Hello everyone,
I hope this week has treated you well. Last week I touched on Eating Disorders, which severely affects our mental and physical health. I focused mainly on Anorexia Nervosa which, again occurs when the individual is fixated on being thin and therefore purposely starves and/or exercises excessively.
Today, I would like to talk about a second type of eating disorder – Bulimia.
Bulimia involves binge eating (over eating) and is followed by purging (purposely throwing up) or using laxatives to avoid weight gain. The binging usually cannot be controlled and therefore causes self-disgust and hatred. The purging often tends to bring relief to the sufferer. It is a serious mental illness that requires intensive treatment because of the mental, physical and social damage it causes to its victims.
Much like Anorexia, women are more likely than men to develop Bulimia and usually from the ages of 13-20 years of age.
There are many reasons why an individual would develop Bulimia. These include genetics, mental illness, cultural pressure to be thin, poor self-esteem and body image, obesity, stress and trauma or previous abuse. It is also common among certain professionals such as models, dancers, actors etc.
Many of us know what it’s like to eat because of sheer boredom, sadness, loneliness or stress. A person with Bulimia will eat for all of these reasons and have trouble stopping. It is a compulsion that is very hard to ignore and rather than making the decision to eat healthy or exercise, they turn to purging.
Bulimia is visibly hard to diagnose as its suffers are usually of normal weight
What are the signs and symptoms of Bulimia?
A preoccupation with current weight or weight gain is the biggest indicator of Bulimia.
During their out of control over eating, a Bulimic will consume unusually large amounts of food. However, they usually also do this in secret.
Ironically enough, you would rarely see a Bulimic eat. They are usually ashamed of their binging and therefore almost always eat alone. If they do eat in front of others, they will spend an unusual amount of time in the bathroom after eating. This usually occurs after every meal and causes serious dehydration.
Binging and purging causes severe stress on the body. Most believe that binging shrinks the stomach but it actually stretches it and can even rip the lining and allow stomach acid to spill into the rest of the body, which at times can be fatal.
Therefore, obvious symptoms are severe and chronic stomach pain, enlarged cheeks, throat infection, discoloured and decayed teeth, and increased risk for heart issues like heart palpitations or heart attacks. Studies also show that Bulimia decreases fertility in both men and women, making it more difficult to conceive children.
Overall, studies have found that 70% of individuals who suffer from Bulimia also suffer from depression, are 6 times more likely to suffer from anxiety and twice as likely to suffer from drug abuse. They are also at higher risk for self-harm or suicide.
How do we treat Bulimia?
The most important step in treatment is to always admit there is a problem.
The second step is to attend your nearest health clinic and share your concerns.
Like any other mental disorder, a combination of therapy and medication is best. Anti-depressants are usually given as eating disorders cause and are caused by high levels of depression.
Therapy is to identify triggers that may cause the binging, such as stress or low self-esteem, and work to improve them. It would also involve inventing a new, healthy and realistic meal plan that the patient would agree to consume without intentionally throwing up.
Why is it important to be realistic? Well, I’ve been on unrealistic diets before – such as no carbs at all- for example bread- which I love. I once cut it out entirely for about 6 days and by the seventh one, I ate almost an entire loaf by myself. When making a mean plan, you do not need to cut out all your favourites – everything in moderation is a good rule to follow.
Finally, know and stay away from your triggers which may be social media, fashion magazines, food channels etc.
Thank you for reading and please send in any topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com. Also please remember when you can come see me.

Georgetown public hospital- Monday- Friday- 8am- 12pm.
Woodlands Hospital: Outpatient Department
Drug and Alcohol group meetings – Mondays 4:15
Good mental health group meetings- Wednesdays 4:15
Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!