Bulimia. What is this disease, symptoms, causes of occurrence, treatment, how to deal

Bulimia is a serious problem, which became especially relevant in the second half of the XX century, when the fashion for diets and weight loss began to actively spread in society. The disease is a mental disorder that manifests itself as an eating disorder.

People with or with bulimia tend to be concerned about their own weight, follow strict diets, and punish themselves severely for breakdowns that happen anyway.

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The most common type of illness is bulimia nervosa. It is a form of mental disorder in which a person, dissatisfied with their body weight, becomes obsessed with food. So, he can carefully calculate the calories consumed, refuse food if it does not correspond to his ideas about the "right" food, or starve at all.

Bulimia nervosa is divided into two stages, constantly replacing each other. The first period is characterized by overeating, uncontrolled absorption of food.

Hunger wakes up in a person (as a rule, after a rigid diet, but not necessarily), and at the sight of tasty, but a high-calorie meal, he cannot restrain himself and does not calm down until he fills his stomach to refusal. As soon as hunger is replaced by oversaturation, the second period begins.

The person realizes what he has done, feels self-loathing and feels the need to punish himself for the offense. This stage is characterized by attempts to induce vomiting immediately after meals, taking medications designed to cleanse the body (laxative, diuretic), and fasting.

Another type of disease is compulsive overeating. In this case, a person does not necessarily follow his own body, often he is not even interested in how much he weighs. The only thing the patient is concerned about is food. As with bulimia nervosa, food intake is uncontrolled.

A person simply cannot stop eating and often eats too much, which leads to weight gain and lays the foundation for various chronic diseases. Binge eating is predominantly a consequence of stress.

Stages and degrees

The development of bulimia nervosa is conventionally divided into three stages:

• unconscious state;
• awareness;
• deliberate action.

The prerequisites for the onset of the first degree of the disease are laid even in childhood.

By dividing food into good and bad, using it as a reward or punishment, parents unconsciously form a a child's picture of the world where food is not a necessary condition for survival, but pleasure that is still needed deserve. In connection with this fact, adolescents are distinguished as the group most susceptible to eating disorders.

Bulimia begins with weight concerns and the first attempt to lose weight. On a diet, a person is especially clearly aware that delicious food is equal to pleasure, which is available only to thin people who never get fat.

The further the diet progresses, the greater the joy of its results and the stronger the control over the food consumed. The body, however, is drawn to the forbidden, breakdowns occur, which bring relief only at the very beginning. Satisfaction is quickly replaced by self-loathing, and the person seeks to get rid of the food eaten by vomiting.

Bulimia is a disease that is difficult to identify at the outset. When a person begins to suspect that something is wrong with him, the second stage of the disease begins. The patient, addicted to food, increasingly observes others, envies their ability to eat delicious food.

This encourages him to change his own lifestyle, forget about the diet, let himself enjoy a high-calorie piece of cake or pizza, but it is impossible to deviate from a rigid diet. Then a person begins to think about the reasons that make him punish himself for delicious food, and to realize the existing problem.

The last stage of the disease is aimed at getting rid of it. The patient studies the literature, visits a specialist and begins therapy. The sooner the degree of conscious action comes, the higher the chances of getting rid of the disease.

A person suffering from binge eating disorder goes through the same stages. The disease begins with denial of the existence of the problem and continues until the recovery period from the disorder.

Symptoms

Difficulties in making a diagnosis are that bulimia manifests itself in different ways. Unlike anorexia, it is almost impossible to determine the presence of a disease by external signs, especially in the early stages, since most of the people suffering from the disorder have a normal weight body.

In severe cases, changes in the facial region are well traced:

• swelling of the glands of the neck and face;
• hemorrhages on the skin that look like bruises;
• swelling in the cheek, chin, under the ear, which makes a person look like a chipmunk with a full mouth.

The food addict himself may notice a painful sensation in the throat, which is most pronounced when swallowing, but persists at rest. The patient often experiences heartburn, and when examining the teeth, traces of enamel destruction are observed. All this is a consequence of frequent vomiting.

To identify bulimia, it is necessary to monitor the person's behavior. An alarming signal is the desire to be alone or to go to the bathroom immediately after finishing a meal. As a rule, in the case of an eating disorder, the visit to the bathroom is delayed, longer than usual.

It is worthwhile to be wary when a person who previously always participated in friendly gatherings and feasts refuses them on an ongoing basis. He may also stop eating in public, stop ordering food in a cafe, and refuse offers to eat. Another symptom is frequent conversations about nutrition, diets, criticism of "healthy" food and people who consume it.

You can identify bulimia yourself by the following signs:

• weight loss;
• periodic bouts of uncontrolled overeating;
• dissatisfaction with your own body;
• self-loathing and anger after eating;
• fear of getting fat (even if you only gained 1–2 kg).

Binge eating disorder is characterized by:

• fast process of eating food;
• fear is in people;
• anger after eating;
• lack of satisfaction from food;
• the desire to constantly snack, even without feeling hungry.

If you have these symptoms, it is important to see a psychiatrist.

Causes

Bulimia is a disease that develops on a psychological level. Women aged 15-30 are especially susceptible to it, men are much less likely to suffer. The emergence and development of the disease is largely due to modern beauty standards and pressure on girls.

Since a significant part of them, especially in adolescence, are dependent on public opinion, dissatisfaction with your body appears and the desire for perfection, which is achieved mainly by tough diets.

As a result, women perceive food as a forbidden pleasure, they forget how to listen to their own the body and are deprived of a large amount of nutrients, which leads to the desire to eat everything and straightaway.

Bulimia can be inherited. However, we are not talking about isolated cases, when only one person in the family suffers from the disease. If it is seen in several relatives of different generations, the likelihood that the child will be susceptible to eating disorders is significantly increased.

The occurrence of binge eating is often the body's response to stress. The habit of seizing problems or treating a bad mood with chocolate can be the first sign of illness.

Diagnostics

It is important to understand that all problems associated with eating disorders come from the head, and are not the result of problems in the body.

Therefore, in the presence of symptoms of bulimia, it is necessary, first of all, to consult specialists dealing with the mental state of a person - a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist. If the disease is confirmed, the patient can be referred to a nutritionist to correct the diet and draw up the menu necessary for the recovery of the body.

To diagnose the disease, the doctor will conduct a conversation with the patient, which will help identify the causes of bulimia. A pathopsychological study is necessary to determine the mental state of a person. If an eating disorder is found during the examination, the patient is sent to the hospital for testing.

Bulimik will need to undergo the following procedures:

• donate blood for studies of hemoglobin and erythrocyte counts, as well as minerals (calcium, chlorine, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium) and creatinine;
• undergo an examination to identify the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG);
• pass urine to determine the degree of dehydration;
• undergo an analysis for the concentration of amylase.

This is necessary to identify the severity of bulimia, as well as its consequences for the body, in order to get rid of them in a timely manner. The patient is also referred to the dentist. He assesses the condition of the tooth enamel, which is destroyed by frequent vomiting.

The psychotherapist's services are mostly paid. One session in large Russian cities will cost about 5-6 thousand rubles. rubles. The prices for the examination must be checked with the chosen clinic.

When to see a doctor

It is necessary to visit a specialist at the first suspicion of a disease. It is always better to play it safe, get checked and start treatment in advance, eliminating minor symptoms, than coming to the doctor already in a serious condition.

At the initial stage, the psychotherapist will conduct a pathopsychological study, reveal the peculiarities of the psyche person and, with the help of a conversation, will try, together with the patient, to get to the cause of the eating disorder behavior. The first stage of bulimia is always easier to cure than the final stage.

Bulimia is a disease, in order to get rid of which it is necessary, first of all, to investigate the psyche. The main attending physician for a bulimik will be a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, however, he will help him to restore the patient's body a nutritionist, as well as a number of other highly specialized professionals who deal with the consequences of an eating disorder, for example, dentist.

Most often, patients come to a nutritionist for help, since he is directly related to the food on which they are dependent.

In this case, the doctor should listen to the patient's complaints, suspect the development of the disease and send the potential bulimic for examination by a psychiatrist. The nutritionist himself will not be able to cure the disorder, since it is associated more with the person's head than with his diet.

The help of a specialist will be needed when the psychiatrist makes a specific diagnosis and launches the process of combating the disease, eliminating its consequences. Here, nutritional advice will be needed more than ever. It is he who will make a balanced menu necessary for a full recovery after an illness.

Prophylaxis

Bulimia is not an infection that can be avoided by limiting communication with patients and strengthening the immune system. To avoid an eating disorder, you need to protect yourself from peer pressure, commitment to public opinion and hatred of your own body.

The first thing to do is stop dividing food into “good” and “bad”. Even a packet of chips can be beneficial if the body requires it. When a person ignores the desires of his own body, he harms him much more than if he succumbed to temptation and ate something high-calorie.

It is necessary to understand that strict food restrictions and refusal to listen to the body increase the risk of breakdowns, during which much more "junk" food is consumed.

Instead of criticizing yourself and finding fault with the imperfection of your body, you should look for positive moments. It is important to focus not on the shortcomings, but on the merits, even if initially it seems that there are few of them. Sometimes this may require the help of a specialist.

If there is no opportunity to visit a psychotherapist, you need to try to protect yourself as much as possible from toxic people, look for beauty in small things and learn to admit that the world is imperfect, and even those who are traditionally considered to have complexes beautiful.

Treatment methods

As soon as a person is suspected of having bulimia or any other disorder related to the disorder eating behavior, you must consult a doctor who will diagnose and select an individual method treatment.

It is desirable that the recovery took place under the supervision of a specialist, who, if something happens, will be able to correct the course, assess the patient's condition and the safety of the funds he takes.

Bulimia is a disease that cannot be cured instantly, even if a person is aware of his problem and makes every effort to fight it. The disease did not form in one day, it may be the result of circumstances and anxieties that have accumulated over the years, and it is impossible to hope that all symptoms will disappear in a short time.

Therefore, there is no need to give up if it seems that all efforts are in vain - they will certainly bear fruit. Any doubts about the drugs taken and their effect on the body should be discussed with a psychotherapist.

Medications

The use of medications is not recommended without first consulting your doctor. It is he who prescribes doses based on the patient's condition. Self-administration of medications can lead to the opposite effect and aggravate the situation.

Antidepressants are the mainstay of treatment for bulimia. They help to dull hunger, calm the nervous system and relieve anxiety. The selection of drugs is carried out individually in accordance with the condition of the bulimic.

The following remedies are suitable for treating eating disorders:

A drug	Active substance	Average price in rubles
Amitriptyline-Grindeks	amitriptyline	48
Apo-Fluoxetine	fluoxetine	87
Prozac	fluoxetine	455
Fluoxetine Lannacher	fluoxetine	114
Amitriptyline	amitriptyline	40

Traditional methods

Some people who are trying to fight the disease on their own use traditional medicine. Although this method cannot be a full-fledged replacement for the therapy offered by psychiatrists, it can alleviate the bulimic condition and eliminate some of the symptoms, for example, increased appetite.

In this case, effective means will be:

A drug	Recipe	How to use
garlic infusion	Peel and grind 3 cloves of garlic. The mass must be poured with 1 tbsp. boiling water and cool.	1 tbsp. l. before bedtime
wormwood tea	1 hour l. Mix dried wormwood with 200 g of boiling water and let stand for about 30 minutes.	1 tbsp. l. in 30 minutes before meals
decoction of celery	20 g of celery is added to 1 tbsp. water and boiled for 15 minutes. After half an hour of infusion, you must strain the broth.	1/3 st. before every meal
infusion of mint and parsley	dried herbs (each 20 g) are poured with 200 g of boiling water and brewed for 30 minutes.	with bouts of severe hunger, regardless of food intake and time of day

Other methods

It is much easier to overcome bulimia if there are people nearby who are always ready to support. Group therapy is a great way to share experiences, listen to someone with similar problems, and work together to overcome illness.

Psychotherapists may also suggest organizing a family gathering in order to normalize relations among relatives and help restore harmony in the home. It has been established that family problems are often one of the factors influencing the development of an eating disorder, therefore, their resolution can facilitate the course of treatment.

Possible complications

Long-term refusal of therapy leads to the progression of the disease and the complication of its form. Gradually, the problem ceases to concern exclusively the psyche and passes into the human body, posing a serious threat to physical health.

Among the consequences of bulimia are:

• low chlorine content (the reason for the disruption of the process of food digestion and dehydration);
• distension of the stomach, its bleeding;
• lack of calcium (leads to fragility of bones and teeth, osteoporosis, poor blood clotting);
• electrolyte imbalance (increases the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system);
• esophageal carcinoma;
• bowel disease.

In order to prevent complications, the treatment of which can take several years, it is necessary to see a doctor at the first sign of the disorder.

Bulimia is common among young women. This is one of the adverse effects of dieting, tight food control, and preoccupation with appearance. The disease progresses quickly, and it is difficult to get rid of it, therefore it is necessary to seek help at the first suspicion of an eating disorder.

Author: Olga Eisen

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