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Bulimia Treatment: Advice and Options
Bulimia is an eating disorder compels people
to binge on food and then purge through self-induced vomiting,
diuretics or laxative abuse, or excessive exercise. People
with bulimia tend to feel guilty and disgusted about food
and fat. Even though most people with bulimia begin at normal
weights, they think of themselves as fat. Roughly 90 percent
of the people with bulimia are women, and the disorder usually
begins a few years after puberty. Genetics, social pressures,
and emotional problems like depression, low self-esteem, and
extreme perfectionism contribute to bulimia’s development.
Without bulimia treatment, people with bulimia
become dehydrated and malnourished. This causes mineral and
vitamin deficiencies, resulting in dry skin, nails, and hair.
Many people with bulimia are constipated from laxative abuse.
Constant vomiting brings up stomach acid that irritates the
throat and mouth. Many people with bulimia have heartburn,
gum infections, swollen salivary glands, and cavities from
the acid eroding tooth enamel. Without treatment, some of
side effects, like kidney failure, can become fatal. Dehydration
can lower the body’s electrolyte levels, causing heart problems
or even death. About 10 percent of people with bulimia will
die from it.
Bulimia, however, is completely treatable. The
sooner a person begins bulimia treatment, the sooner the recovery.
Successful recovery depends on the work of psychiatrists,
doctors, dieticians, and the patient. Psychiatrists work with
the patient to break the binge-and-purge cycles and to educate
the patient about what she is doing to her body and mind.
The psychiatrist and patient must identify the triggers of
a binging-and-purging episode, as well as help the patient
cope with an unhealthy body image. The patient must learn
to communicate openly and must increase his or her self-esteem.
Doctors work with the patient to treat the effects of bulimia’s
dehydration and malnutrition on the body. A dietician helps
the patient develop healthy eating habits.
Group therapy and support groups are also helpful
for people recovering from bulimia. Information about many
support groups can be found online.
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About the Author:
Thomas Morva
Bulimia
Info provides detailed information about the causes, symptoms,
and effects of bulimia; bulimia treatment and recovery; the
relationship between anorexia and bulimia; and information
about the “pro bulimia” viewpoint. Bulimia Info is affiliated
with Original
Content.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva
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