What is Bulimia Nervosa

Whisper secret, secret eating

Bulimia nervosa is a severe eating disorder that is characterized by a binge - purge cycle. Purging can look like making yourself throw up, overusing laxatives, exercising compulsively, or insulin misuse after a binge.

Folks with bulimia often struggle with feeling a lot of guilt for eating too much or eating things their diet doesn’t allow. Because of this intense guilt, the desperation to rid themselves of food creates the urgency for a form of purging to feel okay again.

WARNING SIGNS OF BULIMIA NERVOSA

Behavioral 

  • Finding evidence of a binge. Large amounts of food gone missing. A lot of empty wrappers and food containiners in the trash.

  • Finding evidence a purge. Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals. Signs, sounds, or smells of vomiting.

  • Uncomfortable eating in front of others

  • Creates rituals with food (e.g. eats a very limited range of foods, excessive chewing, doesn’t allow foods to touch, eating foods in a specific order)

  • Skipping meals or taking small portions of food when eating

  • Heads to the bathroom immediately after meals

  • Often doing fad diets which can include cutting out certain food groups

  • Hiding food in weird places

  • Drinks oddly large amounts of water

  • Uses oddly large amounts of mouthwash, mints, and gum

  • Wears baggy clothes to hide the body

  • Often brushes teeth right after bathroom use

  • Maintains a very demanding and rigid exercise schedule – despite weather, being sick, or injured

  • Shows swelling in the cheeks or jaw area

  • Calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self-induced vomiting

  • Teeth becoming discolored and stained

  • Schedules their life in a way that makes time for binge-and-purge sessions

  • Is obsessed about their body weight and shape

  • Spends a lot of time in the mirror pinching, sucking in, measuring

  • Episodes of secretly binging (eating an amount of food that is much larger than most individuals would eat under similar circumstances in a relatively short amount of time); where the person feels lack of self control over ability to stop eating

  • Purges after a binge. This can look like vomiting, taking laxatives, or exercising to try and compensate for the binge

  • Extreme mood swings


Physical 

  • Noticeable fluctuations in weight, both up and down

  • Stomach cramps, other non-specific gastrointestinal complaints (constipation, acid reflux, etc.)

  • Blood shot eyes

  • Looks bloated from fluid retention

  • Irregular laboratory findings (anemia, low thyroid and hormone levels, low potassium, low blood cell counts, slow heart rate)

  • Dizziness

  • Fainting/syncope

  • Sleep problems

  • Cuts and calluses across the top of finger joints (a result of inducing vomiting)

  • Dental problems, such as enamel erosion, cavities, and tooth sensitivity

  • Swelling around area of salivary glands

  • Fine hair on body

  • Thinning of hair on head, dry and brittle hair (lanugo)

  • Cavities, or discoloration of teeth, from vomiting

Folks with bulimia nervosa often struggle with:

  • Self-harming

  • Substance abuse

  • Impulsivity (risky sexual behaviors, shoplifting, etc.)


BULIMIA WRECKS THE BODY

The repeated binge/purge cycles start to impact the digestive system which can lead to electrolyte imbalances that impact your heart and other organs. Electrolyte imbalances can cause sudden death or a heart attack. It’s so important to get labs drawn regularly so a doctor can make sure you stay safe while trying to recover.

The good news is that body’s are generally good at eventually bouncing back from the physical stress of eating disorder behaviors when purging stops and normal eating begins.

If you think you could be struggling with Bulimia Nervosa or have recently been diagnosed, schedule a call with one of our therapists or dietitians here.