Bulimia

[kate]

Realistically speaking, if you went to a doctor about Bulimia, is there anything they can really do other than reiterate that it's a stupid idea and maybe send you for counselling?
Just for clarity, i'm overweight (This isn't a misperception, my bulimia is a side effect of binge-eating disorder) so my weight would not be an immediate issue for the doctor.

[fluffy]

generally, when you have full blown bulimia, you will be in denial that it is a problem. i think that you are just getting sick of eating too much and then making yourself sick afterwards every so often, which is different.
I think they would tell you what a bad idea it is, and offer you help with the binge eating. But they will offer you antidepressants. Everything nowadays is treatable with antidepressants. They tried to put me on them for PMS which I get three days a month. Ridiculous.

[hr]

dev ksereis, alla eimai trella erotebmevei mazi sou..

[Okocim]

I think that student support services used to run a support group for those with eating disorders. You could contact them and see if it's still running.

[SchizophrenicCabbage]

I suffered from anorexia about a year ago and did resort to, what is in fact, bulimia by way of laxative abuse.

I went to the doctor and he just said 'men like a bit of meat on women. You should gain about 10kgs'. I wanted to scream at him and say 'it's not that easy! You can't just say 'eat' to somebody with an ED and expect them to stuff their faces, not feel guilty and not relapse!'.

To say that you don't really have an ED if you're not in denial about it is a little silly, in my opinion. I knew, in the back of my mind that I really did have a problem but you wrestle with that voice and suppress it - you sure as hell don't want to be seen as a victim or some silly little girl crying out for attention.

I don't think therapy would be that useful - a bunch ofother 'sufferers' moping about wll make you feel worse and desperate to purge even more. There's often an element of competition in the air.

I eventually couldn't maintain my lowest weight and piled weight back on because I just couldn't feel hungry and faint for any longer - I was as irritable as hell too and the boyfriend, for one, couldn't put up with it any longer,

I don't think you can ever cure an ED - I still have lapses now and wish I was as thin as I used to be. It's something you have to come to terms with in your own head and learn to live with that niggling voice in your head telling you to purge - no doctor can do that for you - unless they have hypnotic powers!

Good luck with this though. You'll get through it and find a happy medium, I'm sure.

[Thalia]

As far as i'm aware, those with bulimia are actually more likely to be aware that they have a problem than those with anorexia because anorexics feel in control whereas the entire cycle of bulimia is continued by the person's lack of feeling in control (leading to more eating, leading to a need to purge). Of course, there's a difference between knowing you have a problem and wanting to admit it to anyone.

Anyway, what's with this anti-therapy attitude? Therapy helps people all the time. We wouldn't keep using it if it didn't. If you are willing to stop and aware that there's a problem then therapy can help you realise why there's a problem and try to overcome it. It won't stop the urges but it will make it easier than if you just decided to try and stop without getting any help - admittedly, some people can do it on their own, but a lot of people can't.

And yesh, i think the DSM for bulimia requires that the person not be underweight otherwise it's anorexia with purging cycles. So most bulimics are actually normal weight. What a doctor would be worried about are all the health problems that come along with binge eating and purging (malnutrition, dehydration, eroding teeth, anemia, vitamin deficiencies...) and might well want to try and treat some of them along with referring you to counselling.

[hr]

You've been nothing but an angel every day of your life and now you wonder what it's like to be damned...

[SchizophrenicCabbage]

Anti-therapy...

I wrote 'I don't think' - not 'the gospel says...'

As someone who's been through an ED, therapy would have been the last thing I wanted.

It might work for others, I don't know. However, I wrote what I thought.

[Thalia]

I was including the original poster in my statement - she seemed to be treating a referral to a counseller as if it wouldn't be much use. It is, provided you don't go into it with the attitude that it isn't going to help you. Otherwise, it just won't.

[hr]

You've been nothing but an angel every day of your life and now you wonder what it's like to be damned...

[sweet]

Quoting kate from 21:04, 20th Oct 2007
Realistically speaking, if you went to a doctor about Bulimia, is there anything they can really do other than reiterate that it's a stupid idea and maybe send you for counselling?
Just for clarity, i'm overweight (This isn't a misperception, my bulimia is a side effect of binge-eating disorder) so my weight would not be an immediate issue for the doctor.

If she's still there, there was a really excellent doctor at the health centre called Dr Russell. I couldn't say what she will do for you (having never had bulimia), but she certainly won't make you feel any worse about yourself or be dismissive, so if I were you I'd get an appointment with her.

Someone's already mentioned the nasty side-effects of bulimia - if you starve and/or "purge" yourself you will not have any energy to go to lectures, excercise, write your reports and essays and all the other good & fun stuff you need to do to be happy. And of course when you do eat it's probably going to be quick, easy calories (like a packet of twixes), not good healthy stuff.

Two suggestions:
I appreciate that like many women you may feel better about yourself if you lose a little weight but it sounds to me as though you have no confidence in your ability to know what to eat to control your weight and energy levels. Find out what your BMI is, and if you need to lose a little weight to be more healthy, I suggest the GI plan. I did this on a website and I found it really useful for a number of reasons:
- It's tailored to your level of activity and current BMI (so if you do a lot of excercise you'll have more calories for example)
- It involves eating 3 healthy meals with plenty of protein, carbs, fruit and veg and 2 snacks per day, so you will always have energy and never feel too full or too empty
- You can choose the sort of food you like (for instance, if you only have time for pre-prepared food or if you're on a budget)
- It'll prepare a shopping list for you, reducing chocolate cake temptation.
- Personally, I liked the balance between between being basically in control and knowing what to eat.
- I also liked not having a meeting to go to, but I know a lot of people benefit from this, so maybe weightwatchers?

Here's the one I used,
http://www.tescodiets.com/index.cfm?code=700500
But for balance:
http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/Util/lnd/index_39v_nd.aspx

Obviously if it isn't for you don't waste your money, I just think it *may* help you get into a healthier routine, it's proper, healthy eating, not some stupid cabbage soup or atkins style thing.

Also, it's never too late to join in, any society will welcome you with open arms, and something like one of these:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/sport/AthleticUnion/AUclubs/
may just help raise your mood and energy levels. Dance? Aikido? There's also Breakaway http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~breakawa/welcome_to_breakaway.php, which has the advantage of getting you out of st andrews!!

Well it's easy to say just eat well and excercise but if you have trouble following up the above links will help. You know you have a problem, and I'm sure you can do something about it, so go girl! It won't sort itself out, but you can change your habits in a positive way - don't overthink it, just do it, with a little help you might enjoy life more.

Speaking of problems, I'd better go sort the washing up etc etc. No rest for the wicked...

[floatingonmycloud]

If you really want some help and want to overcome it then going to the doctors might be a good place to start, then again it might not...probably depending on who your doctor is.

To solve the problem I think you need to work out why you're binge-eating in the first place and maybe working with a counseller or psychologist would help get to the bottom of it.

I agree that going to the doctors will probably result in a prescription for Prozac but if you refuse that an say you want therapy, they can't exactly say no. SSS I'm sure would be of help as well.

Hope you get things worked out.

[Guest]

I'm sorry you're going through this. Bulimia can be more destroying to your self esteem than even anorexia can as you feel you're totally spiralling out of control rather than trying to maintain insane amounts of control. I'd say that you definately need help. Counselling on a one to one basis might be good and a support group could possibly help. I was anorexic during a lot of my teenage years and although I had 'recovered' by the time I came here I still liked being at the low end of the BMI scale and had a lot of issues with food for a long time, they never totally disappear but they do fade. I did go to the support group a bit in first year and it was okay, although not amazingly helpful. I think I found it consoling to see the number of other people who had problems. Terrible as that may sound it is always nice to know that you are not alone with your issues. Some people in the group were totally anorexic, others were over weight others had other issues and problems with food, so it's not like it's anorexics only. I remeber being terrified that they'd weigh us at the door and they would say I shouldn't be there because I was no longer under weight, but of course that didn't happen.

Often an eating disorder, like any type of addictive behaviour, is a mask for deeper problems of depression and low self-esteem, and it would be a really good idea for you to get these issues adressed through counselling or even self examination. Ask yourself why you are really doing this to yourself? Primarily it may seem it is to lose weight, to look good (incidentally eating disorders will not make you look good at all, you'll look pale and erode your teeth and I heard of one girl who eroded the lining of her throat). Yet ask yourself why you really have these needs to such an extent you need to pursue them in a way which is so detrimental to your physical and mental health. Perhaps an anti-depressant might be a good idea. I think they use SSRIs (selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) to cotnrol obsessive behaviour such as bulimia as well as depressive disorders as the two are so closely interwoven. Anti-depressants aren't for everybody and they aren't for every time and every problem, but if they are used for the right person at the right time, supervised by the right doctor, they can change your life for the better and provide a sort of bridge for you to use when you're working through things that may be difficult.

I hope you're okay.

[papercutheart]

You can read minds?

[SchizophrenicCabbage]

Ironic link between models being bulimic and this?!

P.S. In case anyone with a raging love of being PC jumps in here... I'm not saying Derek Zoolander is bulimic... he just can't read good.

[the Empress]

I don't know if this is much use . . but I guess therapy would be a personal choice. I mean, if you already know what the real problem is, I've just never seen the point of 'talking' about it. My recommendation would be, look at yourself naked in the mirror and just sort of mull things over. Being able to face your own body really helps you to regain control; a reality check and a 'if-you-can-look-it's-not-that-bad'. Requesting to see a nutrionist may also help, and can be less intimidating. They can help you monitor what you're eating and just act as a good check. There'll probably be one at the doctor's.

[777]

A doctor should refer you to a nutritionist or dietician - keep a food diary, noting what you eat, where, when and why - which feelings you are feeding. A nutritionist or dietician will help you structure a safe eating plan to suit you. The GP ought to refer you to someone who can help you examine why you eat your feelings - bulimia has nothing to do with body image. Once you have established why you binge you will be able to use alternative coping mechanisms when the urge to over eat arises. It may well be that you have a perfectionism issue. The most difficult thing for many people is to accept that they are valuable and have self worth. If you do continue to binge and purge make sure you purge safely. Do not use emetics or laxatives. Do not brush your teeth for at least an hour after vomiting as the brushing action will cause the stomach acid to erode your tooth enamel. Drink plenty of water to replace lost fluid and remember that you will need an electrolyte replacement such as dioralyte to restore vital elements lost through purging. If you are able to understand why you binge you will be able to gain control over it - there will be some bad days but they ought to become fewer. Be kinder to yourself - you deserve your place in the sun.