How to get rid of bulimia on your own. How to deal with bulimia on your own: a path to a new life

Many people want to learn how to treat bulimia on their own, and this is possible, because there is not one way to cure bulimia, but many ways and approaches. The approach to self-treatment of bulimia described in this article is taken from the Self-help manual for Bulimia nervosa (Chris Freeman and Gillian Downey). You can download the book in English. It has not yet been translated into Russian.

If you want to recover from bulimia on your own, you have to change yourself in three areas:

- their erroneous eating habits that lead to overeating;

thoughts and beliefs related to weight and food;

- attitude towards yourself and your body.

Changing eating habits

1. Use a food diary to record what you eat. Write down the amount of food, foods and the circumstances and timing of the meal, as well as the feelings that accompany it.

2. Try not to eat alone, but in someone's presence.

3. Try not to do anything other than talk to other people while you are eating. Do not watch TV or read books while eating. Focus on food and enjoy it.

4. Plan three main meals a day and two snacks. It is best to eat and have snacks at a certain time. Plan your meals in detail so you know exactly when and what you will eat. This is the most important recommendation.

5. Plan your days in advance, avoid long, unstructured and unfilled periods.

6. Do not keep large stocks of food at home. If you are afraid that you can buy a lot of food at once, take as little money as possible with you.

7. If you overeat most often at certain times of the day, plan some activities for this time that are not compatible with eating.

8. Don't weigh yourself more than once a week. If possible, stop weighing yourself altogether. Don't make it your goal to lose weight while you're acquiring new eating habits. When you normalize your eating process, you will be able to lose weight by reducing portions of food, rather than skipping meals.

9. If you think too much about your weight and bodily defects, it may be because you are depressed or anxious. Think about your other problems and try to find ways to solve or minimize them.

10. Regularly engage in enjoyable physical activity. Physical activity, such as running or brisk walking, will normalize your metabolism and increase the production of endorphins, which will improve your mood and relieve mild depression.

11. Regularly analyze what you are doing that helps you control your nutrition, and what hinders you. Discard unsuccessful strategies and look for more suitable ones.

12. Set yourself realistic, specific, time-bound goals.

13. Write down in a diary your successes, even the most modest ones. Every time you eat normally, you are moving forward in developing healthy eating habits.

Changing the vicious circle of thoughts

The way you think about becoming fat or how you should become thinner directly affects your behavior, i.e. fasting, dieting, exercising, vomiting, etc. This behavior, in turn, leads you to episodes of overeating and new worries about their weight and size.

This chaotic eating behavior causes anxiety, irregular periods, and other biological changes that in turn affect your mood and feelings. There are very few ways to directly affect feelings and moods, although medications can help you manage symptoms of depression. What you can do is learn to think in a less negative way about yourself, food, and your weight. This will change your behavior, and then you can break the vicious circle.

Typical thoughts with bulimia:

I won't eat anything today because I have to make up for what I ate yesterday.

I can't eat anything at tonight's party as I can't get rid of what I've eaten without anyone noticing.

- Well, I lost my temper and broke the diet!

Although at first glance it seems that these thoughts are reasonable, they take over your whole life and do not allow you to think about anything else. You need to get rid of these thoughts in order to really take control of your life.

We all have automatic thoughts that run through our minds all day, and we usually don't realize that these thoughts can be almost entirely negative or critical, and this affects our mood, self-esteem, self-perception and etc.

To cure bulimia on your own, you need to learn to recognize your automatic thoughts.

Properties of automatic thoughts:

a) they are not really based on reason and logic;

b) they are not facts, but interpretations;

c) they do not bring any benefit to the implementation of individual goals;

d) they are based on a subjective opinion about oneself and often do not coincide with reality;

e) even when automatic thoughts are irrational, they seem convincing because we do not test them and do not ask ourselves questions about them.

Write down your negative automatic thoughts in a special diary. When you feel bad, record what you are thinking about at that moment. This diary should have 4 columns: date, feelings, the situation in which they arose, and thoughts about it.

Typical negative thoughts of an eating disorder sufferer are about food, weight, and body. They are often distorted, support faulty eating habits, and interfere with progress in other areas of life.

False Judgments

After you've been writing down your negative thoughts for a while, along with your feelings and descriptions of situations, add another entry to your diary: misjudgments.

Types of erroneous conclusions:

1. All or nothing (everything is presented only in black or white light, without shades). For example: “I failed my driving test. I'm a bad driver, I'd better quit this business.

2. Overgeneralization (one incident turns into the belief that this will happen every time). Example: "If I eat one biscuit, it already means that I overeat."

3. Mental filter (attention is focused only on the negative details of any event). Example: “Today is a terrible day. I ate 300 calories at lunch."

4. Devaluation of positive events. Example: "He asked me out on a date because there's no one else."

5. The habit of assuming the worst. Example: "She won't talk to me because I'm fat."

6. Exaggerate your shortcomings. Examples: "I made a terrible mistake, I won't show up in this house again." "I will never recover from bulimia because I ate too much this morning."

7. Taking feelings for facts. "I feel fat, so I'm fat."

8. Statements with "should" and "should." "I have to lose 8 kilos, so I need to go on a diet." "I must be a good daughter."

9. Labeling yourself based on individual mistakes. "I'm a worthless person for making that mistake."

10. Omnipotence (taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong). "My parents fight because I'm a terrible daughter."

Review your diary of feelings and thoughts, and notice which misjudgment your automatic thoughts fall into. Don't try to refute your negative thoughts before you can identify the type of misjudgment.

Finding Rational Responses to Negative Thoughts

1. Ask yourself how you can support your thoughts. Look also for evidence that your thoughts are wrong.

2. Look for alternative points of view on the situation. How can anyone else look at her? How did you yourself look at this situation before, before you fell ill with bulimia? What arguments can be made to support these alternative views?

3. Do the judgments you have now help you? Are they moving you closer or further away from your goals? If you were to look at things from alternative, less negative points of view, what would it be?

4. Use "I want" or "I don't want" and "I need" or "I don't need" instead of "I should", "I shouldn't" or "should".

Thought: "I can't go to this party because I'm too fat." Questions to ask yourself about this idea:

- "What is the evidence that I am fat, and that I am not fat?";

"Does my boyfriend think I'm fat?"

“Before, such thoughts would have stopped me from going to a party?”

“Which way would I have a better time: sitting at home and getting upset, or going to a party?”

“If I wasn’t so concerned about how I look, would I have had a better time?”

“Can I take the risk and try going to a party to see if I enjoy it?”

How to deal with anxiety that interferes with the treatment of bulimia?

Anxiety in an eating disorder is fueled by many sources. These are daily problems, and anxiety about being overweight and following a diet, and discomfort in communication situations during meetings in cafes or at parties, and worries when weighing and trying on clothes.

Two pathological ways of coping with eating disorder anxiety are dieting or fasting and bouts of binge eating. To treat bulimia on your own, you need to find other, more positive and effective ways to deal with anxiety.

The easiest way to get rid of anxiety is to avoid unnecessary situations that provoke anxiety, such as weighing, browsing magazines or websites about weight loss, etc.

You can also learn relaxation techniques to use when you feel anxious. These techniques can only help you treat bulimia if you have already learned to deal with negative thoughts.

Make a list of things that bring you pleasure and relax you (there should be at least 20 of them), and do them not only when you want to eat or induce vomiting, but also just because, at least a couple of times a week. The more pleasant and relaxing things you do, the lower your anxiety level and the less likely you feel like overeating or starving.

If you can't manage to treat bulimia on your own, don't be discouraged, it's a really difficult task. Perhaps you need the support of a group of people who want to cope with bulimia or individual help from a psychologist.

An unhealthy increase in appetite can be a sign of the development of a dangerous disease - bulimia.

Bulimia is a disease in which frequent bouts of uncontrolled eating necessarily end with the speedy disposal of the food eaten by artificial induction of vomiting.

This disease is insidious and multifaceted. A person who quickly and indiscriminately “swallows” the food that has come to hand is not aware of what is happening and cannot stop. The situation is aggravated by pain in the stomach, weakness of the body, the presence of a very strong appetite and the psychological dependence of the patient. Concomitant diagnoses in bulimia are often CNS disorders and endocrine pathologies.

Bulimia: symptoms of the disease: photo

Bulimia is extremely difficult to diagnose, because its signs can not always be recognized. You can suspect bulimia in a person who is characterized by:

Frequent overeating, "swallowing" food in pieces
obvious changes in weight either up or down
depression or sudden mood swings
taking laxatives and diuretics
diseases and defects of the teeth, damage to the enamel
too frequent visits to the toilet
unhealthy skin
burrs on the fingers and swollen cheeks due to the constant induction of vomiting
desire for food in solitude
lack of energy, fatigue
hoarseness

IMPORTANT: If treatment is not started on time, bulimia will quickly gain momentum and lead to irreparable consequences.

bulimia after diet

People who are dissatisfied with their appearance, namely their weight, usually sit on diets. To reduce body weight, they go to exhausting daily workouts and severe food restrictions.

A healthy body experiences a lot of stress from this lifestyle. Not only the internal organs of digestion suffer, but also the human psyche. Innocent, at first glance, attempts to follow strict diets lead to strong breakdowns.

A person pounces on the food that he has denied himself for so long, and receives great satisfaction from the process of eating food. The euphoria does not last long. After realizing how many “forbidden” foods have been eaten, there comes a fear of gaining the kilograms shed earlier and the need to empty the stomach as soon as possible.

At this moment, a terrible disease is born - bulimia.

Over time, the need for the process of eating and feeling full becomes more and more. It becomes impossible to control food intake. Accordingly, trips to the toilet to get rid of "unnecessary" food are becoming more frequent.

IMPORTANT: If you do not detect this addiction in time and do not try to change your lifestyle, a person suffering from bulimia falls into a vicious circle, which is very difficult to get out of.

Nervous (psychological) bulimia

Bulimia nervosa occurs on the basis of low self-esteem, experienced stress and mental trauma, depression, depression, fear of gaining excess weight. It is easiest for a person to get rid of oppressive psychological states with the help of food, so the so-called “jamming” of problems occurs.

You can distinguish developing bulimia nervosa from simple overeating by the following signs:

Lovers of good food are picky eaters and have certain culinary preferences. Developing bulimia does not leave the patient the right to choose - he eats everything with the same appetite
when overeating satiety occurs, and when bulimia - no. Only stomach pains and cramps can stop a bulimic from eating.
a person who is prone to overeating does not experience sudden mood swings. The nature of people suffering from bulimia is characterized by apathetic traits, loss of interest in their usual life.

IMPORTANT: Women with bulimia nervosa are more likely to suffer from the weaker sex. Men are less predisposed to such diseases.

Bulimic attacks

Bulimia attacks can be compared to coughing or asthma attacks. They are uncontrollable and beyond the will and desire of the patient. During each attack of bulimia, a person eats about two and a half kilograms of food.

The absorption of food ends with the onset of heaviness in the stomach, increased heart rate, the appearance of drowsiness, sweating and weakness. The patient has feelings of guilt and shame, which push him to the desire to empty the stomach of what he has eaten as soon as possible. After artificially induced vomiting, hunger sets in again and everything starts anew.

IMPORTANT: At the beginning of the development of the disease, the patient may experience 2-5 attacks per month, in severe advanced cases - 5-7 attacks per day.

Consequences of bulimia

Bulimia can quickly destroy the entire body. This happens gradually and begins with the development of diseases of the stomach, pancreas and intestines. Then there are problems with the circulatory system.

At the same time, the condition of the patient's skin, nails and teeth deteriorates sharply. Tooth enamel suffers greatly, regularly experiencing the action of gastric acid. Then comes the turn of the excretory system. Kidney diseases develop, the liver ceases to cope with the load.

IMPORTANT: In women during this period, the menstrual cycle is disturbed, premature menopause may begin.

Constipation becomes a constant companion of a bulimic. There may be bleeding from cracks in the mucous membranes of the esophagus. The endocrine system is severely affected. And these are not all the troubles that await those who, in pursuit of an ideal figure, have chosen bulimia. Severe cases of bulimia do not respond to treatment and are fatal.

Can there be anorexia after bulimia?

Although anorexia is the exact opposite of bulimia, both are complex eating disorders and share a common goal: strict weight control. Both of these diseases are inherent in people who are obsessed with thinness, who have a distorted idea of \u200b\u200bthe beauty of the body.

Those who suffer from bulimia lose weight slowly or not at all. They may even weigh a little overweight, which is not in line with their desires. If, in his desire to lose weight, the patient decides to take extreme measures and completely refuses food, his weight will begin to decrease rapidly, and bulimia will gradually turn into anorexia.

Food for bulimia

To fight bulimia, you need to learn how to control the urge to vomit. This requires specific nutrition, because the “wrong” food will quickly bring all attempts to get rid of bulimia to “no”.

Most of the mistakes patients make at the moment when it seems to them that bulimia has receded. They begin to eat high-calorie foods and eat food in large quantities. The body cannot accept such food and, according to the usual pattern, rejects it.

IMPORTANT: After bulimia, you should not eat fatty, spicy and starchy foods until the basic functions of the body are restored.

A diet that helps cure bulimia should consist of the following foods:
vegetable soups and purees
chicken broths
oatmeal on the water
Rye bread
fresh and steamed vegetables
kefir, fat-free cottage cheese

IMPORTANT: At the beginning of treatment, the body will not accept hot, cold, flaky, sour, sweet foods.

At first, all food will have to be chewed very slowly and thoroughly. When your stomach gets used to it a little, you can try adding new dishes to the diet, as well as experiment with the taste and temperature of food.

IMPORTANT: The correct diet for complete recovery from bulimia can be compiled by a doctor. He will also give recommendations on the restoration of metabolic processes and the work of the digestive tract.

How to deal with bulimia? How to treat bulimia?

IMPORTANT: Treatment of bulimia is complex, simultaneously in three directions: psychological, medication and food.

To cope with bulimia on your own, you must first get rid of guilt. For this you need:
calm down, try to understand the causes of "hungry" dissatisfaction
make a promise to yourself to do everything possible to fight the disease
repeat as often as possible: “I am safe. I'm not in danger"
respect and allow yourself any emotions, including negative ones
realize that fictional ideals are far from real life
try to love your body
find a new hobby
visit interesting places, go on vacation
get pets and plants
seek help from a specialist

IMPORTANT: The favorable outcome of the treatment of bulimia largely depends on the psychological mood of the patient.

Drugs for the treatment of bulimia

For the treatment of bulimia, antidepressants and antipsychotics are used, which help fight attacks, resist the acute need for food.

The first drug your doctor will prescribe is fluoxetine (60 mg/day). This drug works both as an antidepressant and a stimulant. It is used in the daytime and has few contraindications. The minimum duration of treatment is 6 months
Another drug widely used in the treatment of bulimia is Phenibut. It has a good sedative effect. Taken at night
Ondansetron reduces the frequency of overeating and self-purging. It has a number of serious side effects, such as abdominal pain, migraines, constipation. It is prescribed at the beginning of treatment at a dose of 25 mg / day. At the end of treatment, the daily dose may reach 400 mg/day.

IMPORTANT: Medicines such as Bupropion and Trazodone, despite their high effectiveness, should not be used to treat bulimia due to serious side effects.

Bulimia and pregnancy

For women with bulimia, pregnancy becomes a difficult test, because the life of the mother and child is at risk. Overeating attacks and the need to cleanse the body in pregnant women are no different from similar processes in ordinary women, however, they have different consequences.

Bulimia in pregnant women leads to the birth of premature, underweight children with immature organs and tissues, miscarriages, and premature births.

IMPORTANT: Even the birth of a healthy child, carried by a bulimic mother, does not exclude the appearance of serious problems in the baby in the near future.

The only positive point in pregnancy with bulimia is the possibility of a quick cure for the disease. It is enough for a future mother who cannot love and accept herself and her body to seriously think about the health of her unborn baby. Understanding that the life of a child is at stake is often enough for a woman to take decisive action.

Bulimia in children

Bulimia in children is quite common. The causes of this phenomenon can be psychogenic and physiological factors. Psychogenic include:

IMPORTANT: Parents who notice signs of bulimia in their child should definitely seek medical advice.

Treatment of children from bulimia takes place only under the supervision of specialists and consists of several stages:

1. Psychoanalysis, with the help of which the cause of an eating disorder is clarified
2. Changing erroneous behavior patterns at the subconscious level
3. Drawing up a new menu, prescribing medications
4. Increasing self-esteem, learning to communicate with others
5. Elimination of psychological factors that provoke the development of the disease.
6. Group therapy

IMPORTANT: Hospitalization is carried out extremely rarely, in very advanced cases.

Despite the fact that bulimia is a dangerous and intractable disease, if the patient wishes and actively takes action, it can still be defeated. And so that the disease does not return, it is enough to strictly follow the recommendations of the doctor.

Video: Bulimia. How to recover from bulimia

An attack of bulimia or compulsive overeating is an emotional discharge of great power. Like any other attack, it has a beginning...

Road map

An attack of bulimia or compulsive overeating is an emotional discharge of great power. Like any other attack, it has a beginning, a middle/peak, and an end/fall.

The main way to stop wait out like bad weather. Over our head, as if a thunderstorm is gathering, a hurricane falls on us.

The task is not to resist with all your might, but to not be afraid and accept.

In fact, every attack and even breakdown (if you couldn’t resist eating too much) is another step towards getting rid of bulimia. That is how they should be treated.

Controlling addiction - be it food, cigarettes, alcohol - is a skill like any other.

To learn how to roller-skate, drive a car, speak a foreign language fluently, you need to practice. The more we practice, the better we get.

At first, I almost could not resist the breakdowns, although I really wanted to. The bulimia was stronger and I was weaker.

But I did not give up, and over time, the balance of power changed: my “I” got stronger, and bulimia decreased.

Think of an attack as an opportunity to practice. For the first time on a bicycle, we ride unevenly, we wiggle, trying to hold the steering wheel, we fall, we fall, we rise. And after some time - sat down and drove off.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS

At the moment of a binge eating or bulimia attack, we usually have no thoughts or plan of action other than “I want a cake, a pot of macaroni/chips, three pizzas, a warm loaf of cheese, a bucket of ice cream; I have to hold on, but I can’t resist, food is stronger than me, I’m a nonentity, a pitiful weak-willed person.

What if it wasn't bulimia but another condition like diabetes? When sugar “falls”, a person is ready in advance and clearly knows what to do - conditionally, eat the candy / chocolate he took with him, take medicine, call for help.

When we have worked out the action plan to automatism, it is easier for us in situation X - the instructions for a fire case are at hand.

I suggest treating a bout of binge eating/bulimia like a bout of diabetes - develop a mini first aid manual to know how to behave.

Oops, it's starting. Terrifyingly I want to break through goodies, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist. What should/should I do now?

One, two, three, four, five steps. This approach immediately relieves the severity of the attack.

FEED YOURSELF

A bulimic attack is a loud signal that we are hungry. Only the hunger is not physical, but spiritual.

We have an acute unsatisfied need - it “burns”, “hurts”, “screams”, in general, it reminds us that we need to act urgently.

Eating will not relieve this pain, but will only make it worse - you know this from experience.

The task is to choose actions that increase mood, strengthen self-esteem and give energy, replenish our internal resource. These will be 3-5 steps of the “Instructions in case of an attack”, which I wrote about above. Schedule them ahead of time.

Maybe you need to lie down on a soft carpet with your arms outstretched and just listen to silence or your favorite music (by the way, you can put together your own playlist - 3-5 songs that drive away melancholy and give strength during an attack).

Watch thoughts and emotions come and go like clouds in the sky.

Hug a loved one, sit / lie down next to.

Water flowers/plants.

Play with a kitten.

Or - from the heart to jump with a rope, violently beat a punching bag, run through the park in the evening.

Maybe go to a beautiful temple next door.

Or - sleep. They came straight from the street, washed their hands, changed into home clothes, put a new pillowcase on the pillow so that it would please with the smell of cleanliness, and dived into sleep for half an hour / hour.

OTHER NICE THINGS

Choosing between eating goodies and other activities, many feel left out - because we deny ourselves the pleasure. Who will like it?

Look at the situation differently: the time it takes to overeat could be spent on other pleasant things, such as meeting a girlfriend / friend or pursuing your hobby.

Don't tell yourself that there will be fewer goodies in your life, think that you will have more time to live your life.

TWO CHANCES

A bulimic attack is designed to give us a chance twice.

We can refrain from gluttony altogether, and it's great when it works. If not, there is another opportunity to practice getting your food addiction under control.

Namely, to refrain from trying to "cover up the traces of the crime": induce vomiting, take a laxative, or perform some other ritual of yours.

In my opinion, the second scenario allows you to quickly deal with bulimia.

When you just sit with a full stomach - "not hiding behind vomit", but directly facing your gluttony - this unpleasant experience burns into the memory and helps to keep from eating extra food next time.

I repeated the mantra “the truth protects me, the truth makes me stronger.” The truth is how much I ate, so much I digested. She takes us back to the shores of healthy eating, showing us how not to overeat in huge quantities.

TURN ON SURVEILLANCE CAMERA

Let's say you catch yourself thinking that you want to eat - you can not be kept. Great, start, and at the same time - turn on the surveillance camera.

It’s like I’m leaving my body, stand next to me and turn on the camera. Now I am not only a participant, but also a witness to the breakdown that is happening to me.

I am above the fight, I observe and analyze.

Here I am in the kitchen, a swift turn to the refrigerator / cupboard, opened, closed, sat down or convulsively eat standing up in order to be in time before my relatives were caught in the crime.

Or vice versa, I’m alone in the apartment, not a soul nearby, I sit exhausted in an armchair, there is a cake in front of me and I slowly absorb it, spoon by spoon, until I finish it.

During an attack, say to yourself or out loud what exactly you are eating now, and in what quantity. The eye of a witness helps to distance oneself from gluttony and stop.

MY STOMACH IS NOT A WASTE BIN

Spit out, throw away the excess food that you stuff into yourself during an attack - let your free will and resistance to gluttony be expressed in this.

Imagine that someone is forcibly trying to push food down your throat, but you do not give it - because your stomach is not a trash can, you will eat when you decide, set a time for yourself, and not under the influence of an impulse.

This exercise helps to wake up, return to reality from the fog of gluttony, feel like "driving" and take control of the situation.

CREATE A BRIGHT LOOK

It helps to overcome the zombie effect: when it seems to us that food controls us, it is as if some higher power forces us to eat, and we ourselves are powerless. In fact, this is not so, and we can reprogram ourselves - through images.

For example, at the beginning of the attack, I imagine how the waves of the Atlantic Ocean break on the shore of the small island-fortress of Mont Saint-Michel (fr. Mont Saint-Michel, Mount Saint Michael) - they try to take it by attack, but the fortress does not give up, it stands, despite to the fury of the waves.

At the peak, another image helps - the “eye of a tornado”. This is the name of the area of clearness and calm in the very center of a tropical cyclone - a storm of emotions rages around us, they push us to food, but we are still safe.

Do not be afraid to break loose and do not get angry when there is a wild desire to fill your stomach with food. Do not forbid yourself any products, do not scold for breakdowns, do not panic and do not be ashamed - this only fuels bulimia and makes it worse. Keep calm.

* I remind you that I am sharing my personal experience of overcoming bulimia. Each case is individual, it is important to analyze the best practices and build your own recovery program based on your experience. If you feel like you can't manage on your own, find a trusted, qualified eating disorder doctor.published .

If you have any questions, ask them

Ksenia Tatarnikova (Tatarnik)

Surely every person at least once in his life heard about a disorder called "bulimia". Symptoms of the disease are uncontrolled bouts of hunger, followed by a desire to get rid of excess weight. It is generally accepted that such a violation is the prerogative of models and celebrities. However, the disease is also common among other segments of the population.

What is this disorder? What are its main symptoms? What are the consequences for a sick person? Is it possible to get rid of bulimia at home? These questions are becoming more and more relevant in today's world.

What is bulimia?

Almost everyone knows about the existence of such a problem as bulimia. Many people consider this disorder to be a whim, but in fact it is a serious disease. It is accompanied by uncontrolled bouts of hunger, which are replaced by a period of regret and repentance on the part of a sick person.

How to treat bulimia? How to recognize this disease in time? These questions are of interest to many. After all, it's no secret that sometimes the help and support of a loved one is crucial.

Brief historical data

In fact, "bulimia" is a word of Greek origin, which literally means "bull hunger." The name in this case speaks for itself. To date, there is not much historical data on this disorder. It is only known that the first official studies began after the end of the First World War.

As a separate disease, bulimia was isolated in the twentieth century. According to statistics, over the past few decades, the number of patients suffering from such a disorder has increased significantly, which, in fact, explains the increased interest of physicians and researchers in this disease. According to statistical surveys, approximately 15-20% of the world's inhabitants from time to time observe classic bouts of bulimia.

The sharp increase in the number of patients with this diagnosis is associated with the characteristics and lifestyle of a modern person and changes in beauty standards. By the way, women most often suffer from bulimia, although this disorder also occurs among the male part of the population.

The main psychological causes of the development of bulimia

Today, many people are interested in questions about how to cure bulimia. But before studying information about modern methods of therapy, it is worth learning more about why this disease occurs. It's no secret that most often this ailment is associated with mental disorders. And the causes of bulimia can be very different.

Often the prerequisites for the development of bulimia appear in childhood. For example, if a child often experienced a feeling of hunger, or parents rewarded him with food for some achievement, then the perception of food could be distorted. However, in most cases, complexes about appearance are risk factors, especially if in childhood or adolescence the child often heard criticism from parents, friends or peers about their own weight.

In some cases, binge eating can be associated with severe stress or emotional trauma. In some women, bulimia-type disorders develop against the background of a break with a loved one, job loss, death of someone close, etc.

On the other hand, breakdowns are often observed in women who carefully follow the figure. Constant strict diets lead to a deficiency of glucose and nutrients. Under such conditions, the work of the food center may be disrupted.

Are there physiological risk factors?

It is generally accepted that bulimia is a disease of exclusively mental origin. However, some people are predisposed to developing this disorder. Indeed, in some cases, uncontrolled bouts of hunger can be associated with the physiological characteristics of the body.

Today, the term "hereditary bulimia" is increasingly used. Its symptoms are associated with the presence of some genetic abnormalities in the brain.

In addition, bouts of hunger can be the result of various damage to the food center of the cerebral cortex. It is this zone that is responsible for the formation of feelings of hunger and satiety. When the work of this center is disturbed, perception and subjective sensations from food intake are distorted. This may be due to damage to the neural pathways that the brain receives information about the degree of filling of the stomach or the level of glucose in the blood.

There are other diseases that can lead to the development of bulimia. In particular, this disease often develops against the background of hormonal disruptions. For example, it may be caused by hypothalamic-pituitary insufficiency. Risk factors also include metabolic disorders, including metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, etc.

What happens during an attack?

There are very characteristic seizures that accompany bulimia. Patient reviews indicate that the scheme for such a disease is about the same. First, a person has a strong feeling of hunger. It can be caused by various factors. For example, hunger can be associated with stress, panic attacks, dissatisfaction, emotional overload, staring at food in the supermarket for a long time, watching a cooking show, etc.

It is worth noting that this is not just the usual hunger that every person experiences. This feeling is like an obsession. Patients tend to lash out when they are alone in the house, often at night. People suffering from bulimia begin to consume huge amounts of food. They do not smell or taste, so they often eat even spoiled foods. Since the feeling of fullness never comes, patients can eat until food supplies run out.

After an attack, a person usually feels real physical discomfort. After all, the stomach is greatly stretched, presses on the diaphragm, lungs and other internal organs, interfering with normal breathing. Often there are severe painful cramps in the abdomen. Such sensations cause a desire to get rid of the newly absorbed products. And the fastest way to do this is to induce vomiting. This helps eliminate physical discomfort.

Do not forget that bulimia nervosa is often associated with various complexes about appearance. Sick people strive to maintain the ideal (in their opinion) body shape. Therefore, after an attack, all possible methods are used - strict diets, taking laxatives and diuretics, as well as intense physical activity. All this, of course, gives the patient the desired results, but not without side effects. Taking laxatives and diuretics disrupts digestion, affects the water-salt balance, leaches useful minerals from the body, and ultimately can lead to dehydration.

Naturally, the habit of overeating and inducing vomiting is carefully hidden from loved ones, as it is perceived as something shameful. Most sick people are sure that they can stop at any moment, and they do not need the help of specialists.

Bulimia: symptoms of the disorder

Of course, with close communication with a person, you can notice some physiological changes:

This is what bulimia looks like. The consequences of this disease can be fatal. That is why it is so important to notice the main symptoms in time. By the way, patients have some psychological features.

In particular, people with bulimia are often obsessed with their own appearance and consider body weight as one of the main criteria for evaluating personality. Bulimics very often talk about the problems of obesity, various diets and ways to deal with excess weight. On the other hand, a sick person is usually aware of the problem. And since the tendency to gluttony is considered a kind of shameful shortcoming, then none of the patients likes to talk about it.

Disease classification system

Today, many people are interested in questions about how to get rid of bulimia. However, it is worth learning a little more about this disorder first. In modern medicine, there are several classification schemes for this disorder, although they are all relative, because the causes and symptoms of bulimia are individual for each person.

For example, it is customary to single out primary bulimia (people suffer from constant hunger, which in most cases is associated with organic brain damage), as well as a disorder that has arisen against the background of anorexia.

Bulimia nervosa can also be divided into several types. Some patients after bouts of overeating try to quickly cleanse the body with the help of vomiting, enemas and medication. At the same time, other people prefer rigid diets, which only aggravate the situation and lead to repeated breakdowns.

Methods for diagnosing the disease

Surely everyone knows how dangerous bulimia can be. The symptoms of this disease, or rather their presence, is a serious reason to seek help from a specialist. As a rule, the main signs can be noticed already during communication with a person. So what does the test for bulimia look like?

People suffering from this disorder tend to be very preoccupied with their own weight and appearance. Despite the harmony, and sometimes severe thinness, the patient may worry about being overweight.

To combat extra pounds, the patient uses inadequate methods, although he may miss this shameful fact during a conversation with a psychotherapist. The diagnosis of bulimia is made if, in the past two months, the patient has experienced at least three bouts of uncontrolled hunger, followed by attempts to get rid of the calories eaten.

In the future, some additional studies are being carried out that help determine the presence of complications and the physiological causes of the development of this disorder.

Bulimia: inpatient treatment

Some people suffering from this disorder require hospital treatment. The question of hospitalization of the patient can only be decided by the attending physician. What is the indication for such therapy?

First of all, these are strongly pronounced signs of bulimia, complete exhaustion of the body and the presence of severe concomitant diseases that pose a threat to the patient's life.
Depressive states, apathy, suicidal thoughts.
Severe dehydration, beriberi, nutritional deficiencies.
In some cases, pregnant women have to be hospitalized, since bulimia is extremely dangerous for the life of the child being born.

How to treat bulimia with medication? It is immediately worth noting that only a doctor can determine the drugs and the scheme for taking them - it is highly not recommended to take any funds on your own.

What drugs are used to treat bulimia? Treatment most often involves taking antidepressants. Such funds improve the conductivity of the nerve pathways. For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (drugs "Prozac", "Fluoxetine") improve the conduction of impulses between the digestive organs and the food center of the cerebral cortex. Tricyclic antidepressants (Imizin) help to eliminate the symptoms of depression.

In addition, patients are prescribed other medications. In particular, it is extremely important to restore the balance of electrolytes in the body, which is achieved with the help of special solutions, the right diet, and the intake of vitamin complexes. Sometimes therapy includes antiemetic drugs and tranquilizers.

Psychotherapy for bulimia

In fact, there are many psychological techniques that are used to treat bulimia. The photo shows that most often you can get rid of the problem during a session with a psychotherapist. Psychoanalysis, interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral therapy are considered the most popular methods today. In the classroom, a specialist will help identify and understand the causes of a mental disorder. Sessions also help to accurately identify subjective signs of an attack of hunger and resist it.

Can bulimia be cured at home?

Staying in a hospital is not indicated for all patients diagnosed with bulimia. Treatment at home is also possible. However, consultation with a specialist is required. It is also desirable that during therapy with a sick person there is always a relative or friend who is able to support in difficult moments.

To begin with, it is worth noting that the patient needs to attend at least 10-20 sessions of psychotherapy, since only a specialist can help to understand himself. As a rule, people with this disorder are advised to start a special food diary in which you can record the amount of food eaten, describe the sensations that appear during a breakdown, etc. Patients are advised to gradually introduce into the diet those foods that were previously perceived as forbidden, and forever forget about strict diets.

As for folk methods of treatment, healers in such cases recommend drinking linseed oil (improves the functioning of the digestive organs), an infusion of mint and parsley (has calming properties), and a decoction of corn stigmas.

The main consequences of the disease

It's no secret how dangerous bulimia can be. The consequences of such a disorder often lead to irreversible changes in the body, and sometimes to the death of the patient. So why is such a disease dangerous?

To begin with, it is worth noting that patients with this disorder are characterized by various diseases of the oral cavity - these can be gingivitis, periodontitis, frequent stomatitis, etc. Such people are also prone to frequent tonsillitis, laryngitis and pharyngitis, since gastric juice damages the upper respiratory way. Another common complication is inflammation of the parotid salivary gland.

Prolonged exposure of gastric juice to the mucous membrane of the esophagus leads to its irritation, so bulimia is associated with constant heartburn and other digestive disorders.

Strict diets, taking diuretics and laxatives, cleansing enemas and other means that bulimics use to combat excess weight adversely affect the functioning of the whole body. After all, useful substances simply do not have time to be absorbed, and minerals are quickly washed out of the body. Violation of the water-salt balance is extremely dangerous. Deficiency of nutrients leads to the periodic occurrence of seizures. Severe complications of bulimia include severe dehydration, the development of kidney failure.

Moreover, such a disorder affects the work of the endocrine system. Sudden changes in the hormonal background lead to disruption of the menstrual cycle up to amenorrhea. Sometimes bulimia provokes the development of adrenal insufficiency.

On the other hand, glucose deficiency affects the functioning of the brain. People's memory deteriorates, constant drowsiness and fatigue appear. The patients themselves become secretive and lead a solitary life. Often there is the appearance of depressive states up to thoughts of suicide. Such people are more prone to drug and alcohol addiction.

Bulimic patients may die from heart failure. Dangerous complications include perforation of the stomach or esophagus. That is why in no case should you ignore such a problem.

When diagnosed with bulimia, treatment is best done in a specialized clinic, under the supervision of highly qualified doctors. However, not everyone can afford it, but you should not despair, because you can try to get rid of this disease yourself. This will require from a person endurance and constant control of their thoughts.

1 Causes of bulimia

When thinking about how to treat bulimia, you should know why this disease occurs. After that, it will be possible to identify problems and deal with it. Bulimia is an eating disorder that can occur as a result of chronic malnutrition. Most often, this is observed when a person adheres to various diets, that is, drives himself into a framework that limits food intake. As a result, malnutrition occurs, which provokes bouts of gluttony. The person subsequently becomes ashamed of their behavior and goes on a date with the toilet. Such actions only exacerbate the situation.

Often bulimia appears on the background of a mental disorder. Binge eating attacks happen in people who have a particular problem. Thus, they seize it, which makes them feel much better. However, later the person notices that he has recovered, so the food eaten is sent to the toilet.

There is another reason for bulimia, food for a person in this case acts as a drug. He is happy when he eats this or that food. But uncontrolled consumption of high-calorie foods leads to weight gain and health problems. The only solution in this situation should be the rejection of the huge and uncontrolled consumption of food. However, for a drug addict, this is almost impossible, for some time he eats properly, but during periods of depression he breaks down and pounces on food.

2 How to cure bulimia at home?

You can treat bulimia yourself, but the first step is to get rid of the cause of its occurrence. If a person wants to lose weight and constantly sits on a variety of diets, then he needs to reconsider them. First of all, you need to understand that refusing food will not solve the problem of excess weight. There should be an integrated approach here. You can stay on a sparing diet, but at the same time visit the gym regularly. You should discuss with the coach what places you need to work out and try to follow all his instructions. You should not hope for an instant result and stand on the scales every day in anticipation that they will show the minimum weight. It's best to weigh yourself once a week. It is important to remember that diets give a temporary result, without physical activity and dietary adjustments, it is impossible to lose weight forever. A beautiful and slender body is the result of daily training and self-improvement. It is also very important to love yourself, do not look at models and movie stars. The ideal in this world simply does not exist, it is a myth inspired by glossy magazines. You need to look at yourself and accept the way you are. Of course, you should not continue to eat kilograms of food, everything is good in moderation.

Treatment for bulimia caused by a mental disorder is somewhat different. When a person is under stress and tries to eat his food, he just needs to relax. Of course, this is not easy to do, but various techniques can help with this. It is recommended to learn how to meditate, it is easier than it seems. To do this, you need to sit comfortably in a chair or on a bed. Then you need to try to focus on your own breathing. Thanks to this, extraneous thoughts will leave your head. Then you need to focus on one or another part of the body and relax it.

Gradually, the consciousness will be in a half-asleep or alpha state. Being in it, you can solve any problem. You just need to ask your subconscious mind a question, and it will prompt the right decision, you just need to notice it. It may come in the form of a premonition, a vivid picture during meditation, or the answer can be found in a newspaper, a television program. As a result, thanks to meditation, it will be possible to solve several problems at once - it will be possible to relax, find the answer to a question of interest and forget about gluttony. Over time, it will be possible to calm down, and stressful conditions will not bring dissonance into a measured life.

If bulimia is caused by food addiction, home treatment of this form of the disease will depend on the endurance of the patient. First of all, you should develop a daily routine and strictly adhere to it.

To avoid dependence on food, you need to adhere to fractional nutrition. However, portions should be small. In order not to break loose and attack food, you should drink a glass of ordinary water half an hour before a meal. It is recommended to get rid of foods that cause appetite. To do this, you will have to give up fatty, salty, smoked, spicy dishes. The ban includes alcoholic and carbonated drinks, fast food, bouillon cubes, Korean and Chinese food, pizza. You should not think that food will be scarce, just open any cookbook, you will be able to find many excellent recipes in it. If you want sweets, you should not deny yourself this, you can eat, but not much. Then the body will calm down and will not demand it.

Treatment of bulimia at home involves physical activity, they must be included in your daily routine without fail. Thanks to them, you will be able to forget about your addiction and improve the contours of the body. As a result, you will be able to love yourself, and this is a sure path to recovery.

Psychological training

When diagnosed with bulimia, treatment at home can work, but it's important to accept yourself. After all, self-dislike is the cornerstone in this situation. First of all, you need to find out why a person does not accept himself as he is. After all, thin girls often suffer from bulimia. Maybe they want to look like supermodels, but it's possible that a relative or friend told them that they look fat. You just need to regain self-confidence, then the disease will recede. Psychological training and exercises can help with this. It is necessary every time a girl sees herself in the mirror, she says mentally that she is beautiful. Of course, the first week it will be difficult, but after a month everything will be much easier. The essence of this training is to believe in your own irresistibility on a subconscious level, then the rational mind will take everything at face value. It is impossible to recover from bulimia in one day, so if there was a breakdown, you should not blame yourself and feel shame and helplessness. It is better to praise yourself for the result achieved and make a promise to yourself that next time you will be able to restrain your impulse.

To accept yourself, psychologists recommend doing simple exercises. To do this, you should relax and imagine yourself on the shore of the sea or lake, you can choose any place that brings back pleasant memories. Then you need to imagine how the body was divided into 2. Now you should take your hands and say words of love. You can tell yourself a huge number of compliments, do not be shy. When the heart becomes light, you can finish the exercise, wishing yourself good luck and health.

The exercise during which you will need to forgive your offenders also helps a lot. To do this, you need to relax, mentally be in your favorite place and call the person who pointed out the shortcomings to himself. He must be forgiven, and this must be done from a pure heart. To do this, you can say the following words: “I forgive you for your behavior, perhaps something was done wrong, I apologize for my actions.” This phrase must be repeated until the heart becomes warm and light, then you can invite the next offender. However, it is not recommended to forgive more than 3 people at a time, as meditation may not be very effective.

If you do not want to perform such exercises, then it will be possible to act more rationally. To do this, you need to take a piece of paper and a pen. The sheet will need to be divided into 2 parts. The first column should be called "Advantages", the second - "Disadvantages". Then you should fill them in, for sure you will be able to find that there are much more advantages than disadvantages. Now you need to evaluate your offender in the same way. Most likely, it will have more minuses than pluses. Thus, it will be possible to understand that the words of this person do not have weight, since he needs to look after himself, and not discuss other people. This exercise will help raise your self-esteem and remove the negative influence of people who sometimes do not know what they are talking about. There is a possibility that they do this out of envy, so do not pay attention to their words.

Thinking about how to cure bulimia at home, you should try to take control of your own appetite. For this, it is recommended to drink a decoction of peppermint before eating. It's easy to prepare. 20 g of grass is taken, 300 ml of boiling water is poured and infused in a thermos for 30 minutes. Then the agent is filtered and taken three times a day, 100 ml each. You can brew mint or chamomile with parsley in the same way.

It is recommended to take the infusion at bedtime, 20 ml. A decoction of wormwood and flaxseed will also help dull the feeling of hunger. They are prepared as follows: 20 g of raw materials are poured into 400 ml of boiling water and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. An hour later, the agent is filtered and taken 300 minutes before meals, 50 ml each. Such drugs also have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.

Plain water will help control your appetite. When an attack occurs, it is recommended to drink a glass of liquid. This will solve several problems at once. First of all, it will be possible to calm down, in the second - to dull the feeling of hunger. It is worth knowing that scientists have identified one pattern. When the body is thirsty, it sends a signal to the brain that it is hungry. For this reason, you should first drink a glass of water, if the feeling of hunger has not gone away, you can eat something.

With bulimia, psychologists advise a person to be distracted. Physical activity can help with this. It can be dancing, swimming, playing sports or yoga, qigong. Oriental practices help to focus and learn to relax. As a result, it will be possible to forget about the problems, and maybe even find solutions. You need to try different methods, then you will be able to fully recover and get rid of bad habits.