Bulimia Treatment
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is marked by periods of binge eating followed by purging behaviors. Most bulimics attempt to control their weight by forcing themselves to vomit after eating, though other methods include ingesting laxatives or diuretics. Non-purging bulimics will attempt to offset the food they eat by fasting for extended periods of time or exercising obsessively.
The disorder can inflict significant physical, mental, and emotional damage. Frequent vomiting can alter the body’s acid/base balance, leading to conditions including slowed breathing, sleep apnea, irregular heartbeat, and convulsions. Additional effects of repeated purging can include dehydration, potassium depletion, electrolyte imbalance, bowel disorders, esophageal lacerations, and oral trauma.
The secretive nature of bulimia may also cause sufferers to withdraw from family and friends – and the unhealthy body image that is endemic among bulimics is often accompanied by self-loathing and depression.
Bulimia is a complex and challenging condition, but effective treatment (including, in some cases, hospitalization or enrollment in a residential treatment facility) is available.
THE MEDICAL/NUTRITIONAL COMPONENT
As is the case with anorexia patients, two primary steps in bulimia treatment involve addressing physical conditions associated with the disordered eating and helping the patient maintain a healthy body weight. While the vast majority of anorexics are underweight, extreme bingeing can cause some bulimia patients to remain overweight.
Though some severe cases of bulimia demand hospitalization, psychotherapy is usually considered the most common and effective treatment for this disorder.
Depending upon the manner in which they purged, though, some bulimics may require medical attention related to their abuse of laxatives or diuretics. For example, the excessive use of laxatives can lead to kidney failure, and ipecac syrup (which is used to induce vomiting) can cause shock, seizure, and cardiac arrest.
Because bulimia often co-occurs with depression or anxiety, many doctors prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Paxil, Prozac, or Zoloft to help patients deal with these recovery-related issues.
With proper nutrition playing such an important part of a patient’s return to health, recovering bulimics may also be taught how to cook and eat healthier, as well as how to incorporate appropriate levels of exercise into their lives.
THE THERAPEUTIC/PSYCHOSOCIAL COMPONENT
According to the Bulimia Treatment website, nutritional rehabilitation, psychosocial intervention, and medication management strategies are the primary components of an effective treatment plan. Depending upon the specific needs of the patient, the psychosocial or therapeutic aspects of bulimia treatment can occur in individual, group, or family-based settings, with extended aftercare also an appropriate option:
- Individual therapy – Whether the patient is dealing with underlying issues such as depression and anxiety, or attempting to modify unhealthy behaviors such as bingeing and purging, individual therapy can play a critical role in a bulimia recovery. By examining his emotions and experiences in a safe and supportive environment, the recovering bulimic can work with his therapist to overcome his self-destructive compulsions and establish healthy behavior patterns.
- Group therapy – Anecdotal evidence suggests that group therapy is more effective for bulimics than it is for anorexics, though individuals with all types of eating disorders have been helped by this approach. Group sessions encourage recovering individuals to establish constructive interpersonal connections, and allow patients to see that they are not alone in their struggle to defeat their disorder.
- Family therapy – Family-based solutions are especially effective in cases where adolescent or young adult patients are still living with their parents. In addition to strengthening the bonds among individuals who are likely to be called upon to support the recovering bulimic, family therapy can also be used to rectify dysfunctional interpersonal relationships that may have either contributed to or exacerbated the development of the disorder.
- Support groups & aftercare programs – Groups such as Eating Disorders Anonymous and Anorexics and Bulimic Anonymous incorporate the 12-Step philosophy to help ensure continued recovery. Because external stresses and pressures can tempt recovering bulimics to resume bingeing and purging, involvement with support groups and aftercare programs can prove to be invaluable.
Depending upon the program or facility, treatments like the ones outlined above may be complemented with alternative therapies such as art therapy and animal-based therapies.
Ultimately, the goals of any bulimia treatment program are to eliminate the compulsion to binge and purge and to address any underlying physical, emotional, or social issues that may have been responsible for, or caused by, the development of the eating disorder.
Though bulimia can wreak significant havoc on the lives of sufferers and those around them, effective treatment can be life-affirming, life-changing, and in some cases literally life-saving. |
