Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa, aka Bulimia, is a condition where a person will eat and then "purge" in order to rid themself of the food they just consumed. The motivation is usually that the person feels like their body weight and/or shape is not as it should be (usually perceiving themselves as grossly overweight) and/or a feeling of lack of control in their life. Guilt and shame are core symptoms of bulimia - bulimics will generally seek to hide their behavior from others in order to maintain an image of being in control.

Symptoms that a bulimic will observe in themself will probably include:

• Eating much more food in a binge episode than in a normal meal or snack
• Feeling that eating can't be controlled once a binge begins
• Hiding or hoarding food
• Making excuses for missing food, or money taken to pay for binge foods
• Eating until the point of physical discomfort or pain

After a binge ends, feelings of self-disgust and shame follow. They are accompanied by the compulsion to engage in some method of purging to rid the body of the extra calories by vomiting, abusing laxatives or diuretics, periods of starving, or excessively exercising. As bulimia worsens, some sufferers feel a need to purge after eating only a small snack or a normal-size meal.

Symptoms that outsiders may observe include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Social isolation
• Having a distorted, excessively negative body image
• Preoccupation with body shape and weight

• Habitually going to the bathroom immediately after eating or during meals
• Damaged teeth and gums
• Constant "barf breath"
• Swollen salivary glands in the cheeks (chipmunk cheeks)
• Persistent sores in the throat and mouth
• Sores, scars or calluses on the knuckles or hands caused by self-induced vomiting
• Scratchy or raspy voice quality
• Misuse of ipecac syrup or other emetic to induce vomiting
• Continuous use of large quantities of laxatives
• Any of the behaviors previously listed as being observable by the bulimic although they may try to hide them.