Bulimia Treatment
Full recovery from bulimia is possible. You may or may not have had a diagnosis but if you’re struggling then the first step is to reach out.
Bulimia, or bulimia nervosa, is an eating disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of overeating followed by compensatory behaviours with the aim of getting rid of the excess calories consumed. These compensatory behaviours typically include the use of vomiting, laxatives diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting. People with bulimia often have a fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image.
Some of these features of bulimia may sound like your experience:
Binge Eating
Feeling out of control around food
Secretive eating or hiding food
Compensating for binges to get rid of calories and prevent weight gain
Body image issues
Self-harm
Perfectionism
Bulimia nervosa can have serious physical and mental health consequences, including electrolyte imbalances, dental problems, gastrointestinal issues, and an increased risk of depression and anxiety.
You are not alone. Recovery is possible.
Bulimia presents in two main ways. However, specialist treatment for bulimia needs to look beyond just the symptoms and tailor therapy to the individual’s needs.
Purging type
Binges will be followed by one or more compensatory behaviours in an attempt to get rid of the calories consumed. This includes:
Self-induced vomiting
Taking laxatives
Abuse of diuretics
Misuse of enemas
Non-purging type
After binge eating, individuals will engage in one (or both) of the following behaviours:
Fasting
Excessive exercise
The guilt, shame, and self-hatred that can come along with these behaviours can massively affect the quality of an individual’s life. These behaviours can extend into other areas of life through misuse of drugs, alcohol, and sex. Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and OCD often occur alongside bulimia.
Having recovered from bulimia, I understand how hard it can feel to break the cycle and how much despair comes along with everything surrounding it.
I provide effective online therapy for bulimia nervosa. The treatment I offer to help you overcome bulimia includes:
Counselling and psychotherapy - Drawing upon Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, Logotherapy, stress management, and trauma work where necessary.
Nutritional rehabilitation - This treatment model uses a number of tools to address the dietary chaos, reduce cravings, and improve appetite/satiation.
Relapse prevention - This helps you identify triggers to avoid lapses, and how to quickly recover from any lapses that do occur.
I provide online counselling and psychotherapy for bulimia using a compassionate, evidence-based approach.
Recovery is about more than just getting rid of symptoms. It’s about helping you to thrive and live the full, meaningful life the eating disorder has been stealing from you.