Overcoming Bulimia
The signs and symptoms to be aware of
Bulimia is an eating disorder that traps the individual in a vicious cycle of binging and purging. In normal cases, the person will repeat the cycle several times a week. However, in the more severe cases, they may repeat the cycle several times each day. The cycle may result in any of the following or a combination thereof:
- chronic gastric reflux after eating
- constant body weight fluctuations
- constipation
- dehydration caused by frequent vomiting
- electrolyte imbalance
- enlarged glands in the neck
- infertility and/or a decrease in menstruation
- peptic ulcers
Additionally, the person may suffer with delusions and other physical complications including cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, and seizures. Over-exercising is common and the individual usually quits participating in other activities and responsibilities. Finally, bulimia exhibits the highest mortality rate of any behavioral or psychological disorders and ranges between 10% and 25% with up to 5% of these deaths resulting from suicide.
Overcoming the disorder with professional help
If any of the above applies to you or a loved one, you are definitely a candidate for entering a treatment program for overcoming bulimia. There are three primary avenues of treatment for the disorder – medication, nutritional counseling, and therapy. The primary medications used are anti-depressants, with Prozac being the primary one. However, research is currently being conducted on Zoloft and it is showing positive results.
Nutritional counseling plays a significant role as well and the individual is taught how much and when to eat making sure that plenty of nutrients are included while sugar is eliminated. In conjunction with medication and nutritional counseling, the individual undergoes CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in order to change their misconception about eating and the distorted image they have of themselves. The combination of these treatment venues will assist the individual in overcoming bulimia.
Let Harmony Grove help you
Our 8-bed facility enables the client to focus completely on overcoming bulimia and recovering from it. The smaller client population provides more personalized attention so that the individual gets the professional help they need. Additionally, our bulimia treatment programs can be customized to address the personal needs of the client. If you need help overcoming bulimia or other eating disorder, contact us at the toll-free phone number listed above or. We will be happy to answer all of your questions.