What is Bulimia Nervosa?
Bulimia Nervosa is one of the eating disorders that affects many people’s lives and here are the things you need to know about this condition.
It can be life-threatening just like Anorexia Nervosa. People having this condition tend to binge eat or they feel they are losing control over their eating, based on the article in Mayo Clinic. In just one sitting, they eat a large amount of food. However, this often happens in secret but they would feel guilty and shameful after eating.
With the guilt feeling, they would make efforts to get rid of the extra calories in an unhealthy way like forcing themselves to vomit or they would misuse laxatives.
People with bulimia nervosa focus on weight and body shape even when they are trying to think about other things. They would judge themselves harshly based on their looks and figure. For them, it is a flaw in their personality.
This condition is not just merely about food or eating disorders, it also involves how you see yourself. It is a complex illness that affects how your brain works and how you make decisions. An eating disorder is not something a person can choose.
With the proper treatment, this condition can be managed, and eventually, a person affected by this can feel better.
Here are the symptoms:
- Fear of gaining weight and trying to lose weight in unhealthy ways
- Repeatedly eating unusually large amounts of food in one sitting
- Feeling a loss of control during binge eating, feeling of not being able to stop eating, or can’t control what you eat
- Vomiting on purpose or doing extreme exercises after binge eating to get rid of extra calories
- Using medicines that make you urinate, called water pills or diuretics, laxatives, or enemas to pass stool even when they’re not needed, and dietary supplements or herbal products for weight loss
- Fasting, limiting calories, or not eating certain foods between binges
- Being very unhappy with your body shape and weight and letting your body shape and weight guide how you feel about yourself and your worth.
- Having extreme mood swings
It is advised to consult a doctor or seek medical help right away after experiencing these symptoms. This condition can severely affect your physical and mental health if not treated immediately.