Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa Causes
Bulimia is associated to deep psychological issues and feelings of lack of control. Sufferers usually use the destructive eating pattern to feel in control over their lives. They may hide or hoard food and overeat when upset or stressed. They may feel a loss of control during a binge, and consume huge quantities of food (over 20,000 calories). After some length of time, the sufferer of bulimia will find that they no longer have control over their binging and purging. The binging becomes an addiction that seems almost impossible to break. Recovery is very difficult and often in the early stages of recovery the patient will gain weight as they are still binging but no longer purging, causing anxiety which will in turn cause the patient to go back to bulimia. There are higher rates of eating disorders in groups involved in activities that emphasize body type and thinness, such as gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, and figure skating. Bulimia is more frequent among Caucasians. In one study, diagnosis of bulimia was associated with high testosterone and low estrogen levels, and normalizing these levels with combined oral contraceptive pills reduced cravings for fat and sugar.
Bulimia Nervosa Complications
Bulimia can cause the health problems such as malnutrition, dehydration, e imbalance, which can cause cardiac arrest or brain damage by stroke, damaging of the voice, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, teeth erosion and cavities, gum disease, salivary gland swelling (sialadenosis), potential for gastric rupture during periods of binging, esophageal reflux, irritation, inflammation, and possible rupture of the esophagus, laxative dependence, and edema.
Bulimia Nervosa Definition
Bulimia nervosa, more commonly known as bulimia or "mia", is an eating disorder in which the subject engages in recurrent binge eating followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation. The sufferer will then take part in compensatory behaviors to make up for the excessive eating, which are referred to as "purging". Purging can take the form of fasting, vomiting, using of laxatives, enemas, diuretics or other medications, or overexercising.
Bulimia Nervosa Treatment
Several residential treatment centers offer long term support, counseling, and symptom interruption for the treatment of bulimia. The most common form of treatment involves therapy, often group psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. Anorexics and bulimics generally go through the same types of treatment and are members of these same treatment groups. This is because anorexia and bulimia often go hand in hand, and often patients have at some point undergone both. These forms of therapy target both the underlying issues which cause the patient to engage in these behaviors, and the food symptoms.