What is bulimia and how does it appear? What is bulimia? Symptoms of the disease that are used for diagnosis include

There are many people who often overeat without controlling their appetite. This condition is called bulimia, what is it? According to doctors, bulimia is a neuropsychiatric disease. The patient is completely focused on food, calories, weight, constantly feels hungry, overeats, then drinks weight loss products and often induces vomiting. Such people have low self-esteem, feel guilty, do not feel their weight, distorting their opinion about it.

Bulimia is a mental disorder closely related to food intake. A sign of the onset of the disease is paroxysmal, sharp surges of severe hunger. Typically, this disease affects young girls whose psyche has not yet formed and is subject to external influence. They have no willpower and cannot control the amount of food they eat. Overeating occurs periodically, hence the excess weight, so patients, after they have eaten a lot, try to completely get rid of what they have eaten by any means, even dangerous to health.

Now we should take a closer look at what bulimia is, as well as what its types are. Encyclopedias in this case will be somewhat scattered in information, but the general information is still the same. Bulimia nervosa is usually of a psychological nature; in this way a person tries to correct his condition. At the subconscious level, the patient tries to escape from objective reality, which is unpleasant for him. When attacks of negative outbursts occur - anger, fear, anger, irritation, etc., the patient immediately begins to eat in order to give himself positive emotions.

Physiologically, eating food actually contributes to the production of endorphins - happiness hormones, so food brings pleasure. A person gets used to this pattern: if he gets upset, he eats; the further he goes, the longer the pleasure lasts, that is, the process of eating food is delayed. Gradually, taste sensations are lost, the brain concentrates only on the volume of food, blood circulation shifts towards the digestive organs and nervous activity is lost.

Please note: This method of escaping problems is attractive due to its simplicity, because you can always eat deliciously; this does not require you to have a beautiful appearance, attract personal qualities and standard of living.

That is why bulimia develops - a psychophysical addiction, because in addition to the psychological aspect, the disease is based on the biological instinct to satisfy hunger. Gradually, the addiction gains momentum and the patient constantly experiences brutal hunger.

Expert opinion

Egorova Natalya Sergeevna
Dietitian, Nizhny Novgorod

Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) are much more common than we used to think. According to statistics, 5-10% of female representatives encounter them at different periods of life.

I would like to note that bulimia has a negative impact on reproductive health. It often leads to disruptions in the menstrual cycle and even the absence of ovulation. And this, as we know, can cause infertility. Moreover, women with bulimia are often underweight, which also increases the risk of infertility and miscarriage. Not long ago, the International Journal of Eating Disorders published the results of a scientific study that showed that women with eating disorders have a 2-3 times higher risk of miscarriage than healthy women.

And I’ll also add about the risk of spontaneous cardiac arrest. Yes, he really exists. The fact is that in patients with bulimia, the acid-base balance is disturbed due to vomiting. This is what can cause serious disruptions in the functioning of the heart. So if you have an eating disorder (or you suspect your loved ones may have one), contact a specialist immediately. After all, you most likely will not be able to recover on your own. And the lack of treatment can lead to irreparable consequences.

Classification of the disease

The disease occurs in alternating two stages. The first is a strong feeling of hunger and good appetite, with the inability to control satiety. The second is the emergence of a feeling of guilt and getting rid of the food eaten by any means: inducing a gag reflex, enemas, laxatives. This is how patients with anorexia, a consequence of bulimia, behave.

The duration of each stage can be any, depending on the severity of the pathology. It manifests itself in symptoms of varying severity at the level of behavior. Typically, pathology occurs in two ways. The first is that after overeating, the patient gets rid of what he ate. The second is that there is no getting rid of food, but patients are constantly on diets, from which they break and often overeat, so they try to control weight.

This is important: Patients who struggle with the problem on their own simply walk in circles, only aggravating their situation. Without delay, you need to turn to specialists and try together to get out of this situation.

Causes of bulimia and food refusal

The causes of bulimia are not fully understood and are based on assumptions.

But factors that initiate pathology have been identified, these include:

• Inheritance of mental, contrived, depressive and anxiety-phobic pathologies.
• Disorders in certain functions of the central nervous system.
• Problems with metabolism and endocrine system.
• Disorders in the inhibitory functioning of the nerve processes of the central nervous system.
• Hereditary addiction to alcohol and drugs.

Even one of these disorders can form a certain life scenario in the subconscious, the consequence of which is the development of bulimia.

All it takes is one push for this to happen:

• Individual psychological characteristics of a person are excessive anxiety, sensitivity and timidity.
• Low self-esteem and self-doubt.
• Severe parenting methods and criticism of external data by parents.
• Poor attention to the informal environment.
• Self-blame and guilt for parents' divorce.
• The presence of physical, mental or sexual violence.
• Frustration situations - failure, deception, unfulfilled expectations.
• Unrequited first love and fear of loneliness.

The main factors in the development of bulimia lie in the psychology of the patient. Received even in childhood, psychological trauma and other disorders that affect the functioning of the food center and lead to the development of the disease. If you find the trigger for bulimia, you can easily get rid of the disorder.

Symptoms of bulimia

People who consider themselves averse to this disease should carefully study the symptoms of bulimia. The beginning of the development of the disorder is a change in behavior. These are the first signs of the onset of bulimia.

Behavioral symptoms include:

• Increased consumption of food, poor and hasty chewing, practically swallowing food.
• After eating, the patient often goes to the toilet to induce vomiting.
• The person leads a secluded, secretive life, and there are signs of mental illness.

Physiological symptoms of bulimia:

• Weight changes, the patient loses weight sharply and also quickly gains it back.
• General weakness, visible unhealthy state, decreased energy.
• Frequent diseases of the throat and esophagus.
• Gastrointestinal diseases and metabolic disorders.
• Dental diseases caused by frequent vomiting.
• Hypertrophy of the salivary glands, as a result – increased secretion of saliva in the absence of food.
• Loose skin due to dehydration, dermatitis due to lack of food.

This is important: the patient does not consider himself such, refuses help, believes that he can cope with the problem with his own efforts. This is one of the signs of the presence of the disease.

Complications of bulimia

Bulimia or complete refusal to eat can cause any complications:

• Oral cavity. Caries, periodontal disease, periodontitis, destruction of tooth enamel. Frequent invocation of the gag reflex leads to hoarseness and injury to the mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive tracts.
• Risk of developing mumps.
• Disorders of the menstrual cycle in women.
• Digestive problems: gastritis, enteritis, sluggish intestinal motility, inflammation of the esophageal mucosa, disruption of the pancreas and liver, constipation and gas formation, anal diseases.
• Problems with the endocrine system: diabetes, hypothyroidism, insufficient functioning of the adrenal glands.

All metabolic processes are disrupted, and disorders occur in the water-electrolyte balance. The most unpleasant consequences of bulimia are excess weight gain and obesity. Patients can die from cardiac arrest in their sleep because the salt balance is disrupted. Constantly overeating, you need to be wary of rupturing your overfilled stomach and getting food into your respiratory tract. Often with increased food intake, kidney failure occurs. It happens that alcoholism or drug addiction, as well as depression, develop against the background of bulimia.

Treatment for bulimia

Self-cure of an illness rarely ends in success; you usually have to turn to specialists. The diagnosis is established based on a survey of the patient’s relatives, and the situations that led to the digestive disorder, his condition and symptoms are clarified.

Important! Personal contact with a doctor is necessary to identify mental abnormalities. Also, if necessary, other examination methods are prescribed: blood and urine tests, ECG and blood pressure measurement.

Therapy is aimed at eliminating the cause of the desire to completely refuse food. The organic form of the disease involves treatment of the primary pathology. Bulimia nervosa is treated by correcting psychological disorders. Treatment of bulimia occurs only under the supervision of a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. It is he who decides whether to carry out treatment in a hospital or whether it can be carried out at home.

When it is necessary to admit a patient to the hospital:

• If the patient has thoughts of suicide.
• Exhaustion has set in and there are many concomitant diseases as a result of complete refusal to eat.
• Severe depression.
• Dehydration of the body.
• Therapy at home is not possible.
• While carrying a baby, as this threatens his life.

An integrated approach effectively helps to get rid of bulimia nervosa: psychotherapy together with medications. Then there is hope for a complete recovery, both mental and physical.

Please note: Treatment lasts a long time, up to several months. Treatment is aimed at getting rid of the constant fear of gaining excess weight and the painful feeling of hunger, as well as starting to gradually eat food.

Therapy with a psychotherapist occurs individually and in groups. It is necessary to undergo 10-20 sessions, 1-2 visits per week. In severe situations, treatment lasts 6-9 months several times a week. A visit to a psychotherapist can also be done online: via email or Skype.

Drug treatment for food refusal begins with the prescription of antidepressants. They improve signal transmission in nerve cells. These drugs slow down the reaction, so after taking them you cannot do work that requires concentration. These remedies replenish serotonin deficiency, have a positive effect on the psychological state, reduce hunger and ideally cleanse the body.

The following drugs are taken when completely refusing to eat:

• Among the effective antidepressants against bulimia, the available ones are: Fluxetine, Sertraline, Prozac, Celexa.
• It is necessary to take antiemetics in small quantities: Ondansetron, Metoclopramide. These drugs eliminate nausea and give a feeling of fullness.
• Drugs are prescribed to eliminate convulsive pathologies: Topsaver, Maksitopir. In bulimia, they reduce the uncontrollable desire to eat something and maintain a neutral mood.
• The doctor may prescribe medications to get rid of addiction and affective psychosis: Naltrexone, Vivitrope. They help eliminate cravings for alcohol and drugs.

To stimulate the desire to get rid of the disease, you should look at a selection of photos of patients with bulimia and anorexia - these are girls who have refused to eat. Prepare yourself psychologically and firmly accept treatment. Then the prognosis will be favorable. Sometimes recovery from bulimia occurs as a result of an unpredictable joyful emotional shock.

Appetite forms the hunger center, which includes 3 sections. Here, with the help of special cells, the concentration of glucose and other elements is controlled. But under the influence of certain factors, the disease bulimia nervosa develops, in which the patient consumes an unlimited number of foods and regularly takes laxatives.

Understanding the characteristics of bulimia, what it is, what causes the disease, allows you to prevent its development.

What is bulimia?

Bulimia is a pathology caused by a neuropsychiatric disorder. The disease manifests itself in the form of a person’s uncontrollable desire to constantly consume large amounts of food. Bulimic neurosis is characterized by several symptoms:

• frequent occurrence of attacks of insatiable hunger;
• a person’s desire to get rid of what he has eaten by taking laxatives;
• attempts to induce vomiting;
• self-critical attitude towards oneself, low self-esteem, constant feeling of guilt.

The course of the disease is accompanied by depression. Due to a person’s desire to normalize body weight and get rid of accumulated kilograms, pathologies such as bulimia often develop simultaneously.

Malnutrition provokes swelling of the parotid shell. Frequent vomiting causes chronic irritation of the throat, and taking medications and insufficient intake of nutrients leads to tooth loss, muscle pain and constant fatigue.

During treatment for bulimia, it is important to establish the cause of the pathology. This disease can be provoked by organic damage to the brain or factors affecting the state of the nervous system. If we consider everything about bulimia, we can say that this pathology is one of the varieties of obsessive-compulsive disorder (more precisely, addiction).

An important sign of the disease is a lack of feeling of satiety or a constant feeling of hunger.

Types of bulimia

Bulimia nervosa is divided into:

1. Primary. Develops due to exposure to provoking factors.
2. Bulimia, which occurs against the background of anorexia, which also often causes an uncontrollable desire to eat, but there is no feeling of satiety.

The disease is classified into two types, determined by the patient’s behavior:

1. After another excessive consumption of food, he takes measures aimed at cleansing the stomach (taking laxatives, inducing vomiting).
2. Instead of cleansing the stomach, he adheres to a special diet, through which he controls his own weight.

The pathology has several stages.

Initially, the disease manifests itself in the form of uncontrolled bouts of gluttony (no more than 1-2 times a month).

Later, the frequency of such episodes increases, leading to chronic bulimia.

Causes of the disease

To fully understand the characteristics of bulimic neurosis, it is necessary to address the causes of the development of the disease. Factors causing bulimia are often hidden in childhood psychological trauma. In particular, the following reasons can lead to the development of pathology:

All this contributes to the development of an inferiority complex, which is relieved through food. This condition is most typical for women aged 15-28 years. However, in recent years, bulimia has been increasingly diagnosed in male patients.

Often, bulimic neurosis occurs when a person limits himself to food for a long time.

Among the possible causes of the disorder are low self-esteem, which is developed both by the teenager himself and his environment. Moreover, the patient begins to be critical only of his own appearance, not always affecting other aspects of mental activity. For example, a girl has a strong desire to get a figure like a model. This leads to constant dieting, which is often accompanied by “breakdowns.”

Another factor of low self-esteem is attempts to protect oneself from pleasures, through self-punishment to refuse joyful and pleasant events. In this case, a person tries to normalize his mental state by eating large amounts of food.

Possible causes of the disease include micronutrient deficiency. The brain gives a signal about the need to accumulate reserves and a person begins to consume food in unlimited quantities, thereby trying to protect himself from possible hunger. This is why frequent and strict diets are dangerous.

In some cases, bulimia develops due to a hereditary predisposition. Some genetic disorders cause endocrine system dysfunction, resulting in a deficiency of hormones that control appetite.

Symptoms

The disease usually develops under the influence of factors affecting mental and physical health, so bulimic neurosis is diagnosed by the following symptoms:

1. Uncontrollable food cravings. The patient does not monitor the amount of food consumed.
2. Taking laxatives or vomiting frequently to lose weight (more than twice a week for three months).
3. Switching to a strict diet, using hormones that reduce appetite.
4. Body weight does not correspond to normal values.

In addition to the listed signs of bulimia nervosa, symptoms of this disorder include a preoccupation with one's own shape and body weight. The patient constantly talks about food and the need for a healthy diet. He has obsessive thoughts related to the need for food. Moreover, he carefully hides this fact. The patient also experiences weight fluctuations ranging from 5-10 kg.

The presence of bulimia is indicated by indiscriminate eating. The patient even consumes spoiled foods, preferring high-calorie dishes. Overeating causes intense pain in the abdominal area. At this moment, the euphoria that arose due to saturation is replaced by a feeling of guilt (the patient becomes depressed). The patient then induces vomiting or takes laxatives and other drugs.

What diseases can bulimia nervosa cause?

Due to a lack of nutrients and frequent vomiting, the following phenomena begin to worry over time:

• pathologies of the oral cavity;
• decreased concentration and memory;
• persistent fatigue;
• frequent sore throats, colds;
• hoarse voice;
• heartburn, stomach cramps;
• burst blood vessels in the eyes;
• constipation, intestinal upset;
• enlargement of the parotid gland due to the course of the inflammatory process;
• limb spasms;
• dysfunction of the kidneys and heart muscle;
• dry skin, hair loss;
• decreased libido (in men);
• menstrual irregularities (in women).

A person suffering from the disease is diagnosed with mumps, chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, and endocrine diseases.

Therapy

Bulimic neurosis is treated by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist after identifying the reasons why bulimia occurs. In advanced cases, the participation of specialized specialists is required. Treatment for bulimia is mainly carried out at home.

Medicines taken as part of the chosen therapy are prescribed by the doctor.

If bulimia cannot be cured with medications or the disease poses a threat to the health and life of the patient (the child when therapy is carried out for a pregnant woman), the doctor decides to place the patient in a hospital.

Drug treatment

Antidepressants for bulimia form the basis of treatment. These drugs improve the conduction of nerve impulses between cells.

In most cases, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are used in treatment for bulimia. Medicines in this group improve the passage of nerve impulses from the brain to the centers responsible for the functioning of the digestive organs. Below is a list of over-the-counter pills:

An attack of bulimia can be stopped with the help of tricyclic antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Imizin). Medicines in this group increase the concentration of adrenaline and serotonin, thereby accelerating the transmission of impulses between cells. Also, tricyclic antidepressants calm the nervous system, eliminate depression and reduce the craving for gluttony. A lasting effect of treatment with these drugs is achieved within 2-4 weeks.

Antidepressants for bulimia should be prescribed by a doctor. Uncontrolled use of drugs provokes heart pathologies and other serious complications.

If the disease is diagnosed at the initial stage of development, antiemetic drugs (antiemetics) are used. These drugs (Zofran, Cerucal) are recommended for use during a period when treatment with antidepressants has not produced a lasting effect.

Psychotherapy

Treatment of bulimic neurosis by a psychologist is carried out according to an individual program, which is drawn up taking into account the characteristics of each specific case. Typically, 10-20 sessions are enough for the patient to fully recover.

Bulimic neurosis is treated with:

1. Psychoanalysis. The method involves identifying the causes of the development of bulimia.
2. Cognitive behavioral therapy. It is considered one of the most effective techniques. Such therapy involves changing the patient’s attitude towards himself and his own environment, current events and other factors that provoke cravings for food.
3. Interpersonal psychotherapy. The method is indicated for cases where bulimia occurs simultaneously with depression.
4. Family therapy. Within the framework of this approach, contradictions and conflicts between close people are eliminated.
5. Group therapy. This method is effective at the final stage of general treatment.

During treatment, the doctor adjusts the patient’s daily diet, including healthy foods and dishes (in small quantities) in which the patient limited himself.

Prevention and prognosis

Bulimia nervosa is treatable. However, the effectiveness of therapy directly depends on the patient's behavior. If the patient refuses the prescribed treatment or stops taking antidepressants prematurely, severe consequences of bulimia develop: cardiovascular disorders, depression, internal bleeding. In advanced cases, the patient dies from kidney failure or other pathologies.

An illness such as bulimia requires correction of the psycho-emotional state. In most cases, pathology develops due to nervous disorders associated with childhood trauma or stress. In this regard, to prevent the disease, it is necessary to eliminate provoking factors through psychotherapy.

Bulimia is a mental disorder associated with eating disorders. In medical practice, it began to be considered as an independent disease relatively recently. The main manifestation of bulimia is bouts of overeating, in which a person is able to consume large amounts of food without feeling full. After relapses, bulimics feel guilty and try to get rid of what they have eaten in various ways, for example, by taking laxatives or inducing vomiting. Such behavior inevitably leads to exhaustion of the body and the development of many complications from various internal organs.

Statistics show that the disease in question is most often found in young girls and women under the age of thirty-five. Of all patients, only 5% are male. A person with bulimia has two obsessions: food and losing weight. Even very thin women can consider themselves overweight, which forces them to adhere to strict diets.

A person, in fact, finds himself in a vicious circle, in a constant state. At some point, a nervous breakdown occurs - an attack of compulsive (uncontrollable) overeating. Consuming food in large quantities, the patient experiences euphoria, which is then replaced by a strong feeling of guilt and panic that this will lead to weight gain. Stress, hunger strike, etc. arise again.

Bulimics themselves do not consider themselves sick and do not seek help from specialists. Such people perceive their eating disorders rather as a bad habit that they are ashamed of. This explains the fact that all patients try to hide their overeating and “cleansing” of the body from others.

Bulimia is almost always accompanied by other disorders, for example, sexual disorders, severe, etc. As medical practice shows, only about 50% of people achieve complete recovery, but even they may have relapses. The success of treatment depends not only on correctly selected tactics, but also on the desire and willpower of the patient himself.

Causes of bulimia

The development of the mental disorder in question is usually based on psychological trauma, which causes a disruption in the functioning of the food center in the brain. Such injuries can occur in infancy and childhood due to lack of nutrition and parental attention. In adolescents, the development of the disease can be facilitated by poor relationships with peers.

Important: Experts note that the risk of pathology increases in children whose parents reward them with food for good studies and behavior. This helps the child begin to consider food as the main source of positive emotions.

Other possible causes of bulimia:

• low self-esteem due to any existing or imagined external flaws, the desire for the ideal appearance of a model;
• increased anxiety, stress;
• nutritional deficiencies in the body caused by strict diets;
• hereditary predisposition.

Most bulimics are unable to independently understand what exactly pushes them to overeat. The trigger mechanism for the disease can be found with the help of specialists and measures can be taken to control one’s own eating behavior.

Doctors identify three main symptoms that characterize bulimia:

• uncontrollable cravings for food, which pushes the patient to eat a large amount of food in a short time;
• taking measures that, in the opinion of the bulimic, will help avoid obesity: taking diuretic and laxative medications, artificially inducing vomiting, performing cleansing enemas, exhausting physical exercise;
• fluctuations in body weight;
• The patient's self-esteem is based on the state of his figure.

There are a number of signs that may indicate bulimia in a loved one:

• frequent conversations about proper nutrition, new-fangled diets and excess weight;
• patients can gain weight sharply and then also dramatically lose weight using rather radical methods;
• increased fatigue, depression, decreased concentration and memory, daytime drowsiness and insomnia at night - all these symptoms are a direct consequence of a lack of nutrients in the body;
• the presence of oral diseases, deterioration of the teeth, susceptibility to frequent sore throats and pharyngitis, scratches on the fingers, heartburn - these signs of bulimia indicate that a person often induces vomiting. Hydrochloric acid contained in vomit corrodes the oral mucosa and provokes an inflammatory process in the oropharynx;
• another sign of frequent vomiting may be vessels in the eyeballs bursting due to a sharp increase in blood pressure;
• bulimics often suffer from bowel disorders caused by overeating;
• deficiency of nutrients leads to seizures, impaired functioning of the kidneys, liver, and cardiovascular system;
• dry skin, signs of premature aging, unsatisfactory condition of nails and hair;
• In women, the menstrual cycle is often disrupted, up to amenorrhea. This is due to the fact that one of the main causes of hormonal imbalances is a violation of metabolic processes in the body.

Attention! Having discovered signs of bulimia in a loved one, you should realize that the patient is not able to help himself, so the only correct decision in such a situation is to see a doctor.

An attack of bulimia is characterized by an uncontrollable feeling of hunger, which can occur even with a full stomach. Obsessive thoughts arise about specific dishes, and dreams about food occur. All this prevents a person from concentrating on study or work, or leading a full life.

When a bulimic is left alone, he literally attacks food. When food is quickly absorbed, the patient does not even feel its taste. Many people eat completely incompatible foods together. As a rule, bulimics prefer high-calorie foods, such as sweets.

After a breakdown, an overfilled stomach puts pressure on the diaphragm and neighboring internal organs, breathing becomes difficult, and pain and spasms occur in the intestines. The feeling of euphoria is replaced by remorse, guilt, and fear of being overweight. The patient has an irresistible desire to get rid of calories, which forces him to induce vomiting or take a laxative.

Important! In the early stages of the disease, such breakdowns occur infrequently, only after stressful influences. Over time, the situation worsens, and the person suffers from bulimia attacks several times a day.

Consequences of bulimia

Being a serious disease of the nervous system, bulimia leads to serious complications, including:

• decreased blood pressure, causing fainting;
• and other pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
• renal failure developing due to a deficiency of potassium salts;
• problems in the reproductive sphere: early miscarriages, fetal development disorders, infertility;
• diseases of the oropharynx and the entire digestive system as a whole;
• chronic pneumonia;
• decreased performance;
• irritability;
• severe depression, attempts.

In an effort to hide the disease from others, bulimics often lose social connections and move away from relatives and friends, which only worsens their emotional state.

Diagnosis of the disease

There are several diagnostic signs on the basis of which a diagnosis of bulimia can be made.

Such diagnostic symptoms include:

• repeated episodes of overeating (at least twice a week for three months);
• obsessive thoughts about food;
• constant struggle with excess weight;
• frequent vomiting or spitting out food without swallowing;
• low self-esteem.

An experienced doctor must distinguish between ordinary gluttony and compulsive overeating - bulimia. Common signs of these conditions include eating large amounts of food at a fast pace, usually alone. Both disorders are caused by disturbances in the emotional sphere and entail a feeling of shame. The peculiarities of bulimia are that its attacks occur as a peculiar reaction to stress, sadness, sadness or other emotions. Overeating in this case is not spontaneous, but is planned by the patient who has a negative attitude towards food and is ashamed of the very fact of eating it.

Bulimics always compensate for overeating with artificially induced vomiting, laxatives, and grueling physical training. At the same time, the taste properties and type of food consumed are absolutely not important for patients.

The problem of bulimia is within the competence of a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. In advanced cases, a person may be referred to hospital treatment if he exhibits signs of severe exhaustion and dehydration, severe depression with suicidal tendencies. Pregnant women suffering from bulimia are also treated in a hospital setting, since the disease poses a direct threat to the life of the child.

The best results are obtained by complex treatment of bulimia, combining psychotherapeutic and medicinal methods. Psychotherapeutic treatment is always selected on an individual basis. As a rule, the course consists of ten to twenty sessions, which are held twice a week for several months.

The main areas of psychotherapy used in the treatment of bulimia:

Please note! Psychotherapy should be supported by regular physical activity. If a bulimic has concomitant diseases, such as obesity or gastrointestinal diseases, consultation with specialists and appropriate treatment are necessary.

As for drug treatment for bulimia, at the discretion of the attending physician, it may include taking the following groups of drugs:

• antidepressants, helping to improve the conductivity of nerve cell signals
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors– help eliminate depressive conditions, as well as improve the conductivity of signals from the cerebral cortex to the food center;
• tricyclic antidepressants, increasing the concentration of serotonin and adrenaline in nerve conductors, having a pronounced sedative effect
• antiemetics to suppress the gag reflex– their use can be recommended in the initial stages of treatment before antidepressants begin to act.

Patients and their relatives need to remember that treatment of bulimia is always a complex and long process, the success of which is directly proportional to personal desire and effort. Having learned to control one’s own eating behavior and enjoy more than just food, a person will begin to lead a full, varied life.

What is this? It’s scary to imagine, but this disease is much more common than a person can imagine. What is it and why is it so dangerous for humans? Bulimia manifests itself in uncontrollable bouts of hunger. A person is unable to control his own appetite. Hunger becomes so severe that the patient is simply unable to cope with it.

Painful attacks force a person to immediately start eating. While in this state, a person can eat a truly large amount of food, which has a detrimental effect on his health. Most often, bulimia affects young women who are most susceptible to stress and experiment with strict diets.

The disease can lead to sudden changes in weight. The severe stage can cause weight fluctuations within 10-15 kg.

Such changes have a detrimental effect on the human body and can lead to hair loss, heart problems and chronic fatigue.

Description of the disease

The main cause of bulimia can be called mental disorders. A person cannot control food intake and obsesses over food and calories. Independent attempts to resolve hunger lead to disastrous consequences. The patient takes diet pills, counts calories, gags, and obsesses over food.

It should be remembered that constant cleansing is very dangerous and can lead to serious consequences. As a result, severe irritation of the esophagus, pharynx, intestines and other mucous membranes may occur.

Main symptoms

The presence of bulimia can be predicted by carefully observing your own behavior. It is important to be honest with yourself and not be afraid to admit that you have a disease.

By paying attention to your behavior, you can notice the following signs.

• Excessive consumption of food, as well as excessive haste in eating.
• The desire to vomit after a heavy meal.
• Low self-esteem, excessive isolation, desire to distance yourself from the world around you.

Physiological signs include the following.

• Sudden changes in weight. The patient may suddenly gain weight and also lose weight unexpectedly.
• High fatigue, constant weakness, frequent headaches.
• Frequent inflammation of the pharynx and throat.
• Frequent diseases of the digestive organs.
• Discomfort in the oral cavity, the appearance of ulcers and stomatitis, as a result of frequent bouts of vomiting.
• Constant profuse salivation.

It should be remembered that most patients refuse to admit that they have serious illnesses. They mistakenly believe that they are in control of the situation and can stop at any time.

Treatment of the disease

How to get rid of such a dangerous and long-lasting illness? First of all, it is worth understanding the reasons for its occurrence. If psychological problems are to blame, the patient will have to undergo an intensive course of treatment from a psychotherapist. Bulimia nervosa is treated not only with individual therapy. In most cases, group is also used. Thus, a person gets the opportunity to communicate with people who are faced with a similar problem.

In the presence of depressive disorders, a course of antidepressants is prescribed. Patients are prescribed a special diet, the purpose of which is to restore metabolic processes in the body and return the person to their previous lifestyle. We must remember that one course is not enough for the patient. The disease may return again.

Summing up

The effectiveness of treatment primarily depends on the psychological state of the person. Complications of bulimia can have a detrimental effect on the human body, causing serious illness and even death. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to thoroughly engage in treatment.

Regular therapy, compliance with all prescribed standards, as well as a positive attitude will definitely help achieve a positive result. We must remember that a patient with bulimia needs serious support from loved ones.

The fashion for slim forms triggered the development of two diseases: anorexia and bulimia. Each condition has its own signs and symptoms, but the causes are the same. Bulimia nervosa is common. The difference between anorexia and bulimia will also be discussed in the article, as well as treatment methods and consequences.

The pitfall of wanting to be beautiful is that there is no clear definition of what kind of people are beautiful. It is generally accepted that the ideal shapes are “90-60-90”. Indeed, there will be people who will stare at such women. However, there are cases where men prefer women with more curvaceous shapes.

Women often suffer from bulimia, since they are the ones who are required to appear slim and thin. This leads to the development of various pathologies, including the inability to give birth.

What is bulimia?

Since people started losing weight, bulimia has developed. What is it? This is a mental disorder of eating, which is triggered by the desire to lose extra pounds. It is characterized by paroxysmal severe hunger, which occurs when a person significantly reduces or completely eliminates food. It pushes him to eat food, and the amount of food is very large. It is as if a person is not satisfied until he eats everything that is tasty and pleasant to him. Only after this does he calm down and realize that he had no control over his own actions.

Often this disorder affects women who are exposed to the influence of society. It occurs in adolescence, when young girls are just beginning to realize what they should be like and look for ways to assert themselves, after which it lasts for many years. It's like wanting to lose weight without doing the right things.

If we take the psychological cause of bulimia, then it is marked by the desire to lose a lot of kilograms in a minimum period of time. Literally tomorrow a woman should lose 10 kg. How can this be done? Through a total hunger strike? If you don’t eat, then the body begins to use its fat reserves, which is a correct opinion. However, on the very first day of the hunger strike, a person experiences excruciating hunger. This causes him to turn off conscious control and start eating food in large quantities. The final stage of bulimia is that the woman reproaches herself for not being able to resist, and is now looking for ways to “self-cleanse” her body of what she has eaten. This often occurs by inducing vomiting or taking laxatives.

Very often it is impossible to determine externally that a person is sick. Only at the level of actions does it become clear that a person is a bulemic. He refuses to eat even small quantities. He constantly whines about being fat whenever he eats. He tries to lose what he has eaten as quickly as possible.

Signs of bulimia

At the level of external and internal changes, it becomes clear that a person suffers from bulimia. The first sign of bulimia is anxiety, which arises at the level of incorrect thoughts and opinions about oneself. A person is malnourished, which provokes hunger, which bothers him, making him aggressive and unbalanced.

If you pay attention to the condition of your teeth and gums, you will notice that they are damaged. This is noted for the reason that the bulemic person tries to get rid of the food he has eaten by inducing vomiting. Stomach acid enters the oral cavity and therefore destroys enamel and gums.

A person is distinguished by obsessive ideas and actions. All his thoughts revolve around food. How not to eat it! How much to eat to stop hunger? How to get rid of what was eaten? These and many questions concern a person every second of time.

The results of various manipulations to get rid of food are disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract: dysbiosis, inflammation of the intestines, diarrhea, ulcers, etc. At the same time, the functions of other organs are disrupted: heart disease, impaired functioning of the kidneys and liver.

Various neurasthenic and neurological manifestations occur: convulsions, muscle twitching, dehydration, internal bleeding. Particular attention should be paid to the menstrual cycle, which is also disrupted as a result of constant fasting and overeating. It either shifts or disappears completely if a person loses significant weight in a short period of time.

Symptoms of bulimia

Symptoms of bulimia occur at different levels:

• Behavioral changes:

1. Haste in chewing, which is careless, eating in large quantities, swallowing in pieces.
2. Withdrawal from people after eating in order to induce vomiting or take laxatives.
3. Stealth.
4. Closed image.
5. Mental illness.

• Physiological changes:

1. Frequent weight changes - a person either suddenly loses weight or gains weight.
2. Diseases of the digestive system, metabolic disorders.
3. Decreased energy, weakness, physical ill health.
4. Increased salivation.
5. Tendency to inflammatory processes in the throat or pharynx: laryngitis, pharyngitis, sore throat.
6. Dental problems due to induced vomiting.
7. Flabbiness of the skin.
8. Dermatitis.
9. Dehydration.

The patient often ignores the presence of the disease, attributing it to the fact that he is able to cope with his condition through volitional efforts.

The disease manifests itself in two types:

1. Primary bulimia, which is expressed by constant hunger and an uncontrollable desire to eat. Diuretics and laxatives are used after each meal.
2. Like the stage of anorexia, when a person loses weight for a long time, plays sports, does not eat, and then suddenly eats up and feels guilty.

A characteristic symptom of bulimia is a voracious appetite that is difficult for a person to control. If he manages to stick to a diet, lose weight for a long time, and then suddenly overeat, then he belongs to the second type of bulimia. Most bulemics adhere to the first method of behavior: start fasting, then gorge on large, tasty and sweet dishes, and then use enemas, laxatives or induce vomiting. By the way, those who induce vomiting often have lesions on their fingertips.

Bulimia nervosa

The psychological help website separately examines bulimia nervosa. Its peculiarity is that a person consumes a large amount of food after a long fast or after stress. There are many examples of this:

• After a couple of days of hunger strike, a woman pounces on food, unable to stop.
• A woman is experiencing stress (for example, a loved one has left), which is why she goes to a candy store, postponing her intentions to lose weight until later.

Very few people are happy with their appearance. Many seem beautiful and quite attractive. However, if you find out their secrets, it turns out that most of them achieve their beautiful forms using rather harsh measures. Some go under the knife, believing that their weight spoils their appearance, while others try to cope with this problem by going on hunger strikes.

The fashion for thin people has been pushing people to be constantly concerned about their external shape for many years. Moreover, the size of body parts and weight become important. And since people are not taught organization and gradualism, they want to achieve what they want in a matter of days.

Anyone who wants to lose 10 kilograms in a week will most likely break their hunger strike and start eating a lot. In such situations, it is often said that a person regains not only the weight that he lost, but also gains it additionally. Thus, bulimia nervosa is characterized not only by a rapid breakdown after a hunger strike and the return of previous weight, but also by gaining additional weight.

Absorbing food brings pleasure and happiness to a bulemic person, since he often resorts to hunger strike for the following reasons:

1. Self-doubt.
2. Vulnerability.
3. Loneliness.
4. Constrained by various demands.

All this causes the stress on which bulimia nervosa is formed.

Anorexia and bulimia

Types of eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia. These two concepts are very similar, but at the same time different. One must distinguish one condition from another.

• Bulimia is binge eating followed by purging from food. Anorexia – refusal to eat.
• With bulimia, the weight does not go away; usually patients do not lose it. Anorexia is characterized by significant weight loss, which is noticeable even to others.
• With bulimia, people often talk about food and ways to avoid it. With anorexia, a person refuses food, gradually reducing its amount.
• Bulimia often affects people who want to lose weight in order to please other people. Anorexia often becomes a disease of those who are themselves dissatisfied with their own body. In both conditions, patients engage in self-criticism, are dissatisfied with themselves and hate their body.
• With bulimia, weight constantly fluctuates up and down. With anorexia it usually only decreases.

If we consider diseases in the ways in which they are similar, we can note various physiological disorders (hair loss, teeth loss, dry skin, etc.), fear of gaining weight, a feeling of guilt for what we have eaten, as well as avoidance of places where we have to eat (restaurants, holidays, etc.).

Bulemics and anorexics become suggestible people who can be influenced by public opinion. Often their desire to lose weight is initially dictated by some external disturbances and criticism. Depending on internal decisions, a person goes on a diet. If a person tries to instantly lose weight through a hunger strike, then most likely he will become a bulemic, since he will not withstand the stage of “brutal” appetite. If a person gradually reduces the amount of food they consume, they are likely to become anorexic.

Anorexia can develop into bulimia, and bulimia into anorexia, which links the two diseases.

Causes of bulimia

The occurrence of bulimia is characterized by many reasons. They are individual for each person. Conventionally, they can be divided into physical and mental. Here they are:

• Mental disorders.
• Diseases of the endocrine system.
• Disease of the central nervous system.
• Lifestyle.
• Heredity.
• Personal problems.
• Low self-esteem.
• Impulsiveness.
• “Seizing” problems.
• Lack of serotonin.
• Psychological disorders.
• Perfectionism.
• Long-term diets that led to failure.
• Slimness as standard.
• Playing sports.
• Imbalance of minerals and salts.
• Depression.
• Increased anxiety.
• Obsessiveness of ideas and actions.
• Hormonal disorders.
• Exchange disorders.

Bulimia often has psychological reasons for its development. The first factor is public opinion. We can talk about both the influence of fashion on slimness and family beliefs. Bulimia often manifests itself in wealthy families, where parents place excessive demands on the child. Pretentiousness and perfectionism become leading.

The second factor is age. Often, young people - from 12-15 years old - begin to suffer from bulimia (as well as anorexia). This can last for many years, because with bulimia a person does not achieve the desired result - does not lose weight. It becomes like fighting with windmills, where a person constantly tries, but does not complete the task.

The third factor is stress, which occurs in all people. Everyone has different ways of dealing with it. “Eating” the problem with sweet or rich dishes is a common method among women who have previously tried to lose weight.

Either hunger strike or gluttony - this lifestyle is led by a person who is unable to cope with his internal problems in other ways. Dissatisfaction with one's own appearance is also an internal problem that develops thanks to public opinion.

Treatment for bulimia

Since bulimia is often a mental illness, its treatment is mainly based on psychotherapeutic work. First of all, it is important that the person himself wants to get out of the painful state. It is important to realize what destructive consequences bulimia leads to, and also to understand the pointlessness of your impulses to first go hungry and then eat a lot.

When a person gives up diets and begins to eat a balanced diet, then he becomes healthy. There will be no intentions to get rid of weight, which may not be unnecessary at all. There will be a desire to maintain your health.

Outside assistance consists of:

• conducting psychotherapy sessions;
• taking sedatives and antidepressants (Fluoxetine);
• patience of loved ones.

At the time of treatment, the main emphasis is on restoring the diet. A person does not fatten up and does not go on a diet. He is simply prescribed nutrition that is balanced and complete. It is recommended to eat small portions several times a day, without waiting until uncontrollable hunger arises.

The patient is also taught to solve their problems and cope with stressful situations. They cannot be avoided. At the time of treatment, you can protect a person from life’s problems, but he will encounter them as soon as he leaves the supervision of a psychologist. What will be effective here is learning to cope with difficulties in adequate ways, and not by running away and “eating.”

Psychotherapeutic work is also aimed in two directions:

1. Change your attitude towards food.
2. Change your attitude towards your appearance.

Often bulimia is a misunderstanding of why a person needs food. Traditions, holidays, and meetings are often accompanied by unnecessary eating. Often a person begins to fast in order to curb his appetite, which should always want to eat. This can be resolved with the help of a psychologist.

It was noted that women often start going on diets because they are dissatisfied with their appearance, which is far from beauty standards. It is necessary to eradicate this idea, which pushes us to rash and unhealthy actions.

Hypnosis or self-hypnosis techniques are also used when conservative treatment measures are ineffective. Sometimes a person is placed in a hospital so that he is constantly under the supervision of a doctor until he returns to a normal diet.

Consequences of bulimia

If a person refuses the help of doctors and psychotherapists, then he exposes himself to the consequences of bulimia, which are often noted. The most important consequence of bulimia is obesity due to constant overeating. A “brutal” appetite in bulimia is not the norm, but a defensive reaction. A person eats as if “with reserve” for the future, when the days of malnutrition begin again. The result is obesity.

Other consequences are:

• Problems with teeth that decay.
• Problems with the gastrointestinal tract - various diseases develop.
• Malfunctions of the kidneys, heart and liver.
• Neurasthenia.
• Drug and drug addiction.
• Destruction of relationships with people.
• Death due to developing diseases.
• Loss of interest in life.
• Reduced blood pressure.
• Internal bleeding.
• Development of menstrual abnormalities, such as amenorrhea.
• Development of endocrine and metabolic disorders: diabetes, adrenal insufficiency.

A person can reach the point of suicide due to developed mental states that become companions of bulimia: anxiety, irritability, etc.

It should be understood that the wrong process of losing weight comes with consequences. If a person wants to lose weight, it is recommended to contact a nutritionist who will determine the minimum body weight that will be adequate for a particular person, and then prescribe a menu that will include acceptable dishes and products.

Forecast

There is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, become beautiful and attractive. If a person really suffers from excess weight, then he should contact a nutritionist for recommendations and the preparation of an individual diet. The life prognosis of a person who tries to get rid of normal weight through hunger strikes and cruel diets becomes disappointing. He is guaranteed to develop various diseases.

Life expectancy with bulimia depends only on the measures that a person applies. People usually live a long time with bulimia. The danger lies in diseases that develop against the background of bulimia, as well as the thoughts and mood to which the patient is subject.

The result of untreated bulimia is illness and even death. A person often isolates himself from society because he considers himself unworthy of their attention simply because he does not have the ideal body shape and acceptable weight. Self-doubt comes into play here: until a person is thin, he does not feel confident. Low self-esteem and suggestibility are also noted here.

It is noteworthy that a person who does not eliminate the causes of bulimia often does not solve his problems even when he reaches the desired weight. Life doesn't change. Problems don't go away. People continue to scare and demand some kind of effort. Relationships don't work on their own. As a result, the person experiences stress, which is why bulimia nervosa develops. He eats, then tries to lose weight again, because he continues to believe that his weight plays the most important role in his ability to build relationships with others, build a career, and feel like a successful person. All these are illusions that each time are destroyed by reality and provoke another attack of hunger.