It may come as a shock to some people to know the long-term and harmful effects of bulimia. Obsession on physical image, weight and self-esteem issues are some of the components that make up bulimia. If this goes unnoticed, then the person may suffer extreme damages to the health and may eventually lead to death. Then there are the psychological issues which more people are afraid of than the physical, because it is the psychological problems which make your life a misery and is the trigger for starting a bulimia recovery program.

Bulimia begins with an extreme need to focus on bodily appearance and weight problems that lead to habits that can help them maintain their proportions. These measures include throwing up after eating, taking diuretics and laxatives.

Doing these regularly and purposely may cause some serious harm in the body. The person suffering from bulimia may experience any of the following: ulcers, heart problems, digestive problems, bad breath and sore knuckles.

The psychological effects of this eating disorder include, prolonged depression and distorted view of oneself. There’s no saying what other effects the person is susceptible to if he or she does not surrender to a bulimia recovery program.

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The eating disorder known as Bulimia Nervosa is something that quite a number of people suffer from today. There have been numerous studies of this eating disorder carried out but actually determining causes for bulimia is still proving somewhat difficult. In fact it is felt that several factors will contribute towards a person being like to suffer from this type of eating disorder. In this article we take a look at those factors which are contributing causes for bulimia today.

Cause 1 – We live in a world where emphasis is placed constantly on us about how being thin and beautiful is important and this leads to many people being unhappy with their looks. This is especially true where young women are concerned as they are being bombarded on a constant basis with images which are completely unrealistic of what they should look like.

Cause 2 – Many people who suffer from low self esteem are those who are more at risk of becoming bulimic. There are certain things that could have occurred in that person’s life which leads to them suffering from low self esteem, such as they were abused when younger, they aim to be a perfectionist or they suffer from depression.

Cause 3 – People who diet often are far more likely to develop some type of eating disorder problem including bulimia, unlike those who do not. Those who use more restrictive severe diets are going to be the ones prone to binge eating after their diet has finished and it is the same people who using these diets regularly will end up finding themselves caught up in the bulimia binge and purge cycle.

Cause 4 – There are certain people involved in certain professions because they need to maintain certain are often highly susceptible to suffering from some kind of eating disorder. Numerous models, gymnasts, actors and dancers have had their stories published about how they suffered from eating problems because they wanted to remain at the top of their profession.

Cause 5 – Some people will suffer from this particular eating disorder because of a traumatic event has taken place in their lives. It could be something such as they have moved home recently or a long term relationship they were in has ended. They suffer from bulimia as they see it as a way of helping to cope with the stress that the event has placed upon them.

Cause 6 – For a few people the cause of their bulimia is due to their family genetics. Some studies have been undertaken and these have shown that certain people’s genes are what are causing them to suffer from this particular eating disorder. Also in other research undertaken it was found that the cause for bulimia is some people are because the levels of serotonin in their bodies are low.

Interested to learn more about the Common Causes Of Bulimia and how this condition can be treated, then click the link provided.

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The recommended non-medicated treatment for bulimia are psychological therapy and one on one counseling. Only in cases that are severe and with a patient’s non-response to the initial treatments is hospitalization necessary.

The most popular treatments for bulimia is cognitive behavioral therapy. Since studies have shown that this treatment is effective in over 50 percent of the cases, this is frequently the first treatment of choice. For learning coping skills and relapse prevention, nutrition counseling is included in cognitive behavioral therapy. You can also try interpersonal therapy treatment. This type of therapy deals with the emotional aspects like depression that influenced the eating disorder. If bulimia is caught early on, and the patient is still in relatively good health, support group therapy can help. Another treatment that might work is family therapy. Reports have been positive on this treatment compared to interpersonal therapy since a vital support mechanism such as the family is utilized and given support to as well.

Patients who have shown signs of depression have responded well to medications to treat their bulimia. It is advised by the experts, though, that CBT, a psychological therapy, is done in combination with drugs. Antidepressants are in the form of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Other drugs are also given to patients such as those that prevent vomiting. Occasional anti-epileptic drugs are prescribed since tests have reflected that they can help with periods of binging and purging. Bulimic patients are benefited by B vitamin drugs originally prescribed for depression and bipolar disorder.

There are other treatments for bulimia as well that have been explored. However more studies are to be conducted and the effectiveness of these treatments have yet to be proven for a wide number of cases. Hypnosis, light therapy, guided imagery and acupuncture are some of the less traditional treatments.

Hypnosis as a treatment is more effective on women patients with bulimia, but those patients that have developed anorexia are resistant to this treatment. When a patient’s bulimia is related to seasonal affective disorder then light therapy is used. However, the effectiveness of its use is more directed in the relief of depression rather than on correcting the binge-purge behavior of bulimic patients. Guided imagery on the other hand has been reported by studies to reduce the binge-purge behavior by almost 75%. In this method, the patient listens to audiotapes where images are evoked that will help in achieving treatment goals. In acupuncture, points in the stomach are selected so that the qi is balanced and proper circulation of oxygen and blood is maintained. This treatment is based on the idea that eating disorders are due to energy imbalances in the body. This therapeutic method allegedly causes endorphins to be emitted, minimizes stress, and boosts the digestive and endocrine functions.

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