Eating Disorder Resources ~ Bulimia
Most people have heard the expression binge and purge and recognize that it refers to bulimia nervosa. Whereas bulimia is characterized by this binge-purge cycle, it is so much more than eating and vomiting. True, a woman or adolescent with bulimia will consume huge quantities of food -- often to the point of extreme physical discomfort -- then induce vomiting. If vomiting is not an option, due to inability or general disgust of the behavior, she may turn to excessive exercise or laxative abuse.
But the question remains "why do people do this?"
Bulimia, like most eating disorders, is not about food, it's about feelings. Bulimia is used by people as a way to cope with unpleasant emotions. Say a young woman goes away to college. She feels a tremendous amount of pressure to prove herself academically. This need to achieve is added to the normal stressors of making friends, fitting in, adjusting to dorm life. She is far from home and family support. These negative feelings of anxiety, stress, and perhaps depression, build up. Indeed, she is overwhelmed by these emotions. But she discovers that her stress diminishes markedly when eating. While looking at food, touching and tasting, she feels better ... so she eats. Not surprisingly, after ingesting so much food, she is consumed by guilt and concerned about weight gain ... so she purges it from her system. The act of vomiting causes her brain to release soothing endorphins into her bloodstream, which provides a sense of calm. When the stress builds again, she repeats the behavior; before she knows it, she feels addicted to the bulimic behavior.
The problem with bulimia is that it seems to work, at first. But the short-term social consequences and the long-term medical complications are immense.
Remember...Bulimia is a very real and very dangerous illness. If you struggle with bulimia, keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with your feelings, there are simply healthier ways to deal with them. Professional counseling can help you cope and process your feelings more effectively. Consider eating disorder treatment with a team of specialists if bulimia is a problem for you.
Discover more about this important topic by checking out our informative Articles Library .
Articles
Featured Article: Identifying a Loved One May Be Struggling with Bulimia
by Courtney Kent, BA, Outreach Director, New Dawn, Marybeth Weinstock, PhD Psychological Assistant #PSB 35958, Primary Therapist, New Dawn and Victoria Green, MFT, Clinical Director, New Dawn
If someone in your family is struggling with bulimia, chances are, they are very skilled at hiding it. As with other eating disorders like anorexia and binge eating disorder, those dealing with bulimia typically do so in secret. When confronted with life-stressors or tension developed from restricting food intake, those suffering from bulimia comfort their emotions through a process known as “binge and purge.” In this cycle, a person takes in large quantities of food (1,000-5,000 calories) in a short time period. If the person
is on a “diet,” when the “forbidden” food is consumed, people with bulimia engage in compulsive behaviors like consuming much more in order to dull the unwanted feelings...Read Article
An fMRI Study of Self-Regulatory Control and Conflict Resolution in Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa
Rachel Marsh, Ph.D., Guillermo Horga, M.D., Zhishun Wang, Ph.D., Pengwei Wang, Ph.D., Kristin W. Klahr, M.A., Laura A. Berner, A.B., B. Timothy Walsh, M.D. and Bradley S. Peterson, M.D.
http://teenbulimiastudy.org/
When engaging the selfregulatory control processes necessary to
resolve conflict, adolescents with bulimia nervosa displayed abnormal patterns of activation in frontostriatal and defaultmode systems. Their abnormal processing of the antecedent stimulus context conditioned
their brain response to conflict differently from that of healthy comparison subjects, specifically in frontal regions. It is suspected that functional disturbances in frontal portions of frontostriatal systems may release feeding behaviors from regulatory control, thereby perpetuating the conflicting desires to consume fattening
foods and avoid weight gain that characterize bulimia nervosa...
Read More
Dysfunctional Frontostriatal Control Systems in Bulimia Nervosa
Rachel Marsh, Ph.D.
http://teenbulimiastudy.org/
Bulimia Nervosa (BN) typically begins during adolescence, and primarily affects young women with a lifetime prevalence of 1-2.5% among women in the general population....Read More
Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders
Submitted By Rader Programs
Eating disorders are complex diseases and not just a condition that can be treated with willpower. They meet the definition of a disease because like other diseases they have a particular destructive process for an individual, with a specific cause (that cause can be either known or unknown), and display characteristic symptoms. All eating disorders are primary diseases and not the secondary result of some other disorder. They are chronic conditions with an identifiable progression and predictable symptoms. Eating disorders arise out of the combination of genetic, sociological, and psychological factors... Read More
Resources
Important Non-Profit Organizations that Support Eating Disorder Research, Treatment & Recovery:
- Academy for Eating Disorders: The Academy for Eating Disorders is an international transdisciplinary professional organization that promotes excellence in research, treatment and prevention of eating disorders. The AED provides education, training and a place for collaboration and professional dialogue.
- Eating Disorders Coalition: Mission to advance the federal recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority.
- Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc: A nonprofit organization that provides information about anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other less well-known food and weight disorders. Our material includes self-help tips and information about recovery and prevention.
- International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals: The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp™) is well recognized for its excellence in providing first-quality education and high-level training standards to an international multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions, who treat the full spectrum of eating disorder problems.
- National Assoc of Anorexia Nervosa & Related Disorders: The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Inc. is a non-profit corporation which seeks to alleviate the problems of eating.
- National Eating Disorder Association: The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the largest not-for-profit organization in the United States working to prevent eating disorders and provide treatment referrals to those suffering from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder and those concerned with body image and weight issues.
page last updated April 12, 2012
