Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is often mistaken for overeating. In reality, anxiety and pressure cause overeating in many of us. In the case of people who suffer from bulimia nervosa, there is almost a compulsion to eat. As a result, you suffer from an eating disorder in which you tend to eat excessively consuming about 3,000 or even 5,000 calories within an hour or so.
The anxiety associated with bulimia nervosa is multiplied by the resultant increase in weight and obesity. This is the reason that people with eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa are overconscious of their weight and tend to starve, run long miles, or do drastic things that do not help in reducing the anxiety but only increases the severity of their eating disorder.
Treatments for Bulimia Nervosa
Dieting is not at all a treatment alternative for bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders. This is because starving and reduced intake only increase purging and craving to eat more, which eventually succeeds and you end up eating much more than you would have had normally.
Those with bulimia nervosa often tend to alternate between overeating and starving since they have inherent guilt and anxiety about their eating disorder and keeping it concealed. They show excess of anxiety about their body’s shape and weight.
Treatments for bulimia nervosa must also aim at curing anxiety, abdominal pain, acid reflux, ulcers, swollen cheeks and salivary glands, sore throat, constipation, tooth decay, and other indications of eating disorders.
Best treatments for bulimia nervosa include cognitive–behavioral therapy in which the eating disorder is cured in three steps. Initially, breaking free of the craving and purging cycle is essential to get rid of eating disorders. Offering counseling and taking family therapy to provide an ideal environment to prevent craving and opportunities for overeating can help control eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa. Finally, addressing the root cause and emotional issues that are causing the eating disorder ought to be done through counseling and treatment. Psychological and nutritional counseling are important treatment options. Sometimes, antidepressants are also given to help them overcome anxiety as a part of treatment.
As a friend or family member of someone with bulimia nervosa, you can offer compassion and not ridicule or insult them for the eating disorder. However, those with bulimia nervosa should consciously try to get over the anxiety and emotional trauma and be ready to move forward in order to be helped. You can help treatment procedures taken by bulimia nervosa patients by setting a good example, eating properly, and exercising regularly.