Symptoms of Bulimia
Understanding how Bulimia functions
An individual who has developed Bulimia Nervosa is in a constant battle to take back control of their lives. On the one hand you fight the compulsion to eat excessively yet on the other, you desire to lose weight and improve your appearance. Although you feel ashamed and guilty after an episode of binging, you cannot get a handle on the compulsion and stop yourself from doing it. It is a vicious cycle and eventually it will get to the point where you need professional help or it could eventually become fatal.
Once you have finished going on an eating binge and your emotional rollercoaster begins, the panic sets in and you decide you need to take drastic measures such as inducing yourself to vomit. Or you may attempt to control your weight gain by misusing diuretics, enemas, and/or laxatives. You may also exercise to the point of injuring yourself. No matter what you do, your life is so out of control that it becomes a hopeless battle and you need the professional help provided by an eating disorder treatment and recovery center.
Recognizing the symptoms of Bulimia
Bulimia traps the suffering individual into an uncontrollable and vicious cycle of binging and purging. In the more normal cases, a person may only binge and purge a couple of times a week whereas in the more severe ones, they may repeat the cycle two or three times daily. The symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa to be aware of include:
- chronic gastric reflux immediately following a meal
- constant fluctuations in body weight
- constipation or irregular bowel functions
- decreased menstruation or infertility
- dehydration caused by regularly self-induced vomiting
- enlarged neck glands
- imbalance in one’s electrolytes
- peptic ulcers
Additionally, the Bulimic individual may be plagued with delusions or other complications such as cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, and seizures. Excessive or over-exercising is common and this overtakes the individual’s other activities and responsibilities. Finally, Bulimia Nervosa exhibits the highest fatality rate of any of the behavioral or psychological disorders that exist today. Deaths occur anywhere from 10% to 25% of the time with 5% of the total number of fatalities resulting from suicide.
Getting professional help is critical
If you or a loved one feels that you are suffering with Bulimia Nervosa or one of the other dangerous eating disorders, you only hope for surviving may be to enter an eating disorder treatment and recovery facility such as Harmony Grove. Our eating wellness facility can easily customize an effective program that addresses your clinical and personal needs so that you overcome your eating disorder without ever relapsing again. Please contact us at the toll-free number above for further information.