Bulimia - what kind of illness it is. Symptoms, signs and consequences of bulimia. How to treat bulimia in the hospital and independently

The term “bulimia” is not clear to most of us. It is often associated with indomitable gluttony and further struggle with excess weight. But this is not a diet, not a chronic overeating, and not even a lifestyle. In fact, bulimia is a serious disease caused by the neuropsychological dysfunction of the body. If such a disorder is not adjusted in time, a person can get a whole complex of chronic diseases often incompatible with life. Given the insidiousness of this disease, it is important to know how to get rid of bulimia and forever prevent the re -development of this pathology.

Bulimia: What is this disease?

Bulimia (medical diagnosis of Bulimia nervosa) - pathological food behavior as a result of psychological dysfunction. It manifests itself in the form of uncontrolled seizures of overeating due to a strong feeling of hunger. In some cases, in a couple of hours, a sick person is able to eat more than 2-3 kg of food. But in the end, he does not feel a sense of saturation, and often does not even remember the taste of the food that he has absorbed.

After the next attack of gluttony, the patient feels a feeling of guilt and regret. Realizing that it is wrong to do this, he is trying to rectify the situation. There are several options: it causes artificial vomiting, immediately takes a high dose of laxative, makes a cleansing enema. Some make a more rational decision and “drive” extra calories in the gym. The state of health is confidently worsening, the body is depleted and secondary diseases begin to develop against the background of nervous bulimia.

In the subconscious of patients with bulimia, there are always two obsessive ideas. The first is that a sick person thinks about food every second, he is looking for an eye all the time with his eyes, then he considers the list of goodies that he will buy as soon as possible. A distinctive feature of such people is secrecy from others at the time of feast.

After a short enjoyment of food, the patient leads the second intrusive thought: "We need to lose weight urgently." This aspect is especially pronounced in women who, without illness, all the time, extra pounds seem to be, from which they try to get rid of. And against the background of progressive bulimia, these symptoms increase several times.

Among such circumstances, patients with bulimia are involved in a closed cycle. Frequent hunger strikes and the chronic state of stress greatly burden a person both physically and morally. When exhaustion reaches his climax, a person breaks down and relieves nervous stress in unlimited quantities.

During the short period, food provokes an euphoric state, but then everything returns to its own circles. There is already a familiar feeling of guilt and fear of getting fat. This provokes another stress wave, and the patient again begins to fight excess calories.

Unfortunately, Bulimia's disease, like other psychological deviations, is not perceived by patients as a serious disease. He believes that the help of a doctor, and even more so a psychologist, he does not need. The patient is convinced that as soon as his weight stabilizes, he will be able to stop the next bouts. And he perceives the disease itself as a bad habit, which he is ashamed, and therefore hides it from others.

This is what people who have bulimia in the photo look like this:

Types of bulimia and their effect on the body

The mechanism of development of bulimia can take place in different ways, with its frequency of exacerbations, the degree of severity, behavioral and psychological features. Therefore, a clear classification of bulimia is not developed today. But experts conditionally divided the disease into two types:

• Primary (true) bulimia. The disease is distinguished by a constant desire to eat something, so the attacks of gluttony are chronic. Patients often suffer from obesity, and as a result of psychological self -destruction are more susceptible to alcohol or drug dependence, depression, suicidal thoughts. Statistics show that bulimia attacks are more common in countries with a high level of development, for example, in the USA, Switzerland. And in countries where people have a much lower level, bulimia is a rarity.
• Bulimia, as a result of anorexia. Anorexia's disease also belongs to the group of psychological disorders, which is characterized by refusal of food. A person with all his might tries not to gain excess weight, so after eating, he immediately gets rid of it with the help of a gag reflex. Very often, anorexia is found among dancers, actresses, models who have every gram on the account. But constant starvation can cause a strong attack of hunger, which provokes a person to absorb a large amount of food. At this moment, anorexia and bulimia are very closely connected with each other, although they are different diseases.

If you do not go into details, bulimia does not seem such a dangerous disease as doctors say. What is dangerous here if a person from time to time eats tasty, and then consciously puts weight in order? Unfortunately, not everything is so simple. With a long course of the disease, the consequences of bulimia can be unpredictable: from chronic diseases of internal organs to death.

How Bulimia affects health is a reasonable question, so let's consider it in more detail:

• The gag reflex, which is the main problem of the patient, over time provokes a violation of the respiratory system.
• The abuse of all kinds of laxatives, except for the complete depletion of the body and complete avitominosis, cause an imbalance of muscle tone and heart rhythm failures. As a result, the heart loses the ability to fully pump blood, which threatens death.
• Uncontrolled overeating can cause sampling of the mucous membrane in the esophagus, intestines. And this often ends with bleeding and severe condition of the patient.
• An unhealthy psychoemotional background violates all the work of the nervous system. Hence the depressive state, apathy, suicide.

Primary reasons for the development of bulimia

Since bulimia is a mental disorder, the roots of the problem must be sought at a subconscious level. Psychologists have found that a rather common cause of this disease is a childhood trauma or survivor stress in a more mature age, which contributed to a violation of the digestive center.

The reason for bulimia No. 1: Children's psychological trauma

Both parents and peers can play a cruel joke with a child who in the future can get Bulimia in the future. The cause of the disease can be:

• constant feeling of hunger in infants;
• deficiency of attention and love of parents in preschool age;
• uncomfortable relations of a teenager in a team;
• excessive encouragement of the child with sweet and high -calorie dishes.

A child who is deprived of parental warmth and friendship is looking for pleasure in something else. In such a situation, delicious food becomes a source of pleasure. This path is the easiest: food is available, does not harm, is not forbidden by parents to get it, someone does not need to prove something, try to earn trust, etc. This violates the rule of healthy diet, namely: it is only necessary when it is necessary when The body is hungry. As a result, the food center begins to work incorrectly.

The reason for Bulimia No. 2: Undetered self -esteem, due to displeasure by appearance

This factor is especially insidious in childhood, because parents, teachers, friends, even jokingly offended by the child with the word “fat man”, can make him a notorious person with a predisposition to bulimia. What can cause such an outcome:

• parents all the time praised his child with excess weight, and inspired him that only slender people could be beautiful;
• direct statements of a friend/parents/coach for excess weight or other flaw of the child's appearance;
• the girl’s awareness of the teenage that her physique is significantly different from the model appearance.

Girls, approaching adolescence, begin to compare themselves with women-models. The influence of television, press, friends creates a stereotype that a beautiful figure is the key to a serene life. Therefore, teenage girls begin dangerous experiments on their body, using diets, starvation, and then bulimia. The risk of getting sick with bulimia in children with increased imagination and self -doubt increases.

The cause of bulimia No. 3: stress and its consequences

Basically, the first bouts of bulimia are debuted after experienced stress. The desire to forget what is happening, get away from suffering or fear, to relieve pain or fill in loneliness is compensated by food in a huge amount. After an attack of bulimia, the body is filled with glucose and temporarily becomes “happy”.

As a rule, a bullying attack occurs after a negative event, for example, after parting with a beloved, deadly illness of a loved one, divorce. Food in such a situation seems to be a real lifesaver. But there is also the opposite situation, when overeating occurs against the background of increased happiness - a career increase, novel, marriage. In such a situation, food is a reward for a “good job”.

The cause of bulimia No. 4: nutrient deficiency

The ranks of the bulimics are often replenished by people who adhere to a strict diet. A critical restriction in food gives rise to a brutal feeling of hunger and a person, for example, in addition to a delicious bun or a piece of meat, can no longer think about anything. And at the same time there is a breakdown from the diet and a person absorbs all the food he sees. At the psychological level, a signal is triggered that you need to eat as much as possible until the “hungry days” have come again.

This type of bulimia is also found in patients with anorexia. Some psychologists say that bulimia is a lightweight type of anorexia, when the patient is not able to completely abandon food.

The reason for Bulimia No. 5: Protection from pleasure

If people living with the idea that they are not worthy of pleasure and if they are happy, then they will have to pay for it. The reasons for such self -hypnosis can be a result of religious values \u200b\u200bor strict education. In this case, a sick person absorbs food as a punishment for “bad” behavior - an unscheduled vacation, a rash purchase, sexual communications.

The reason for bulimia No. 6: heredity

There is a genetic factor in the development of bulimia. If relatives have met seizures, there is a high probability of repeating the story of the next generations. Such heredity is caused by a feature of the functioning of the hypothalamus, which causes an imbalance of certain hormones.

Bulimia: the main symptoms of the disease

The diagnosis of bulimia is made after a deep study of the patient. To do this, not only study the behavior of a person, but also conduct an ultrasound of organs, an MRI of the hypothalamus, determine the water-salt balance. After that, several criteria are clarified on which the diagnosis is based:

1. Unlimited eating food, which a person is not able to control.
2. The use of vomiting reflex or laxative.
3. Borderline low body weight.
4. Focus on its weight and body forms.

All other signs of bulimia are individual. It can be:

• Frequent conversations on obesity, healthy diet. Although we are not even talking about excess weight, bulimics are concentrated only on this problem.
• Obsessive thoughts about healthy food. The patient, wanting to “disguise” his addictions, tries to advertise his imaginary healthy lifestyle.
• Unstable weight. In Bulimics, the shooter on the scales can often change by 5-8 kg in each direction, which is difficult not to notice others.
• Deterioration of well -being (lethargy, poor memory, groundless drowsiness, worsening memory, depressive state). The deficiency of nutrients and internal experiences greatly undermine health.
• Teeth and gums come into a terrible state, sores are regularly formed in the corners of the mouth. This condition appears gastric juice that is released with vomit.
• A hoarse voice, throat diseases. Frequent bouts of vomiting greatly damage the vocal cords.
• Red eyes. Benching of arterial pressure during vomiting leads to the breakdown of the capillaries.
• Intestinal disorders. Diarye, constipation, bloating - the result of overeating or the action of laxative.
• Convulsions caused by poor heart and kidneys. This condition is provoked by leaching of mineral salts.
• Poor skin condition. Dryness, pallor, premature wrinkles are caused by vitaminosis.
• Violation of the childbearing function in women or a decrease in erection in men. This occurs as a result of endocrine disorders caused by impaired metabolism.

How to cure bulimia: effective methods

The psychotherapist treats bulimia. In his jurisdiction, the right to decide whether to send the patient to a hospital or conduct home treatment.

Direct indications to the direction to the hospital are:

• suicidal thoughts;
• dehydration;
• borderline depletion of the body;
• severe depression;
• pregnancy period;
• unsuccessful attempts to cure bulimia at home.

The best option is an integrated approach that includes psychotherapy and drug treatment.

Bulimia: how to treat yourself

People who have accepted their illness and decided to get rid of bulimia can try to return to normal life on their own. But it is better to do this under the clear leadership of the doctor:

• Get a diet. In it, for a week in advance, make a variety of menu within the limits of daily calorie content suitable for you. Strictly adhere to each item.
• Regularly visit the doctor who will monitor your condition.
• Include a lot of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Talk to the doctor the question of the appointment of vitamin-mineral additives.
• Explore your illness deeply. Believe me, self -education will serve as a good motivation.
• If you cannot figure out the reasons for your overeating, consult a psychologist.
• Love yourself, stop driving yourself into certain standards-you are a person, not someone's template.

Bulimia: Psychologist treatment

Psychotherapy is the most important part of the treatment of bulimia. A specialist helps a person determine the cause of his deplorable state. It is almost impossible to do this yourself, especially if the roots of the problem go into a deep childhood.

After contact with the patient is established and the cause of hood attacks is determined, a long process of decompensation of the patient’s psychoemotional state is carried out.

The doctor teaches the patient to fight stressful situations or moments of joy without the help of food. Treatment allows a person to find himself, raise self -esteem and forever get rid of obsessive thoughts about food.

How to treat bulimia with medicines

To stabilize the nervous system, antidepressants are used. They allow you to restore the passage of nerve impulses and remove the manifestation of depression. The most effective among them are Proseak, Imizin and fluoxetine with bulimia.

The disadvantage of these drugs is the ability to slow down the reaction of the body. Therefore, during the treatment, the patient should be kept from traveling and working with mechanisms. Antidepressants are also incompatible with alcoholic beverages.

In addition, I use antiproceeds for the treatment of bulimia, for example, cerucal and zofran. These pills from bulimia allow you to block the gag, which already by inertia provokes vomiting after eating.

No matter how modern medicine tried, there is no effective medicine for bulimia. Remember, the success of treatment depends only on the desire of the patient and his efforts.

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