Bulimia is a very serious psychological eating disorder that affects millions of people around the world. Bulimics develop the habit of binge eating, which involves eating large amounts of food at one sitting, and then purging using techniques such as self-induced vomiting or laxatives in an attempt to avoid gaining weight from overeating caloric. .
This cycle of binging and purging is very damaging to the body and can lead to serious, sometimes fatal complications. People with bulimia usually go under the radar for a long period of time because they tend to maintain their normal weight, or may even be a little overweight, and they also hide their eating and purging habits out of shame.
The first stage of bulimia
Bulimics often develop this disorder after initially trying to lose weight through a normal diet. Although many people who develop bulimia are at or near their normal weight, they decide they need to lose weight by starting a very restrictive diet. At first, they will deny themselves foods that they think are “indulgent” such as sweets including chocolate, cakes, candy bars, and ice cream.
They may also eliminate many other foods that they feel are not good for them, such as cheeses and bread. Many of these people are successful at first in sticking to their strict diet and begin to lose weight, which gives them a good feeling that they have gained control over their eating habits. However, the problem begins when they start to crave all the foods that they have been denying themselves.
The second stage of bulimia
The second stage of bulimia begins to develop when the individual’s cravings for foods that they have denied themselves become stronger and stronger. Usually the reason for this is that the diet has been too restrictive and they eat mostly the same foods or very bland foods day after day.
Eventually, they give in to their cravings by indulging in one or more of the foods they have been denying themselves and then feel a great sense of guilt and failure. These feelings of failure usually lead them to the binge eating stage of bulimia where they will start consuming greater amounts of these “forbidden” foods.
These binges generally worsen over time and the individual will begin to consume a greater amount and variety of food at one time. Binges can be spontaneous, but they can also be planned in which the bulimic will go to great lengths to buy a lot of food with the full intention of bingeing.
Many bulimics will feel a complete loss of control and will even eat foods that they normally would not have eaten before, including undercooked or raw foods, as well as dog or cat food. Some bulimics even resort to stealing food to satisfy their cravings. These binges lead to feelings of overwhelming guilt, shame for not following your diet, and extreme fears of gaining weight.
third stage of bulimia
During the third stage of bulimia is where the individual begins to purge. The fear of gaining weight along with guilt and shame become so overwhelming that they feel the need to “compensate” for their excessive food intake. They will begin to use various techniques to remove these extra calories from their system, which may include self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting.
This cycle of binging and purging becomes a habit and usually gets worse and more frequent. This loss of control produces feelings of despair and often causes extreme depression in the bulimic. This behavior can continue for many years undetected, however bulimia nervosa is treatable and seventy percent of people diagnosed with bulimia make a full recovery without recurring symptoms after professional medical treatment.