How is bulimia treated? Self-treatment of bulimia. Basic treatment methods

As a rule, a food addict is his own nutritionist, and a pretty good one at that. The nutritional and energy value of foods: the amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, calorie content, digestibility of nutrients and diet for bulimics, anorexics and compulsives have long been no secret. And the slogans of nutritionists from the series “Life without carbohydrates is the path to slimness” only make you sad. Unfortunately, dietetics in its pure form is powerless against food addictions. And confusing a nutritionist with an eating disorder specialist is the same as confusing him with a gastroenterologist or a surgeon. So advice on dietetics, which the average person would happily use, will not be suitable for a food addict. And following diets and other dietary requirements will lead to a new breakdown. So we skip the traditional calorie counting and move on.

Food diaries.

The favorite method of treating eating disorders of many psychiatrists and psychotherapists, which very rarely appeals to food addicts because of its tediousness and, as a rule, low effectiveness. Often the need to count every bite eaten tends to aggravate the problem rather than lead to the development of healthy eating behavior.

However, if you like to write down your thoughts and feelings, why not give it a try? Recognize and not deny the presence of bulimia, anorexia or compulsive overeating, understand the reasons, try to harmonize your difficult relationship with food, do not scold yourself for breakdowns, reward (not with food) even the smallest victories over food addiction.
“It didn’t help either,” you answer. Then let's move on.

Pills that reduce appetite.

Reducing the feeling of hunger without calories is possible only by influencing the central nervous system. And various antidepressants and tranquilizers can have this effect: Fluoxetine, Prozac, Sibutramine, Reduxin, Afobazol, Remantadine, Goldline, Lindax, Meridia and others. They disrupt the neuronal reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin, and thus inhibit the hunger center and stimulate the satiety center. But do not forget that these drugs are prescribed by a doctor for serious mental illnesses, and one can imagine the effect they have on a healthy psyche. A huge number of side effects, addiction and worsening food addiction when discontinuing the drug are by no means a tempting prospect.

As a rule, Fluoxetine and other antidepressants briefly help food addicts under the age of 25 to remove the symptoms of bulimia, while many in the first months of use can experience an emotional uplift and a surge of vitality (the effect is often a consequence of getting rid of depression, which in most cases accompanies food addiction addiction at this age).
Food addicts over the age of 30, when taking antidepressants and tranquilizers, experience drowsiness and a state of indifference to the world around them. The body of people with a chronic eating disorder, as a rule, tolerates the use of these medications and the reaction to them is minimal.
The basic principle is that as soon as you stop taking antidepressants, symptoms return. Taking Fluoxetine every day throughout your life is the same as taking painkillers for a constant headache without seeing a doctor: in some situations, without thinking about the problem seriously, in others, postponing it until the last minute.

→ Report "Clinical effectiveness of the antidepressants Fluoxetine-acri (Profluzac) and Prozac in the treatment of eating disorders"

Replace regular food with sports food.

Not so long ago, sports nutrition became widespread on the Russian market. But food addicts have already developed a special attitude towards it: this is the remedy that allows you to get a balanced complex of vitamins, minerals and nutrients and get rid of the feeling of hunger. Make no mistake. Even sports nutrition manufacturers recommend combining it with regular foods, as well as with physical activity. Abuse of sports nutrition can lead to allergic reactions, gastroenterological and other problems.

Laxative instead of vomiting.

Cleansing procedures, in addition to vomiting, also include the use of laxatives. The most popular among bulimics include Bisacodyl, Senade, Senadexin and some others. Abuse of laxatives leads to dyspeptic disorders, flatulence, allergic reactions, diarrhea, which may be accompanied by dehydration and water-electrolyte imbalance (muscle weakness, cramps); when using high doses or long-term use - intestinal atony and other gastrointestinal disorders. So taking laxatives is by no means the best alternative to induced vomiting.

Soothe a scratched throat.

It would seem that nothing bothers you more with the symptom of induced vomiting than a sore throat. Frequently drinking warm liquids (milk, herbal teas with mint, chamomile, sage), gargling with herbal infusions (chamomile, calendula, eucalyptus, sage) are readily available remedies that will help soothe irritation. In addition to them, you can use tablets for sore throat, such as Strepsils, Faringosept, Grammidin, Tantum Verde and others. It is also recommended to spray the throat with medications (Ingalipt, Kameton, Tantum Verde and others), which contain plant essential oils, to avoid swelling and other inflammatory processes.

The “dazzling” smile of a food addict.

I love lemons - is this how you explain to your dentist the increased acidity in your mouth that is causing you to experience erosion of tooth enamel, caries, swelling and inflammation of the gums? To save your teeth at least a little from the destructive effects of induced vomiting, you need to adhere to the following:

1
It is necessary to avoid brushing your teeth immediately after induced vomiting, as this can lead to mechanical removal of a layer of hard dental tissues damaged by acids: the enamel from exposure to acid is most susceptible to abrasion and will eventually acquire a brownish tint.
2
Rinse your mouth with warm water or use mouthwash for 1 minute. It is best to rinse your mouth with a baking soda solution (2 teaspoons per glass of water).
3
You can brush your teeth no earlier than 30 minutes after induced vomiting. Use a soft toothbrush for cleaning.
4
Use fluoride toothpaste and fluoride rinses at least twice a day.
5
Eat fermented milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, cheese and others) more often.
6

Hands up.

Damaged skin of the hands: scratches, abrasions on the knuckles from teeth during pulling, and even scars - the mark of a slave to bulimia. And getting rid of it is not so easy, as every bulimic can later discover. Various creams cause addiction, irritation and allergic reactions with prolonged use, and not everyone manages to use improvised means, for example, a toothbrush, to induce vomiting. In addition, it is much easier to damage an already scratched, inflamed throat with foreign objects.
Favorite creams for bulimics:

Clearvin heals scratches and abrasions,

Eplan is a cream with a stronger effect: it is used not only for healing wounds and burns, but also in the treatment of trophic ulcers, bedsores, psoriasis, viral infections, etc.

D-panthenol ointment is also a potent ointment, excellent for regenerating damaged skin. In the absence of an allergic reaction, you can try so-called overnight applications: apply the ointment to your hands in a thick layer, after which you first put on plastic gloves and then woolen ones. However, this procedure is not recommended to be repeated more than once a week due to the possibility of allergic reactions and addiction.

Do not overuse various creams and ointments, constantly monitor and care for the skin of your hands. Do not refuse various hand baths with vegetable oils and herbs: a daily set of various measures will to a certain extent help mask this distinctive feature of a bulimic.

Lazy stomach syndrome, heartburn and pain.

It's no secret that food addictions contribute to the development of gastrointestinal diseases. If you experience stomach pain, you should immediately consult a doctor. If you want to continue to self-medicate, and you have heartburn, sour belching and pain, then you can take the following medications: Gastrofarm, Gastal, Almagel. But do not forget: if the disease is not treated, it begins to progress. As the medical practice of the Eating Disorders Clinic shows, food addictions are not the cause of diseases such as ulcers and gastritis, but can have a beneficial effect on their development.

The most common problems when stopping laxatives are diarrhea and constipation, which sometimes cannot be overcome by eating fiber (vegetables and fruits), prunes, healthy dairy products, rice or oatmeal (in water), vegetable broths, or taking Probiotics such as Linex, Bifiform, Acipol, Bifiliz, Acilact, etc. If these problems torment you for more than 2 weeks, consulting a doctor is inevitable.

Heart problems.

And in this fragment we are not talking about relationships with a lover. Eating disorders have a negative impact on the heart, leading to arrhythmia, tachycardia and other cardiovascular pathologies, which can subsequently cause a heart attack, which leads to disability and even death. And unfortunately, even the use of sedatives cannot guarantee you a significant reduction in the load on the heart during a breakdown.

Share your problem, and it will come back to you more than once.

It’s so good when there is a person who will understand and support. Unfortunately, the problem of food addiction is very difficult to understand and imagine if you don’t have it. If doctors currently have huge discrepancies in diagnosis and treatment, then what can we say about your family and friends. Of course, it is necessary to share this problem - this is already a very big step towards recovery. On the other hand, is it worth telling your family about food addiction knowing that they will not understand you? Find a friend in misfortune on the Internet? The idea is not bad, but there is a risk that the path of two food addicts will most likely go towards the progression of the disease. Find someone who claims to have recovered from food addiction? But where is the guarantee that a person is truly cured? It is quite possible that your friend in misfortune is in remission. In addition, after any illness, it is common for a person to forget about the course of the illness. Support during food addiction is certainly important, which is why group therapy is considered one of the most effective methods of treating bulimia and compulsive overeating. Under the guidance of an experienced specialist, a group with similar problems supports and helps to escape the captivity of eating disorders.

3 days without a breakdown.

Gradually reduce the number of disruptions. “Easy to say,” you answer. But why not try it if you are determined not to seek help from food addiction specialists. Start with 1 day without overeating and cleansing procedures: a week to prepare - every day you try to break down less and less, and so gradually reduce the number of breakdowns to a minimum. Naturally, everything doesn’t work out right away and you shouldn’t despair after the first failures.

The main difficulty is how you are going to reduce the number of disruptions. Again through willpower or another diet? Then this is just an excuse for a new series of breakdowns: anger, self-hatred, the desire during a breakdown to block feelings and emotions by absorbing huge amounts of food - the main way to strengthen an eating disorder.

Willpower and psychological help.

Weakness and promiscuity are most often mistakenly cited as causes of eating disorders. And a series of self-psychotherapy, exhausting diets and trips to the gym begins, followed by a breakdown, followed by a feeling of guilt and self-hatred. And all this is not a problem of weak will, this is a natural typical course of food addiction. It is difficult for a person with bulimia, anorexia and compulsive overeating to independently change his attitude towards the problem, to understand its structure and thus gradually eliminate the symptoms of the disease, to rebuild a system of intuitive eating - this is a difficult task that faces a psychologist specializing in eating disorders.

Treatment of bulimia with hypnosis.

Another type of "treatment". For many clients, hypnosis for bulimia does not help in some cases, and in others it has a short-term effect. Due to remission - a break in food addiction, bulimia returns in large, protracted breakdowns. According to the principle, half a day of hunger - half a day of failure, 3 days of a strict diet - 3 days of failure. The effect of hypnosis is like a band-aid on a wound, it can only temporarily solve the problem before applying more suitable means for healing.

I'm strong, I can handle this.

Of course this is true, but the problem of food addiction lies in the lack of understanding of its structure and principles, which are extremely difficult to comprehend. Why reinvent the wheel when there are time-tested methods for getting rid of bulimia, anorexia and compulsive overeating? Contact the Eating Disorders Clinic, we will help you adjust your actions to combat food addiction and completely get rid of it. All the Clinic’s specialists are former food addicts and know the problem firsthand.

Bulimia at the initial stage is characterized by uncontrolled food consumption and a feeling of constant hunger. A person who is already dependent on the disease suffers from chronic overeating without feeling full.

This leads to increased body weight, emotional shock and mental distress, against the background of which apathy and depression develop. The patient tries to find comfort in food, considering these actions to be the only correct ones in the current situation. The circle closes. The disease progresses to the last stage. This period is characterized by stable depressive disorders. Possibly obesity.

The full functioning of the gastric organs becomes one of the main physiological problems. The patient experiences pain in the liver area, difficulties with timely bowel movements or, conversely, with frequent bowel movements. The emotional background at the final stage of the disease is unstable. People suffering from bulimia develop complexes and phobias regarding their figure.

It is very difficult to free yourself from psychological addiction to food. And, if at the initial stages the disease is not perceived by a person as a problem requiring emergency intervention from specialists, then at the final stage of its development it becomes an obsession, and the patient frantically searches for ways to get rid of pathological gluttony.

Help from medical workers is not considered by patients. They find a way out in laxatives and vigorous activity (in rare cases, since a depressed state does not contribute to active physical activity). The most important method in the fight against increasing body volume, which was invented by people with such a mental disorder, is the act of artificially inducing vomiting.

Forced fasting becomes a symptom of the final stage of the disease. It can help normalize weight, but not stabilize mental disorders that force the patient to refuse to eat, even with the threat of another psychopathological disorder - anorexia. Some cases involve death, the root cause of which may be cardiac arrest. Suicide is also a fairly common occurrence in episodes of the disease, caused by uncontrolled outbursts during a period of mental instability of the patient.

Self-treatment

Bulimia is difficult to treat. Being primarily a psychological addiction, it requires the intervention of psychotherapy in the patient’s life. These may be antidepressants aimed at helping control appetite and suppressing the patient's emotional outbursts. To free yourself from an illness, you need a colossal desire and firm confidence in your own abilities. Therefore, accepting the problem is the first step towards freeing the mind from psychosomatic illness.

Family therapy is one of the key factors in solving the problem. Factors involving family and close circle have a complex influence and slow down the destructive processes of further development of pathologies in the mental activity of a person dependent on such an illness.

During periods of recovery, many specialists also resort to group therapy.

Collaborating with patients allows them to share personal experiences for treatment purposes and share with each other methods for successfully overcoming their addiction. All this should be carried out under the supervision of an experienced specialist in the field of psychology.

Diet changes

It is possible to treat bulimia on your own only if you follow professional recommendations.

The daily diet should include a number of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the increased concentration of which is contained in vegetable oils and legumes. The presence of fish (cod, salmon and tuna) is necessary for the effectiveness of the diet used. It is also rich in essential fats for the body.
It is recommended to reduce the consumption of foods that contain sucrose. They whet the appetite due to the insulin they contain, which again can lead to overeating.
Bulimia can also be treated with a multivitamin complex. For example, zinc deficiency negatively affects the functioning of internal organs, and the required amount of this element in the human body affects the feeling of fullness and reduces appetite.
Bulimia is a disease that affects mental activity, which, in turn, is responsible for the general condition and mood of the patient. That is why the use of therapeutic and health procedures is so important. Physical exercise and walks in the fresh air will help you shape your figure and increase your vitality.
To satisfy the feeling of hunger, you should include in your diet such high-calorie dishes as porridge (wheat, rice, oatmeal) and foods rich in fiber. For example, dried fruits.
For a successful outcome of treatment, the patient needs to change his attitude towards food. During the eating process, all attention should be directed to the aesthetic side of this action. Doctors strictly prohibit eating in front of the TV or reading a book. External factors should not distract the patient from meals.
Using a schedule in the diet is another part of success if the patient has decided to cope with the disease on his own. The volume of servings from breakfast to dinner should be in equal quantities, as well as the time intervals between meals.

Psycho-emotional methods

First of all, you need to identify life goals and methods that will be used in the process of their formation. Eating difficulties can provoke a habit in a person in the future, even with the slightest stress, to turn to this method in order to drown out emotional outbursts. The patient must independently recognize his problem and change his worldview so as not to return to the original symptoms.
Eliminate from your life a negative assessment of what is happening around you. A positive attitude and active development of your life position is another effective method approved by psychologists.
The importance of family therapy should always be remembered. Close people have a significant influence on life and the formation of priorities. Their support is important and irreplaceable, so you should not break them during treatment.
Bulimia is a disease, one of the basis of which is body dysmorphomania, a violation of adequate perception of one’s body. Physical defects (which may be imaginary) come to the fore, and the patient begins to show aggression towards himself. To treat these symptoms effectively, a person needs to love himself and his body. Our body is a complex organism in which millions of processes occur simultaneously, and learning to hear it means existing harmoniously and holistically in the world, without returning to problems associated with digestive activity.
Supporting people who have coped with an illness or are in the process of recovery helps to understand the absence of loneliness in the patient’s life. Knowing that there are people nearby with similar problems has the desired therapeutic effect and helps you recover from bulimia on your own.

Physical measures

You can make a list of actions that can help restore your health. This may include drawing up a nutrition schedule, choosing a menu in accordance with doctors’ recommendations, and the amount of food for one day. It is important to strictly follow your recommendations and adhere to the regime. Soon the body will adapt to such conditions and it will become a habit. The volume of food and the frequency of its consumption will be reduced, and bulimia will cease to be a problem.
You need to find an alternative to food and use the time previously allocated for eating in a different way. Places of cultural recreation, walks in the park, a swimming pool and a cinema can be a worthy replacement and diversify life.
Avoiding snacking is an important rule to follow in the fight against bulimia.
Moderate physical activity, jogging in the morning or exercise will be effective additions to all of the above measures. To avoid injury due to long periods of inactivity, it is necessary to increase the load gradually.

ethnoscience

You can treat bulimia yourself using alternative medicine. The properties of many plant-based foods stimulate the body's metabolism, which helps burn fat and calories. These products include:

pumpkin juice - in any dosage;
You can drink half a glass of cucumber juice a day after meals;
freshly squeezed tomato juice - in the morning, before meals, half a glass;
if possible and the time of year allows, then a glass of natural birch sap daily for a month;
It is advisable to consume white cabbage juice freshly squeezed and on an empty stomach for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The disease responds well to treatment with medicinal plants. The impact of such drugs is aimed at the functioning of physiological functions in the body, the activation of which helps to gently regulate unpleasant sensations when eating. The following traditional medicines can be used:

marshmallow root and flax seed reduce appetite;
cumin seeds, senna leaf and buckthorn bark are effective for constipation;
horsetail grass, dill seeds and lingonberry leaves have diuretic effects;
immortelle grass, dandelion flowers, corn silk - increase bile secretion;
tincture of valerian, motherwort, angelica - have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.

The highest priority way to overcome a disease such as bulimia will always be timely contact with experts in psychology and in the field of eating pathologies. Their qualified advice and assistance will help restore your mental state and regain lost health.

Many girls go on diets to lose weight and emphasize the sophistication of their figure. However, this desire sometimes develops into real mania, due to which control over nutrition is lost. Nowadays, when female thinness is in trend, most girls suffer from a disease such as bulimia.

Bulimia is a severe eating disorder. To lose extra pounds, many women literally starve for weeks. Naturally, after such exhaustion, breakdowns are inevitable. In one sitting, a woman eats the daily amount of food, and then, fearing she will gain weight, she artificially induces vomiting, takes various laxatives, or loads the body with heavy physical activity.

Most doctors attribute this disease to a banal mental disorder. Some believe that the disease is caused by the inability to properly organize a healthy and low-calorie diet.

A predisposition to the disease are those people in whose families someone suffers from mental disorders, frequent depression or obesity.

Other factors may also influence the development of the disease, including:

high levels of a hormone that is responsible for the feeling of hunger;
increased stress hormone;
disruption of normal neurotransmitter functions;
emotional instability;
constant depression;
open or hidden hostility towards fat people;
low self-esteem;
excessively impulsive behavior and so on.

Bulimia can cause feelings of uncontrollable aggression. If there is a person in the family who suffers from this illness, then, most likely, there will be constant intra-family conflicts.

This disease is classified into the following types:

Primary. The feeling of hunger is accompanied by a constant desire to eat food.
Secondary. This type is observed in anorexics. After attacks of uncontrollable eating, a depressive state, a feeling of guilt and depression sets in. After this, anorexics go on an even more restrictive diet, after which breakdowns occur again.
Heavy. This type can be called a mental disorder. After uncontrolled overeating, women empty their stomachs by artificially induced vomiting.

There are a number of behavioral signs that can help diagnose this disease:

taking a fairly large amount of food, while the person practically does not chew the food, eats very hastily;
immediately after eating, the bulemic goes to the toilet to artificially induce vomiting;
there is isolation and a detached lifestyle;
signs of mental disorder, nervousness;
quite contrasting changes in weight are observed;
frequent pharyngitis, tonsillitis and other throat inflammations;
disorders of the body's metabolic processes, frequent diseases of the digestive system;
low energy, fatigue;
due to constantly induced vomiting, visible dental diseases are observed;
increased salivation;
unhealthy appearance, sagging skin.

In most cases, the patient flatly refuses to pay attention to the first signs of the disease. Bulemics are confident that they are able to control healthy eating themselves through volitional efforts.
You can learn a specialist’s opinion about the causes and methods of getting rid of bulimia from the following video:

Complications

This disease can cause serious complications that can not only harm your health, but also make life less comfortable:

destruction of tooth enamel due to increased acidity of the oral cavity. This is facilitated by regular vomiting;
hoarseness of voice;
development of mumps;
gynecological disorders, amenorrhea, cycle disorders;
chronic enteritis, gastritis, disorders of the intestines and digestive system;
frequent constipation, problems with the liver and pancreas;
endocrine diseases, dehydration;
development of diabetes mellitus, renal failure.

Drug treatment of pathology

There is a fairly widespread opinion, which is partly wrong.

Many people believe that bulimia can only be overcome with desire, perseverance and willpower. Of course this is not true.

Naturally, without the desire to cope with the disease, nothing will come of it, but desire alone will not be enough.

When treating bulimia, the patient needs the help of qualified doctors from a variety of fields of medicine. It is also worth understanding that the more complex the form of the disease, the longer the treatment will take.

To completely get rid of the disease, especially in the later stages, you need help:

psychologist;
nutritionist;
gastroenterologist.

The patient is often prescribed a special complex of therapy, which includes three main treatment programs:

Drug treatment, which includes the use of antidepressants and other medications.
Dietary nutrition, in which a nutritionist selects the type of diet that will saturate the depleted body with useful and necessary vitamins.
Psychological therapy. This stage is the most important. Through a course of psychological therapy, the patient will be able to see and acknowledge the problem. After this, it will be much easier for him to overcome the disease and start eating right.

The main goal of therapy is to change the patient’s thinking. Treatment is most likely aimed at making the patient aware of the problem, so that he can change his attitude towards his own body.

Treating bulimia at home

Patients themselves decide to get rid of the problem after some time of a grueling diet. If the patient has personally decided to get rid of bulimia once and for all, then we can say with 100% confidence that everything will work out for him, since the first stage - awareness - has already been completed.

Naturally, it is still recommended to undergo a course of psychotherapy. To fight the disease at home, the following conditions must be met:

Organize split meals in small portions. This will help prevent constant feelings of nausea and gag reflexes.
Create a wholesome and healthy menu that will allow you to stay fit and at the same time allow your body to receive vital minerals. You can contact an experienced nutritionist for help.
Recognize and accept that you have a mental health problem.
Meditation, a favorite hobby and communication with friends help many people.
Resort to the help of traditional medicine, this is a very effective method to overcome the disease.

Normalization of the digestive system

There are a variety of folk recipes that help establish normal digestion.

Special teas are brewed to facilitate this process. Place half a teaspoon (teaspoon) of dried fennel seeds and lemongrass into a cup. You can also add some fresh ginger. Afterwards, you need to pour boiling water, add a little ground coriander and let the medicinal tea brew for 10 minutes.
You can make homemade wine, which will help the body absorb nutrients from food and cure anemia. For one liter of white wine add 20 grams. the following herbs: basil, calamus root, peppermint, St. John's wort. In the amount of 10 grams: oregano, coriander, chamomile and yarrow. The wine should be infused for 2 weeks, after which 30 ml should be consumed after meals 3 times a day.
It is recommended to prepare a sedative, which will also help cope with the disease. Mix crushed fenugreek seeds with (crushed) evening primrose seeds. Add honey and bee pollen. Take the resulting mixture several times a day, one tablespoon (tablespoon).
A few grams of chopped celery root are poured into a liter of hot water. Let the broth brew for a day in a dark place, then take a teaspoon (teaspoon) three times a day.
Fresh celery root juice also improves digestion.

Curbing bouts of gluttony

It is quite difficult for a person to overcome a “wolfish appetite”. Traditional recipes can help with this.

Mix in an amount of 50 g. the following herbs: St. John's wort, horsetail, yarrow, chamomile, dandelion root, wheatgrass, lemon balm. Pour one spoon (teaspoon) of the resulting mixture into a glass of dill and leave for 20 minutes. Drink the decoction several times a day after eating food.
Steep ½ spoon of corn silk in a cup of water. Drink the resulting tea three times a day.
Add a teaspoon of strong black tea to a glass of boiling milk. This decoction should be drunk in the morning to reduce appetite.
Mix one to one: dandelion root, corn silk, lovage root and yarrow. Add 1 tbsp. spoon of the mixture per glass of dill, drink twice a day before meals.
Strong coffee will help overcome a strong feeling of hunger, but provided that there are no heart problems.

Sedatives

Removing irritability throughout the day is the main task; effective home therapy depends on this.

Shortly before meals, drink St. John's wort tea. This will help reduce irritability. Brew 1 teaspoon (teaspoon) of dried St. John's wort in 1 glass of water. You can also add lemon or honey.
Brew mistletoe in a thermos and drink the infusion instead of water every day. This will help not only calm your nerves, but also improve the functioning of your cardiovascular system.
Pour 1:10 white wine over dried mistletoe. Leave for 12 days, after which you can drink 50 mg daily before bed.
Lavender baths. A small handful of the plant is boiled in a liter of water, then the resulting mixture is poured into the bath.
A couple of tablespoons of verbena officinalis are added to the container and filled with cold water. Boil the mixture and let it brew for 2 hours. Drink half a glass 3 times a day.

How to live happily

After therapy, when the disease is left behind, it is very important to change your lifestyle and, most importantly, your outlook on things.

Realize that before this you suffered from a serious mental disorder.

Choose the most gentle and effective diet that will simultaneously keep your weight normal and saturate your body with essential minerals and substances.

Look at things positively, communicate more with family and friends. Try to prevent stressful situations from arising - this is the key to complete recovery and a fulfilling life.

If you or your loved ones experience the first alarming symptoms of bulimia, then you need to immediately begin taking measures to combat this disease. Try to pull yourself together, accept that there is a problem and follow the recommendations in today’s article. You will certainly succeed, don’t doubt it.

In contact with

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

Bulimia is a disease in which frequent bouts of uncontrollable eating necessarily end with the rapid disposal of what was eaten by artificially inducing vomiting.

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

Bulimia: symptoms of the disease: photo

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

Frequent overeating, “swallowing” food in chunks
obvious changes in weight, either up or down
depression or sudden mood changes
taking laxatives and diuretics
diseases and defects of teeth, damage to enamel
visiting the toilet too often
unhealthy skin
hangnails on fingers and swollen cheeks due to constant vomiting
desire to eat in solitude
lack of strength, fatigue
hoarseness of voice

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

Bulimia after dieting

People who are usually on diets are dissatisfied with their appearance, namely their weight. To reduce body weight, they undergo daily grueling workouts and strict dietary restrictions.

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

A person pounces on 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 were eaten, there comes a fear of gaining back the previously lost kilograms 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 the feeling of fullness becomes greater and greater. It becomes impossible to control food intake. Accordingly, trips to the toilet to get rid of “unnecessary” food are becoming more and more frequent.

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

Bulimia nervosa (psychological)

Bulimia nervosa occurs due to low self-esteem, stress and mental trauma, depression, depression, and fear of gaining excess weight. The easiest way for a person to get rid of oppressive psychological states is through food, which is why the so-called “eating” of problems occurs.

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

Lovers of good food are picky about food and have certain culinary preferences. Developing bulimia does not leave the patient the right to choose - he eats everything with the same appetite
With overeating, satiety occurs, but with bulimia, it does not. Only pain and cramps in the stomach can stop a bulimic from eating food.
a person prone to overeating does not experience sudden mood swings. The character of people suffering from bulimia is characterized by apathetic traits and loss of interest in normal life.

IMPORTANT: Bulimia nervosa most often affects the fairer sex. Men are less predisposed to such diseases.

Bulimia 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.

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

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 problems with the circulatory system appear.

At the same time, the condition of the patient’s skin, nails and teeth sharply deteriorates. Tooth enamel suffers greatly, as it is regularly attacked by stomach acid. Then comes the turn of the excretory system. Kidney diseases develop and the liver can no longer cope with the load.

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

Constipation becomes a constant companion of a bulimic. Bleeding from cracks in the mucous membranes of the esophagus may occur. The endocrine system is severely affected. And these are not all the troubles that await those who, in pursuit of an ideal figure, choose bulimia. Severe cases of bulimia are untreatable and fatal.

Can anorexia occur 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 characteristic of people obsessed with thinness and having a distorted idea of the beauty of the body.

Those with bulimia lose weight slowly or not at all. They may even weigh a little more than normal, which is not what they want. If, in his quest to lose weight, the patient decides to take extreme measures and completely refuses to eat, his weight will begin to quickly decrease, and bulimia will gradually turn into anorexia.

Nutrition for bulimia

To fight bulimia, you need to learn 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 naught.

Patients make most mistakes at the moment when it seems to them that their bulimia has subsided. 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 or 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 water
Rye bread
fresh and stewed vegetables
kefir, low-fat 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 your diet, and also experiment with the taste and temperature of food.

IMPORTANT: A doctor can determine the correct diet for complete recovery from bulimia. He will also give recommendations on restoring metabolic processes and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to deal with bulimia? How to treat bulimia?

IMPORTANT: Treatment of bulimia occurs comprehensively, simultaneously in three directions: psychological, medicinal and nutritional.

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

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

Medications for the treatment of bulimia

To treat bulimia, antidepressants and antipsychotics are used, which help fight attacks and resist the acute need for food.

The first drug your doctor will prescribe will be Fluoxetine (60 mg/day). This drug works as both an antidepressant and a stimulant. It is used during the daytime and has few contraindications. The minimum duration of treatment is 6 months
Another widely used drug in the treatment of bulimia is Phenibut. It has a good sedative effect. Taken at night
Ondansetron reduces the frequency of binge eating and purging. It has a number of serious side effects, such as abdominal pain, migraines, constipation. Prescribed at the beginning of treatment at a dose of 25 mg/day. At the end of treatment, the daily dose can 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 suffering from bulimia, pregnancy becomes a difficult ordeal, because the lives of mother and child are at risk. Attacks of overeating and the need to cleanse the body in pregnant women are no different from similar processes in ordinary women, however, the consequences are different.

Bulimia in pregnant women leads to the birth of premature, low-birth-weight 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 thing about pregnancy with bulimia is the possibility of a quick cure for the disease. An expectant mother who cannot love and accept herself and her body needs to seriously think about the health of her unborn baby. Understanding that the child’s life is at risk is often enough for a woman to take decisive action.

Bulimia in children

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

IMPORTANT: Parents who notice signs of bulimia in their child should definitely consult a doctor.

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

1. Psychoanalysis, which helps determine the cause of an eating disorder
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, difficult-to-treat disease, if the patient has the desire and active actions, it can still be overcome. To prevent the disease from returning, it is enough to strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations.

Video: Bulimia. How to cure bulimia

In the 21st century, diseases associated with eating disorders have become more frequent. This is due to factors such as the imposition of social stereotypes, increased stress levels and the spread of fast food.

On screens and magazine covers, certain standards of beauty are promoted that people strive to meet. Sometimes, against the background of constant nervous breakdowns, this becomes an obsession and develops into a real phobia. One such case is bulimia, which, according to statistics, affects about 7% of the population.

The figure is still small, but tends to constantly grow. Many people suffer from it without even realizing it and having no idea what kind of disease it is. Therefore, it is so important to familiarize yourself with the basic information: forewarned is forearmed.

What it is?

While many people have heard about anorexia, information about this disease comes up much less often, although these diseases are similar. According to medical reference books, bulimia is an unhealthy eating behavior that is characterized by bouts of overeating and an obsessive desire to shape up and lose weight, although in most cases it does not exceed the norm.

People suffering from this disorder have very low self-esteem, are mentally unstable and often abuse laxatives to flush out the body again and again, causing diarrhea or vomiting by any means. Such stress leads not only to numerous health problems, but also to alcohol addiction and even suicide.

Today, this disease has overtaken anorexia and compulsive overeating in its prevalence. Many patients do not even realize that they suffer from bulimia. For them, the picture looks like this: they lead a healthy lifestyle (play sports, constantly cleanse the body, go on diets), but at the same time nature has deprived them of ideal body proportions. They are guided not by their BMI, but by the parameters of beauty flashed in the media and their own reflection in the mirror, which they cannot evaluate objectively.

Bulimia is a cyclical disease, since the patient has to move again and again in the same circle, which he is unable to break: an attack of overeating - cleansing the body (through vomiting, enemas or laxatives) - - a new breakdown.

In connection with this situation, psychotherapists and nutritionists today are trying to convey to the masses as much information as possible about bulimia: how to identify it and how to get rid of it. The American National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders (ANAD) called it a fatal mental health condition.

Etymology. The term "bulimia" comes from two Greek words: "βοῦς" means "bull" and "λῑμός" means "hunger."

Causes

In each individual case, the reasons may be different. Their identification and elimination is the main task of therapy for this disease. Without getting rid of the provoking factor, it is impossible to cure the patient. All of them are divided into 3 large groups.

Organic:

impaired metabolism;
metabolic syndrome;
diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance;
lesions (toxic, tumor) of the brain in the hypothalamus;
hypothalamic-pituitary insufficiency (hormonal disorder);
genetics, heredity;
lack of nutrients as a result of constant hunger strikes.

Social:

the desire to meet the standards of beauty imposed by society;
internal complexes originating from childhood and adolescence (bullying by classmates and relatives about excess weight at 10-16 years old);
constant comparison of oneself with someone from the environment, unhealthy competition with a thin and slender friend (colleague, neighbor...);
dependence on social networks, in which acquaintances constantly publish pictures with flat tummies, wasp waists and inflated butts;
careless and tactless remarks, jokes, comments from acquaintances, parents, coaches, friends about their figure or weight.

Psychogenic:

psychological trauma received in childhood, and these include not only obesity in adolescence, due to which relationships with peers did not develop, but also the starvation of a newborn, and a lack of parental love;
constant nervous breakdowns;
depression;
prolonged depression;
low self-esteem associated with appearance flaws;
inferiority complex;
negative attitude towards life;
high anxiety.

Moreover, attacks of overeating can be triggered by both negative stress (due to the loss of a loved one, divorce, failures at work) and positive stress (a new romance, a promotion at work). In the first case, food becomes the only pleasure that helps to calm down. In the second, it acts as a reward for merit.

Most often, a person suffering from bulimia is not able to independently understand the true cause of bouts of overeating. But finding the trigger is important so you can take the appropriate steps to curb your appetite.

Other names. Bulimia is also called ravenous disorder or kinorexia.

Kinds

There are several classifications.

Clinical and pathogenetic approach

Bulimia nervosa - develops against the background of mental disorders when comparing oneself with others.
Hereditary.
Depressive - begins after serious stress or psychological trauma.
Emotional - bouts of overeating for a person are a method of emotional release; such patients are characterized by irritability, short temper and sudden mood swings.
Dietary - develops against the background of too long a hunger strike in order to correct the figure.

According to the mechanism of occurrence

Reactive - the outbreak of the disease occurs at the age of 20-25, the provoking factor is unbearable psychological stress, the main manifestation is a constant struggle between the desire to eat tasty and a lot and the need to limit and control food.
Autochthonous - begins in adolescence, characterized by frequent attacks, uncontrollable cravings for tasty and forbidden foods, lack of understanding of the presence of the disease, and lack of a feeling of satiety.

Structural and psychopathological analysis of attacks

Obsessive - the patient constantly struggles with himself, with his own attacks, often he manages to control overeating for weeks and even months, but then a powerful breakdown occurs, and he cannot stop, absorbing food in exorbitant quantities.
Dysthymic - the patient is emotionally worried that he is drawn to food, but is unable to fight the attacks, so they happen almost every day.
Impulsive - a person does not understand what is happening to him, so he does not particularly worry about the attacks, although internal complexes about the imperfection of his own figure are present.

By weight loss method

Medicinal - uncontrolled use and.
Emetic - artificially inducing vomiting several times a day.
Sports - grueling workouts.

Classifications of bulimia are used in medical practice to clarify the diagnosis, identify the main causes and prescribe optimal treatment.

Statistics. 10% of those suffering from bulimia are men. 10% of teenage girls aged 12 to 16 years are diagnosed with this condition. In 10% of cases, the disease ends in death due to cardiac arrest, exhaustion or suicide.

Clinical picture

Main signs of bulimia:

overeating, when a person cannot control the amount of food eaten and it exceeds the daily norm;
constant use of various methods of combating excess weight: cleansing the body through emetics and laxatives, hunger strikes, grueling training programs;
excessive dependence of self-esteem and mood on body weight and body shape parameters.

Bulimia often develops against the background of mental disorders, diseases of the central nervous system and endocrine system. It manifests itself differently in each individual person:

self-harm, when a person suffers from the fact that his body does not meet the standards of beauty imposed by society;
appetite, which leads to the absorption of large amounts of food, can be sudden (most often this happens at night) and constant (a person always chews something without stopping);
attacks are accompanied by severe weakness, painful hunger, dizziness and pain in the stomach.

Some symptoms are simultaneously a consequence of the measures taken by the patient and his lifestyle. They relate to his mental and physical health:

prostration;
predisposition to ENT pathologies;
disruption of the menstrual cycle up to amenorrhea;
fluctuations in weight;
metabolic disorders;
gastrointestinal pathologies;
depression;
self-hatred, constant feelings of guilt for bouts of overeating;
painful need for approval from other people;
muscle pain;
dental problems;
too frequent conversations about diets, models, nutrition, weight;
bowel disorders caused by overeating;
dry skin, poor condition of nails and hair.

At the same time, the majority have a normal weight, i.e. the idea of extra pounds is invented, obsessive, and does not correspond to reality.

Since bulimia is a mental disorder, a person cannot objectively assess either his own behavior or the parameters of his body. It seems to him that he is doing everything right (fasting, exercising, cleansing the body), but he is so imperfect that even this does not lead to the desired result (sizes 90/60/90, six-pack abs, wasp waist, etc.). ). This provokes constant bouts of irritability, and internal complexes quickly develop into real self-hatred.

On a note. The age peaks at which outbreaks of the disease occur are adolescence (13-16 years old) and young girls (22-25 years old).

Diagnostics

The disease is not diagnosed by conventional tests, as it belongs to the category of psychological disorders. There is a test for bulimia - this is EAT-26: it stands for Eating Attitudes Test. It was developed in 1979 in Toronto at the Clark Institute of Psychiatry. Other similar tests have already been released based on it. They can be found on the Internet and completed online, but interpretation of the results and the final diagnosis should be carried out exclusively by a doctor.

If you suspect bulimia, you should consult a psychotherapist. To confirm the diagnosis, consultations with a gastroenterologist, therapist and nutritionist are also required. To identify concomitant diseases, traditional tests are taken: blood, urine, ECG, ultrasound of internal organs that may have been damaged.

For comparison. Many experts believe that bulimia is akin to drug addiction, only food acts as a drug. The signs of addiction are obvious: the patient cannot independently break out of the cyclical circle. Over time, the feeling of fullness is lost, so you have to increase portions and the number of meals.

Treatment

For treatment to be effective, a comprehensive examination of the body is carried out and opinions from various specialists are collected. But the main course of therapy will be led by a psychotherapist.

Medication

Bulimia can be treated with medication - in some cases, antidepressants are prescribed. They are effective if:

obvious depressive disorder;
neuroses;
obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In the course of ongoing research, the effectiveness of the following antidepressants has been scientifically proven:

selective inhibitors: Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine, Citalapram, Escitalopram;
tricyclic: Amitriptyline, Imipramine, Clomipramine, Maprotiline, Mianserin, Trazodone;
monoamine oxidases: Moclobenide, Pirlindol.

Most often other drugs are prescribed (tablets), since tricyclic drugs, for example, in 30% of cases cause multiple side effects, due to which therapy is forced to be interrupted.

It is believed that treatment of bulimia with antidepressants alone is not effective, since it only eliminates mental disorders against which the underlying disease develops. Therefore, they are most often prescribed in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

To cure bulimia, you need to seek help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Hospitalization is required only in the most extreme cases, so most often patients are seen by a doctor on an outpatient basis. The most effective treatment method is CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy. It includes the following work with patients.

The goal is to teach the patient to control his diet.
Tools to achieve this goal: Patients record how much they eat at each meal, and then try to identify factors that provoke binges.
Work to eliminate these factors.
Reducing food restrictions: instilling proper, healthy eating habits.
Developing skills to cope with seizures.
Identifying and changing dysfunctional thoughts and attitudes about body shape and weight.
Fighting negative emotions.

How effective CBT is in treating bulimia can be judged by the following facts:

in 50% - complete relief from the disease;
80% - reduction in attacks;
results can last for a year or more;
the patient is registered for about 6 years after completing the CBT course, which is an excellent prevention of further development of the disease;
the frequency of attacks decreases after 3-4 sessions.

Neither antidepressants nor other psychotherapeutic methods have such an effect. The latter include:

behavioral therapy;
psychodynamic therapy;
family psychotherapy;
analysis of experiences;
the Twelve Step program (adapted from a system for treating substance use disorders);
interpersonal therapy (interpersonal) is one of the most promising techniques after CBT, which also gives good results.

The treatment program is drawn up in each individual case individually, as it depends on the presence of mental disorders against which the underlying disease develops.

Additional measures

In some cases, diet helps. It is not a panacea and is prescribed purely individually. Most often it concerns a clear schedule of meals and exact portion sizes, as well as the exclusion of fast food and sweets from the diet.
Taking multivitamin complexes is only necessary if there is a deficiency of certain microelements and vitamins.
Treatment of concomitant diseases.

To cope with bulimia, the patient must learn to accept himself as he is and lead a normal life. Restoring health (both physical and psychological) takes a lot of time, the results manifest themselves gradually, so you need to be patient. The positive attitude of the patient himself and the professionalism of the doctor are the main components of successful therapy.

Folk remedies

Many people are interested in how to get rid of bulimia on their own, without the use of antidepressants and CBT. You can try, but no one can guarantee a complete cure, since it is very difficult to cope with a mental disorder.

First, you need to try:

Eat in small portions: organize 5-6 meals a day, portion sizes should be no more than 250-300 g.
Get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger.
Drink at least 2 liters of plain water daily.
Food should be light, low-fat, low-calorie, so that the stomach digests it quickly.
You need to have breakfast before 9 am, lunch - until 14.00, dinner - around 18-19.00.
Between main meals you need to have light snacks of fruits, nuts, smoothies, berries, and dairy products.
Avoid soda, fast food, sugar, coffee and alcohol.
Try to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Spend a lot of time outdoors.
Get enough sleep (but not oversleep), the optimal amount of time for sleep varies from person to person, but on average it is 7-8 hours.
Do not be nervous.
Walks must be on foot.
Intense sports (gym, swimming, running) are not recommended, as they lead to the burning of a large number of calories, which can lead to increased appetite, exhaustion of the body, and even anorexia.
As soon as you feel another attack, drink kefir, green tea or regular water.

The most difficult thing is to choose the right products. Having learned that it is recommended to abandon a certain list, many go to extremes, which entail new breakdowns and attacks. Therefore, if you cannot wake up in the morning without coffee, you do not need to force yourself under any circumstances: you can afford 150 ml of your favorite sugar-free drink once a day. The same goes for chips or a hamburger. Once a week, a small pack or a small portion will not cause serious harm. Make allowances, otherwise the more you limit yourself in food, the more powerful and dangerous the attacks will be later.

Secondly, at home you can try to use folk remedies to dull your appetite.

Garlic

Chop 3 cloves of garlic, add a glass of warm water, leave for 24 hours, drink a tablespoon daily before bed. Garlic infusion has a beneficial effect on the valve that connects the esophagus and stomach. If you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, this recipe is contraindicated.

Linseed oil

Before each meal (both main meals and snacks) drink 20 ml.

Mint and parsley

An infusion of mint and parsley has a calming effect. They need to be dried, crushed, mixed in equal proportions (a teaspoon each), and poured with a glass of boiling water. Strain after half an hour. Drink as soon as the attack begins. Dulls the feeling of hunger for 2-4 hours.

Wormwood

Pour 20 grams of dried and crushed herbs with a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain. Drink a tablespoon 30 minutes before meals three times a day.

Plum and fig

Take 250 g of plums and figs. The fruits are crushed, mixed and filled with 3 liters of water. Place on fire and boil to 500 ml. Drink half a glass 4 times a day, regardless of meals.

Celery

Pour 20 g of fresh celery stalks with a glass of boiling water. Keep on fire for 15 minutes, strain. The resulting volume should be drunk 1 day in 3 doses 10 minutes before meals.

Corn silk

Pour 10 g of corn silk into a glass of boiling water and steam in a water bath for 20 minutes. Take a tablespoon immediately before meals.

Collection of herbs

Mix 40 g of dried herbs lemon balm, wheatgrass, chamomile, yarrow, dandelion, St. John's wort, horsetail. Pour 500 ml of boiling water. Leave for 2 days. Drink a glass twice a day for a month.

St. John's wort

Mix 30 g of dried St. John's wort, 10 ml of concentrated lemon juice, 50 ml of cold water, a teaspoon. Whisk thoroughly, drink a tablespoon before meals for a month.

Lavender baths

Their main function is calming. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath. Take twice a week before bedtime.

Motherwort

Pour a tablespoon of dry crushed motherwort into a glass of boiling water. Keep in a water bath for 20 minutes. Strain. Drink 50 ml before meals three times a day.

If you have taken all possible measures to eliminate bouts of overeating, but they return again and again, it is better to begin medication or psychotherapeutic treatment as soon as possible.

Data. People suffering from bulimia have a preference for sweets and starchy foods. Scientifically this is quite understandable. Firstly, such products provide maximum pleasure and contribute to the production of large amounts of endorphins. Secondly, they are high in calories and increase blood sugar levels, which allows you to feel full for at least some time.

Forecasts

Is it possible to completely recover from bulimia? Many sources claim that even after completing a full course of therapy, the disease still returns. Indeed, the risk of such a development is very high for two reasons. Firstly, the main trigger is stressful situations that await a modern person at every turn. Secondly, the disease is a mental disorder, and it is extremely difficult to overcome problems with the central nervous system even with the help of medications.

Here are the forecasts given by experts:

complete relief is not guaranteed by any method known today;
the main symptoms and consequences are eliminated by CBT for a sufficiently long period of time, provided that all medical recommendations are followed;
There are known cases of spontaneous disappearance of signs of bulimia in the absence of treatment after a strong mental shock that was positive in nature, but they are extremely rare;
attempts at self-medication rarely result in recovery;
in the absence of psychotherapeutic and drug treatment, the prognosis is extremely unfavorable - complications begin to develop, the risk of death due to heart failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and suicide is high;
With the support of relatives and immediate circles, the chances of recovery increase.

An unfavorable prognosis occurs if the patient does not realize the presence of a problem for a very long time and refuses treatment.

Complications

Unfortunately, most patients have no idea how dangerous bulimia is. In the absence of proper treatment, the consequences for the body can become irreversible and lead to death. The most common complications are:

neurasthenia;
various forms of addiction: drug, alcohol, drugs;
suicide;
acute heart failure;
antisocial behavior, isolation, cessation of communication up to autism;
irritation of the pharynx and esophageal mucosa (due to constantly induced vomiting);
violation of water-salt balance;
proctological disorders due to frequent use of enemas;
severe dehydration;
caries, bleeding gums due to repeated vomiting (stomach acid destroys tooth enamel and irritates the oral mucosa);
inflammation of the esophagus;
electrolyte imbalance leads to muscle cramps;
intestinal disorders;
disorders of the liver and kidneys;
internal bleeding;
amenorrhea;
heart diseases.

Such serious and severe consequences of bulimia once again indicate that it poses a danger to human life and health and requires timely medical attention.

Prevention

Prevention is necessary if such a diagnosis has already been made in the past, after just completing a course of CBT, or if one of your relatives has similar diseases. It is aimed at acquiring and consolidating normal eating habits and maintaining psychological health. What measures need to be taken for this?

Avoid any stressful situations if possible.
Find something not related to food that will give you pleasure: hobby, work, family, etc.
Do not abuse medications.
Strengthen your character.
Take multivitamins twice a year.
If you have low self-esteem, sign up for training.
Don't close yourself off, expand your social circle.

A very big responsibility in preventing bulimia falls on the shoulders of parents. The risk of its development may depend on their upbringing in the future. To protect your child from this problem in the future, you must:

maintain a comfortable psychological microclimate in the family;
to form correct self-esteem in the child;
do not use food in educational measures: you cannot use it as a reward or punishment;
instill in the child the correct attitude towards food as a normal physiological need, and not as a way of obtaining emotional and physical pleasure;
form correct eating habits: eat according to a schedule, eliminate (or minimize) harmful foods.

The support of loved ones and family plays a huge role. Their help is a guarantee that a person will never encounter this disease, and if this happens, it will be much easier to recover.

Helpful information

Bulimia is a disease that is not yet so widespread, but doctors are sounding the alarm. It is expected that the number of people suffering from it will increase several times every year. Massive use of the Internet, which describes all kinds of diets and methods of cleansing the body, leads people (most often young and inexperienced girls) to a stressful state when they want to achieve an ideal figure by any means, even to the detriment of their own health.

Not everyone rushes to see a doctor with this disease, even if they suspect they have it. A block of useful information will help dispel some of your doubts.

What films can you watch about bulimia?

Starving.
Maledimiele.
Sharing the Secret.
Kate's Secret.
When friendship kills.

How does bulimia affect pregnancy?

It is important to prevent bulimia and pregnancy from occurring at the same time. The disease depletes the strength and resources of the mother's body, and this is fraught with numerous complications in the development of the fetus and further labor. In most cases, this results in a caesarean section, miscarriage or stillbirth. Children born to mothers suffering from severe bulimia turn out to be weak and are often diagnosed with:

developmental delay;
low blood sugar;
increased red blood cell count;
weakened immune system;

As practice shows, in the future the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, and hypertension increases in such children. Considering the seriousness of the situation, when diagnosing bulimia in a pregnant woman, timely and comprehensive assistance from doctors of various specialties is necessary. The chances of a successful birth of a healthy child in this case increase several times.

How is bulimia different from anorexia?

Which famous people suffered from bulimia?

Princess Diana fell ill when she found out about her husband's infidelity and fell into depression. The treatment took 10 years.

Elvis Presley became the saddest and most famous example of a fatal outcome due to bulimia, which the singer constantly aggravated by drug use.

Diane Keaton (actress) - fell ill after losing weight for one of her roles.

Jane Fonda is an actress who was one of the first to admit that she had been treated for an illness for almost 30 years. She even founded a foundation to help women with this diagnosis.

Lindsay Lohan also made an official admission that she had been suffering from the disease for several years.

Nicole Scherzinger hid her illness for a long time not only from the public and doctors, but even from her family and friends.

Famous in the 70s. the last century fashion model Twiggy was very fashionable, as she resembled a reed girl, but after another attack of overeating, her heart failed, she was in a state of clinical death, but they managed to save her.

Elton John struggled not only with drug addiction and prolonged depression, but also with bulimia.

Kate Moss used to starve constantly in order to have a flat, almost child-like figure. But once she started eating, she often couldn’t stop. She underwent long courses of treatment in many prestigious clinics around the world.

Nicole Kidman suffers from a very serious illness - anorexia nervosa combined with bulimic attacks.

Bulimia is a very serious and dangerous disease, often leading to death. Most people are not even aware that they suffer from this disease. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor your eating habits and any changes in weight. As soon as any doubts arise, it is better to seek medical help so that it does not lead to complications and hospitalization.