Bulimia nervosa is a
type of eating disorder. It is often called just bulimia. A person with bulimia eats a lot of food in a short amount of time. This is called
binging. The person may fear gaining weight after a binge. Binging also can cause feelings of shame and guilt. So, the person tries to "undo" the binge by getting rid of the food. This is called purging. Purging might be done by:
making yourself throw up
taking
laxatives — pills or liquids that speed up the movement of food through your body and lead to a bowel movement
exercising a lot
eating very little or not at all
taking water pills to urinate
Psychotherapist Abigail H. Natenshon, author of When Your Child Has An Eating Disorder, A Step-by-Step Workbook For Parents And Other Caregivers, explains it is often difficult to recognize bulimia in others. “Bulimic individuals appear to be of normal weight most often. Being a secretive disease, there is typically no way to recognize bulimia simply by observing visible behaviors. Observers need to learn to read the hidden signs of a hidden disease. Most often, bulimia is a disease that the victim covets and holds close as a result of the fear of loosening a grip on a crutch that has gotten them through life and hard times.”
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Related Resources
Wikipedia: Bulimia Nervosa
Mayo Clinic: Bulimia Nervosa
NAMI: Bulimia Nervosa
Confident Living
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