If you have similar symptoms to BED followed by purging – you may be suffering from Bulimia Nervosa.
Sufferers of Bulimia are plagued with thoughts of needing to control their weight, but their control of eating is undermined by binge eating. Afraid of putting on weight after bingeing, they purge themselves by vomiting, taking laxatives and/or engaging in excessive exercise.
They believe the binge purge cycle is the ideal solution to keeping their weight under control. Often after a purge they feel cleansed, as if they have got rid of all the bad food; some feel sleepy and calm or elated afterwards, as if you can now get on with things. They often feel instantly ‘thin’ even though in reality they are not. This can become very addictive. Feelings of guilt and shame take over. They promise to stop but find themselves repeating the same cycle again and again.
Sufferers of Bulimia are often terrified of losing control of their eating and try to avoid eating as much as possible, but once they start eating they cannot stop, and the binge is brought to an end by purging. Many sufferers feel very anxious about
everyday food situations, such as eating out with friends, social occasions, and often make excuses not to go out.
Some sufferers feel that they have a guilty secret they carry around with them, where they are able to eat ‘normally’ in public, only for this control to break down when alone. Many feel very isolated.
Feelings of guilt and shame help reinforce bulimic behaviour. This can take the form of wasting food, or taking food from other people and overspending on food. Bulimic behaviour can almost become ritualistic, where there is a need to get it over to become ‘normal’. Some feel as if they have been taken over and in some cases can’t remember all they have eaten.
This can take the form of vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or diuretics in a belief that this will hurry food out of the body so that it will not be absorbed.
Excessive exercise is often linked with Bulimia. The purpose of the activity can be to atone for weakness and lack of willpower. Exercise in itself can become a compulsion and addictive.
‘When I first starting dieting I thought I had found the perfect solution. I thought I’d be able to eat whatever I wanted and just exercise all the extra calories off. But I ended up exercising for hours and getting no sleep. That’s when I realised I had to get help.’
‘Eating with friends became a nightmare, and I would make any excuse not to eat with them, preferring to go home at lunchtime and eat alone.’