Bulimia Nervosa

The addiction and disease Bulimia Nervosa, commonly known as bulimia, is described as a cycle of binge eating (overeating) and then some type of behavior that compensates for that amount of eating, such as purging, fasting or excessive exercising (ANAD, 2013). The definition of binge eating is important when explaining this addiction. It involves eating larger amounts of food than one usually does in a very short period of time, usually 2 hours or less (ANAD, 2013). The overeating and purging process must occur more than 2 times a week for at least 3 months to be considered an addiction, rather than a bad habit (ANAD, 2013). The cause of bulimia is unknown, but is probably the result of a combination of factors, including genetic, psychological, family and societal factors (PUB MED, 2011).

Other symptoms of bulimia include preoccupation with food, abuse of laxatives or diet pills, induced vomiting, possibly through laxatives, denial of hunger, swollen salivary glands as a result of excessive purging, and broken blood vessels in the eyes (ANAD, 2013). This disease is also characterized by a lack of control over one’s eating and physical and emotional distress (ANAD, 2013). It is also important to remember that bulimic people are not necessarily underweight. People who suffer from bulimia nervosa can be overweight or a normal weight, which makes bulimia harder to identify than anorexia (ANAD, 2013). Bulimic people share the characteristic of believing that they are overweight. Warning signs of bulimia include consistently going to the bathroom right after meals and buying large amounts of food that disappear too quickly (PUB MED, 2011).

The first step in treatment for bulimia is counseling, usually cognitive-behavioral therapy (WEB MD, n.d.). Hopefully, this will help patients change their mindset so they do not feel the need to practice bulimic behavior. This involves changing the patient’s perspective about their body, reducing the negative triggers that result in overeating and purging, coming to a better understanding about the patient’s emotions and relationships, and developing a plan and coping skills to avert future relapses (WEB MD, n.d.). Therapy also focuses on nutrition, planning a strict diet, usually three meals a day, including two snacks, and avoiding unhealthy food.

Treatment options also include taking medication. This usually means antidepressants, such as Prozac (WEB MD, n.d.). This can help reduce the bulimia cycle of binge-eating and purging and help with depression that can often coincide with bulimia. Another option for bulimics is attending a support group, such as Overeaters Anonymous (PUB MED, 2011). Other things that may coincide with bulimia are substance abuse, especially substances that will help with purging, dehydration, and other health problems that are the result of the unhealthy diet (WEB MD, n.d.). Some of these conditions may need to be treated before dealing with bulimia. Treatment may not involve staying in the hospital, but this is dependent upon how long a patient has been bulimic and other conditions they may be suffering from (WEB MD, n.d.). Treatment for bulimia is long term, meaning that it may take weeks, months, or even up to a year, to see any results or improvement.

The next set of statistics comes from the National Institute of Mental Health (Simmers, 1980). Approximately 7 million women and 1 million men in the United States suffer from some type of eating disorder. 1.1%-4.2% of females living in the United States will suffer from bulimia at some point in their lives. Bulimia is not commonly reported by men, but it has been found that 0.4% of men have suffered from this addiction. Many people who struggle with bulimia first started experiencing it during high-school or college. 33% of bulimic people report the onset of the disease between the ages of 11 and 15, and 43% of bulimic people report their experience began between the ages of 16 and 20. Even though bulimia is a very serious problem that may take years to treat, there is hope. With treatment, 60% of people suffering from this illness will recover and another 20% of people can make partial recoveries (Simmers, 1980.

References

Anad.org (2013) Bulimia Nervosa « « National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. [online] Available at: http://www.anad.org/get-information/bulimia-nervosa/ [Accessed: 9 Feb 2013].

pmhdev (2011) Bulimia - PubMed Health. [online] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001381/ [Accessed: 9 Feb 2013].

Simmers, M. (1980) Eating Disorder Statistics - Facts About Eating Disorders. [online] Available at: http://www.bulimia.com/client/client_pages/eatingdisorderstats.cfm [Accessed: 9 Feb 2013].

Webmd.com (n.d.) Bulimia Nervosa-Treatment Overview. [online] Available at: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/bulimia-nervosa/bulimia-nervosa-treatment-overview [Accessed: 9 Feb 2013].