The negative mental image of yourself
- lack of self-confidence
- Professions or activities that focus on the appearance and performance of the person.
Identifiable symptoms of bulimia nervosa
If you know someone around you who spends most of their time in the bathroom or club, they may have compensatory behaviors. In this case, it is better to pay attention to other symptoms in this person to be surer. Worry and fear of gaining weight are psychological indicators of bulimia. If this person is constantly talking about their weight or appearance, they may be on the verge of developing an eating disorder.
People with bulimia often eat alone and get rid of the symptoms. If you notice a lack of large amounts of food or see leftover packages in the trash, you may suspect bulimia nervosa. Some patients with bulimia develop signs of finger contact with their teeth as they try to vomit. There is usually redness on their face caused by ruptured blood vessels. After overeating, these people feel a strong need to give back those calories. That’s why they go to the bathroom or the club.
Who is at risk for bulimia nervosa?
According to the World Mental Health Institute, one percent of the American adult population develops bulimia at some point in their lives. 2.8% of the population suffers from overeating disorder without compensatory behaviors. According to the institute, women (especially young women) are more prone than men to eating disorders such as bulimia, overeating, and anorexia nervosa. Of course, bulimia can affect everyone in society, regardless of gender, age, economic status, or lifestyle.
Serious consequences of bulimia nervosa
Unlike anorexia nervosa, people with bulimia nervosa do not experience severe weight loss; But this overeating and giving back food can have serious consequences for them, such as:
- Tooth Decay
- skin dryness
- Irregular heartbeat
- eye redness
- Decreased libido
- Lack of correct understanding
- Anemia
- Lower blood pressure
- wounds
- Rupture of the esophagus from excessive vomiting
- Irregular menstruation
- Early menopause
- Kidney disorders
- Abortion
- birth defect
Treatment of bulimia nervosa
Because bulimia is often rooted in a lack of self-confidence, the role of the counselor and psychologist in the treatment of the individual is very important. Treatment for bulimia nervosa usually includes:
Interrupting the overeating cycle and returning calories: The main part of treating bulimia involves breaking this harmful cycle and starting a normal eating process.
Avoiding Negative Thoughts: The next step in improving bulimia is recognizing and changing irrational beliefs about weight, body shape, and diet.
Troubleshooting: The last part of bulimia treatment focuses on improving mental health problems, which may be the root cause of eating disorders. These therapies may target interpersonal relationships and include cognitive-behavioral therapies, debate-behavioral therapies, and so on.
