Bulimia – what is it and how to treat it? Bulimia is a disease that makes life difficult and makes us unable to control our appetite. In a very short time, we are able to consume even 2-3 thousand. kcal. We feel ashamed because of this, so we want to cleanse our body as soon as possible. How to control your appetite and not expose your body to forced vomiting?
Bulimia – what is it?
Before we start thinking about how bulimia should be treated, we first need to understand the disease. It is characterized by frequent recurring episodes during which we are unable to control our own appetite. Within an hour, we are able to provide our body with up to 3,000. calories. However, after the episode, we feel remorse, so we want to return the eaten food. This is usually done by artificially inducing vomiting. Some people also decide to use laxatives or cleanse the body with a strict, often health-threatening diet. People with bulimia regularly consume large amounts of food and then regurgitate it. They struggle with remorse, shame, and temporary relief.
Other problems
People suffering from bulimia struggle – similarly to anorexia – with low self-esteem. Although they can maintain a healthy weight, they are still afraid that they will gain weight and become even more attractive to me. Bulimia is often accompanied by addiction to psychoactive substances, depression, and a sense of anxiety. Due to the irregular eating of meals and regurgitation of most of them (episodes can occur even several times a week), more and more problems appear in the body. Irregular menstruation, damage to tooth enamel, avitaminosis, decrease in electrolytes, weakened liver and heart.
Symptoms of bulimia
If we suffer from episodes of uncontrollable appetite or we are afraid that a loved one is struggling with them and we want to help them in the treatment of bulimia , it is worth paying attention to some basic symptoms of the disease:
- feeling a ravenous appetite and at the same time wanting to get rid of it;
- regular binge eating without feeling in control of the portions consumed;
- inducing vomiting after eating a meal and/or taking laxatives;
- constantly paying attention to your appearance and body weight and low self-esteem.
The occurrence of the disease
It has not been conclusively proven what causes the disease to occur. However, several factors have been distinguished that favor its occurrence. These include stress that the patient has to deal with, a difficult family situation, cultural conditioning, exposure to ridicule and criticism. Vomiting is an attempt to take control of your life and appearance. However, it leads to effective destruction of the body, which is why bulimia treatment is necessary
Treatment of bulimia
The introduction of a specific method of treatment depends on the individual assessment of the patient’s condition. Low self-esteem must be eliminated. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which assumes reaching the patient’s erroneous thinking about himself, and then changing this pattern, brings excellent results. In addition, patients take antidepressants, which further improve their mental state. Therapies can be conducted individually or in groups. It is also worth involving family members in the treatment, who often blame themselves and have remorse for neglecting a loved one. Good results are also obtained by keeping a personal nutrition diary, in which the patient notes everything he ate and records the accompanying emotions. Observation of the needs of your body teaches you control and allows you to eliminate wolf hunger attacks.
Effects of bulimia
Bulimia is devastating to the entire body and can permanently damage many organs. Regular vomiting makes our digestive system irritated and the body does not get the nutrients it needs. In the case of the oral cavity, we can expect damage to the enamel (due to the action of hydrochloric acid from the stomach), caries, gum disease, erosions and abrasions on the back of the throat. There is also a risk of rupture of the esophagus tired of constant vomiting. Added to this is its congestion, gastric flaccidity, ulcers, chronic pancreatitis or gastric erosions. Long-term bulimia also affects the nervous and circulatory systems. It can lead to shortness of breath, disturbances in the proper functioning of the heart, damage to the central and peripheral nervous system.
Quick help
The symptoms of the disease should not be ignored. If we see that a person close to us is suffering, we should help them as soon as possible and encourage them to treat bulimia. This is the only chance to stop the disease and slow down its impact on the body. Regular episodes of binge eating and vomiting can lead to effects that the sufferer will have to live with for the rest of their lives. Therefore, it is worth realizing that the faster the reaction and help, the less complications await the patient in the future.
