Why bulimia doesnt work

For a while I compensated with exercise, but I never purged. I gained a LOT of weight, and to me, having been restricting for years but not looking skinny enough to be sick and then binging and being overweight made me believe I was a failure at eating disorders. To have an eating disorder but be classified as overweight? For the past 4 years I have been bouncing all over the place between restriction, purging the measly calories I ate that day, then eating more than I would ever have thought possible and spending so long with my fingers down my throat that my nails left scratches.

And am currently in a small relapse as much as I love the holiday season, holy crap it makes me feel out of control, especially with deadlines and ever mounting pressure. Despite all this, I have never been underweight. I want to eat. I love food, cooking, not obsessing. Threw up in the bathroom after my first university interview, realised that the interviewer was in the next stall down.

Small world! This literally made me cry. Here it is. I did not think this exact topic would be pulled up. I am a failed bulimic. I am a failed Anorexic. Unfotunatly, I am not a failed compulsive eater.

I started to restrict when I was My aunt, a pharmacist brought me some pills. Yellow and black. She said they would help curb my appetite. I began to obsess over my food. I can remember being 11 and my paternal grandmother commenting to another aunt that I would be prettier than my mom if I would just lose weight.

My weight preportion was not any worse than when I was I began to excercise like crazy and made sure all that I ate was a small cube of cheese that I would nibble on through oht the day. At first my pharmacist aunt would only give me 7 pills at a time so she knew I would be safe with them. After a while she went ahead and gave me the bottles. I took to filling zip lock bags with pills and hiding bags through out my room behind my posters so my Mom would not find them.

I was on speed. I realize that now. The hunger pains were so bad! I came home one day and watched an afternoon special about a girl with Bulimia. It had never even crossed my mind that I could eat if I could not stand it and then throw up or take laxative. So it began. Fast forward to age I went into an inpatient treatment center for 6 weeks.

Once out, I experienced maybe 5 weeks of abstinence. Then I began lying to my mother. Told her that my dietician said I could cut back on my portions.

And so it began again. I am now 45 years old. I have 3 beautiful children, a kind and patient husband who loves me for who I am. After I began trying to get pregnant I stopped the cycle of purging and diet pills.

I know if I start to purge again that I will surely die. But part of me says to try again. You have not succeeded yet. I Had to use medical intervention to get pregnancy two of the three pregnancies. I am now pounds over weight. I recently started a running program at work. The thoughts creep back in.. I cannot continue. I must break free of this evil presence in my soul. It what I have lived for 33 yrs.

Thank you for sharing. Recently it has gotten worse.. I feel at a loss. I have beautifully amazing kids and I quit my marriage. I wept as I read this. I have never found a blog post, YouTube video, or article that hit how I felt on the head quite as well as you have. Topic Overview What is bulimia nervosa? What causes bulimia? You may be more likely to have bulimia if: Other people in your family are obese or have an eating disorder. You have a job or do a sport that stresses body size, such as ballet, modeling, or gymnastics.

You are often on a diet or you exercise too much in order to lose weight or change your body shape. Have a poor body image, or feel that your body should be slim like many people in the media.

You are the type of person who tries to be perfect all the time, never feels good enough, or worries a lot. You are dealing with stressful life events, such as divorce, moving to a new town or school, or losing a loved one. Bulimia is most common in: Teens.

Like other eating disorders, bulimia usually starts in the teen years. But it can start even earlier or in adulthood.

But boys and men have it too. What are the symptoms? People with bulimia: Binge eat on a regular basis. They eat larger amounts of food than most people would in a similar situation, in a short period of time 2 hours or less. During a binge, they feel out of control and feel unable to stop eating. Purge to get rid of the food and avoid weight gain. They may make themselves vomit, exercise very hard or for a long time, or misuse laxatives, enemas , water pills diuretics , or other medicines.

Base how they feel about themselves on how much they weigh and how they look. Any one of these can be a sign of an eating disorder that needs treatment.

How can you know if someone has bulimia? A person may have bulimia if he or she: Goes to the bathroom right after meals. Is secretive about eating, hides food, or will not eat around other people.

Exercises a lot, even when he or she does not feel well. Often talks about dieting, weight, and body shape. Uses laxatives or diuretics often. Has teeth marks or calluses on the back of the hands or swollen cheeks or jaws.

These are caused by making oneself vomit. How is it treated? What should you do if you think someone has bulimia? Talk to him or her. Tell the person how much you care and why you are worried. Urge him or her to talk to someone who can help, like a doctor or counselor. Offer to go along. Tell someone who can make a difference, like a parent, teacher, counselor, or doctor. The sooner your friend or loved one gets help, the sooner she will be healthy again.

Cause The cause of bulimia is not clear, but it probably results from a combination of genetics, family behaviors, social values such as admiring thinness , and other things that can put someone at risk such as perfectionism. Symptoms Symptoms of bulimia include: Repeated binge eating, or eating larger amounts of food than most people would in a similar situation, in a short period of time 2 hours or less.

Frequently getting rid of the calories you've eaten purging by making yourself vomit, fasting, exercising too much, or misusing laxatives, diuretics , ipecac syrup, or enemas. Misuse of these medicines can lead to serious health problems and even death. Feeling a loss of control over how much you eat. Feeling ashamed of overeating and very fearful of gaining weight. Basing your self-esteem and value upon your body shape and weight.

Thinking about food, your body, or dieting so much that it distracts you from other tasks. Other signs that a person may have bulimia Common signs that a person may have bulimia are when the person: Is very secretive about eating and does not eat around other people.

Sneaks food or hides food in the house. You may notice that large amounts of food are missing. Has frequent weight changes. For example, the person may gain and lose large amounts of weight in short periods of time. Has irregular menstrual cycles. Seems preoccupied with exercise. Seems to be overusing laxatives and diuretics. Has low levels of potassium or other blood electrolyte imbalances.

Looks sick or has symptoms such as: Tooth decay or erosion of tooth enamel. Sore gums or mouth sores. Dry skin. Loose skin. Thin or dull hair. Swollen salivary glands. Bloating or fullness. Lack of energy. Teeth marks on the backs of the hands or calluses on the knuckles from self-induced vomiting. Feels depressed, anxious, or guilty. Shoplifts food, laxatives, or diuretics. Drinks large amounts of alcohol or uses illegal drugs and may have substance use disorder.

Warning signs of possible suicide in children and teens can include being preoccupied with death or suicide, giving away belongings, withdrawing, being angry, or having failing grades.

Warning signs and possible triggers of suicide in adults can include depression, giving away belongings, a recent job loss, or divorce. If you or someone you know shows warning signs of suicide, seek help immediately. What Happens When you have bulimia, you judge yourself harshly on your body weight and shape.

Health problems caused by bulimia include: Tooth decay, toothaches, swollen gums, gum disease gingivitis , and erosion of tooth enamel. These are caused by acid in the mouth from vomiting. Electrolyte imbalances and changes in metabolism that can lead to heart problems, such as arrhythmia and even death.

Dehydration, which can lead to weakness, fainting, or kidney damage. Inflammation or tears of the esophagus , which may cause bloody vomit.

Fainting or loss of consciousness, usually because of low blood pressure. Low body temperature. Suicide risk when feeling discouraged about having bulimia or a relapse or about ongoing body image issues. Long-term problems with bowel movements because of laxative misuse. Substance use disorders , which occur in more than one-third of those with bulimia. Borderline personality disorder , which more commonly occurs with bulimia than with other eating disorders.

Anxiety and anxiety disorders. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Social anxiety disorder or other phobias. Panic disorder or panic attacks. What Increases Your Risk The risk for bulimia or another eating disorder is greatest if a person: footnote 2 Has a biological parent, brother, or sister who has an eating disorder or who is overweight or obese. Is overly concerned with weight or struggles with symptoms of depression. Is overweight and is starting a restrictive diet.

Has certain personal traits such as perfectionism. Struggles with cultural and social factors such as admiring thinness. When should you call your doctor?

Call your doctor immediately if you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with bulimia and now: Is not able to pass urine. Notices that his or her heart skips beats or beats slower than normal. Has severe belly pain, is vomiting up blood, or has black, sticky stools that look like tar. These signs may mean that there is bleeding in the digestive tract. And as they run counter to your desire to lose weight, you find yourself at war with your body and mind: Food becomes the enemy and consequently there is a lot of anxiety and agitation experienced around food and eating.

The inner conflict becomes increasing stressful physically, mentally and emotionally. Stress is further increased with the physical, mental and emotional stress brought on by any compensatory behaviors of purging.

This chronic level of stress raises the levels of the cortisol level, which is linked to weight gain. An important thing to know is that many bulimics actually lose weight when they replace bingeing and purging with healthy patterns of eating. Whilst there can be an initial weight loss — perhaps due more to the placebo effect — research shows that….

And because diet pills and potions are unregulated and with the possibility of buying them online, some are not just ineffective but dangerous and can kill you! I remember resorting to drastic measures to divert my attention away from my desire to eat, curb my cravings and prevent myself from bingeing. This included a variety of slimming pills, both over the counter and prescription — ultimately none of them worked.

As with laxatives and durietics, you can come to believe that you need diet pills, especially those that have addictive qualities and make you feel better when you take them. However like anything addictive, over time you need more, or stronger, to get the same effect. Whilst some of the side effects are short term and go when you stop taking the pills or teas, some are not; long-term use of some diet pills can have serious consequences, especially for those with underlying vulnerabilities.

As with anything that artificially restricts your food intake and or reduces your body weight below what is a good weight for your body, Mother Nature will work to redress it. With the adverse side effects of diet pills, some of which are listed below, are ask you is it worth it? The adverse side effects of Diet Pills. Unfortunately this is not the case. The thing is we human beings only have so much will power before it is depleted. Resisting Repeated Temptations has a Mental Toll.

And when you add all the times you are also trying to…. Using Will power as a Bulimia Weight Loss strategy causes stress, initiating the release of Cortisol, the hormone linked to weight gain. Persistent high levels of Cortisol not only make you feel anxious and disrupt sleep which further compromise Will Power, it can also make you eat! The truth is the behaviours and strategies associated with bulimia weight loss and any form of restrictive dieting, are counterproductive.

Rather than help you lose, maintain or control your weight, they only serve to make your weight more uncontrollable, more variable and ultimately weight gain.

None of which is conducive to your happiness. For some people this is relatively easy but for the majority of people suffering from bulimia eating in this way can be difficult because of underlying fears and beliefs. Julie won a 15 year battle with bulimia over 20 years ago and now mentors and coaches others to bulimia freedom.

She is a compassionate, caring bulimia recovery coach who brings a unique and powerful perspective on recovery that has helped people from all walks of life, not just stop bingeing and purging but learn how to love themselves and their bodies and create a life they love. I hope to hear from you in one way or another. Basically Ednos is an eating disorder that does not fit neatly into the specific criteria for other eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia. Giana, if you are bingeing and purging please seek help or you can contact me by replying to this email.

This treatment involves seeing a health professional and getting counseling on a regular basis. In most cases, men and women admit themselves to an in-house treatment. This approach is so the doctors can keep a close eye on the patient and make sure she is eating a healthy diet. However, the victim can overcome anorexia only with the help of a mental-health physician, a medical-health professional, or a registered dietician.

On the contrary, bulimics have an easier time taking charge of their eating disorder. Behavior therapy is better than hospitalization. It helps bulimics achieve specific goals such as changing their eating patterns.

Cognitive therapy is another helpful treatment for bulimia.