Skip to main content

Identifying a Loved One May Be Struggling with Bulimia


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. Now full beyond comfort or satisfaction, fear of weight gain sets in. Purging is a technique that allows people to quickly rid the body of unwanted calories through the use of self-induced vomiting, laxative and diuretic abuse, and excessive exercise. These various ways of purging create a cycle that causes the person struggling with bulimia to feel yet more shame and lack of personal control(2). Strict dieting is then enforced until the next cycle begins. Typical feelings experienced in every binging and purging cycle are feelings of fear, shame, and guilt. It is no surprise that this ritual is performed in private often late at night while family members sleep or during times of the day when no one is home. Be aware of disappearances after meals, even if they are not to a bathroom. Your loved one may have another special place they go to in order to hide their secrets.

There are many misconceptions about eating disorders that allow the disease to flourish in plain sight. “She doesn’t look too skinny.” Or “he says he hasn’t eaten all day, of course he’s hungry!” There is no size requirement in the diagnosis of bulimia. A person struggling with anorexia who also exhibits bulimic behaviors may be on the noticeably thinner side, but many struggling with bulimia look average build or are slightly overweight. Purging does not prevent weight gain. Vomiting after a meal, at best, can rid the body of only 50% of the calories eaten(3). Other forms of purging are even less effective. It is also fairly common to restrict food intake throughout the day in order to binge later. People struggling with bulimia may purposely restrict their food intake, so that it is more socially acceptable to binge in public. The health consequences may not be visible from the outside except to the trained eye. While someone coping with bulimia may not look like they are starving to death on the outside, the tell-tale signs are discoloration of teeth, red blood-shot eyes, puffy cheeks and neck calluses on knuckles from induced vomiting, and weight fluctuation(3). Irregular heartbeat, kidney failure, and a ruptured esophagus can be complicating factors that lead to early death.

Maybe you are getting that feeling in the pit of your stomach and you know something is peculiar about your loved one’s behavior, but you do not know how to bring it up, and instead hope that it will disappear on its own. It won’t. Eating disorders will only get worse if left untreated. Eating disorders come from a place in our minds where we are struggling to cope with self-esteem, life changes, and body image(1). The “control,” a person with bulimia feels while managing their food and bodies is hard to give up. Your compassion, understanding, and willingness to talk with your loved one about getting professional help are key to their recovery(2). While they may feel defensive and unwilling to give up their way of coping with their world at first, knowing that you care enough to have that hard conversation can be the difference in achieving recovery from an eating disorder(1).

At New Dawn Treatment Centers, we know that eating disorders affect the whole family. As a leader in eating disorder treatment, it is our mission to educate families and loved ones as to the signs and symptoms so that they may become part of the solution. We hope that you will take the step today to help a loved one towards a life without the shadow of an eating disorder.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PLAZMA TORTA

SASTOJCI 300 gr mljevenog Plazma keksa KORE SA PLAZMA KEKSOM: 12 bjelanjaka 12 žlica šećera 12 žlica mljevenog Plazma keksa FIL SA ŽUMANJCIMA: 12 žumanjaka 120 gr šećera 100 gr čokolade KREMA OD PUDINGA: 2 pudinga sa okusom slatkog vrhnja 700 ml mlijeka 4 žlice šećera OSTALO: 250 gr margarina sobne temperature 2 šlaga iz vrećice pripremljena po uputstvu 500 ml vrhnja za šlag PLAZMA TORTA PRIPREMA 1. Za kore izradite 4 bjelanjka u čvrsti snijeg, te dodajte postepeno 4 žlice šećera, ubacite i 4 žlice mljevenog keksa koji lagano sjedinite sa pjenjačom. Keks za kore uzimate od onih 300 gr. 2. U kalup od 24 cm rasporedite smjesu, te stavite peći u zagrijanu pećnicu na 180 stupnjeva 15-20 minuta. 3. Ponovite postupak još dva puta, tako da dobijete na kraju tri kore. 4. Za fil žumanjke pjenasto izradite sa šećerom i kuhajte na pari nekih 15-20 minuta. 5. U vruće dodajte čokoladu koju miješate dok se ne istopi. 6. Ostavite da se ohladi. 7. Pripremite kr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Recept za 'običan' čizkejk (Cheesecake)

Potrebno vam je: Kora: 300 g mlevenog keksa 125 g maslaca 2 kašike šećera u prahu Fil: 450 g krem sira 500 ml slatke pavlake 250 g šećera u prahu 1 kesica želatina Za preliv: 400 g miks šumskog voća 100 ml vode 4 kašike kristal šećera 1 želatin Priprema: Maslac iseći na kockice, dodati plazmu i šećer u prahu, pa rukom sjediniti i formirati koricu u okruglom kalupu za torte. Umutiti slatku pavlaku, u drugoj posudi kašikom sjediniti sir i šećer u prahu, zatim sve spojiti i mutiti mikserom, želatin rastopiti po uputstvu sa kesice i dodati u fil, muteći mikserom da se sve lepo sjedini, sipati preko korice. Voće, šećer i vodu staviti na šporet da provri, kuvati 5 minuta, skloniti za ringle, i onda dodati želatin u vrelu masu da se rastopi. Ostaviti da se prohladi, pa sipati preko fila.
Post a Comment
Read more

ZELJANICA NA 5: Mekana i ukusna, a priprema se za tren, od gotovih kora

Sastojci: 500 g kora 500 g sira 500 g špinata 5 jaja 50 ml jogurta 50 ml ulja 5 žlica kukuruznog griza (krupice) sol i biber po ukusu Priprema: U prikladnu posudu staviti sir, jaja, jogurt, ulje, kukuruzni griz i dobro izmiksati. Malo smjese ostavite sa strane za premazivanje zeljanice izvana, a zatim dodajte sitno isjeckan špinat. UZmite jednu koru, malo je premažite uljem, pa preko nje stavite drugu koru. Zatim rasporedite dio smjese, zamotajte i stavite u lim za pečenje. Ponavljajte postupak dok ne potrošite kore i smjesu. Pitu prije pečenja premažite dijelom smjese koji ste ostavili sa strane. Peče se na 220° 30-40 minuta, ovisno o snazi pećnice.
Post a Comment
Read more