by Rob Hadley

Created on: June 24, 2009   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

How Bulimia Affects Your Body

Whenever anyone talks about bulimia nervosa the first thing they focus on is a list of symptoms to do with bingeing and purging. However, there is much more to bulimia than this. It is a very complex illness that is poorly understood, and one for which treatment is still in its infancy. Orthodox medicine has little to contribute aside from the treatment of some of the more obvious physical symptoms. Sadly this does little or nothing to effect recovery.

A list of physical symptoms is available below. Please don't think for an instant bulimia is limited to these. It is a deep seated psychological disease, often inherited, that affects the sufferer in a multitude of ways. The first signs someone has of being bulimic can be in the form of anxiety in early childhood. Only later (on average at the age of 17 and 4 months) does bingeing and purging enter the picture.

It helps to think of bingeing and purging as simply symptoms of a much deeper issue. It is an issue that can manifest itself in a multitude of ways, usually when the sufferer is at their most debilitated. They feel misunderstood, confused and then this unimaginable behavior manifests. Worse, the treatment they are often offered casts them as addicts and assumes their behavior is by choice. If addiction actually exists, it is assumed that this is further evidence of dysfunction. In reality the addiction is often another behavior triggered by anxiety; again, not a choice. You can learn more by seeing http://www.bulimiagirls.com.

The only treatment that is going to benefit the person suffering, is one that deals directly with the underlying causes. For this reason, many treatments simply suppress a few symptoms. They do not effect cure. Measures of success have nothing to do with weight. Locking someone away and preventing them from purging is not a solution. If anything, it contributes to anxiety.

Often we see addiction in the family. This may be alcohol or narcotics, but is often present in either parents or grandparents. There is something of a myth that has grown up to suggest many bulimics have been sexually abused. There is no statistical evidence to suggest that instances of sexual abuse in bulimics is any higher than in the general population. This sort of misinformation is dangerous, as it can prevent some sufferers seeking help. They were never abused and wouldn't want anyone to suspect their parents of abusing them.

Because of the higher likelihood of addiction

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