by Rob Hadley

Created on: June 24, 2009   Last Updated: June 26, 2009

To best understand bulimia, one has to let go of some of the orthodox ideas about eating disorders, and illness generally. The first thing to keep in mind is that the bingeing and purging are only symptoms of a much more deeply embedded disease.

Controlling the binge/purge cycle is important, but any treatment that focuses purely on this aspect is fundamentally flawed and shows a lack of understanding of the disease. Instead we have to recognize a deeper illness, often with many other symptoms including depression, anxiety, other addictive behavior and often physical effects apparently unrelated to bulimia. These may include skin problems, menstrual irregularity, or insomnia. Overall, the binge/purge cycle is an indicator but little more, of a far more invasive chronic condition.

The continuing suppression of these symptoms does nothing to cure the deeper disease. Instead, the illness looks for other mechanisms of expression. If, for example, a sufferer attempts to cure the insomnia with sleeping pills it may reduce briefly, but may later return more vehemently. More likely another apparently unrelated symptom may occur, such as a skin condition or digestive issues. The suppression of symptoms often simply forces the underlying condition into new and more damaging means of expression. As a result, some clients begin to feel they are 'always ill'. In reality, the same illness is expressing itself in many different ways.

Addressing the deeper disease is best done in hypnotherapy - a proven modality that shows startling effectiveness when used with bulimic clients. You can read more about hypnotherapy and bulimia at Http://www.bulimiagirls.com

Because we know from our research that there are often difficulties with addiction in the family, sometimes a bulimic daughter gets little help from her parents. When alcohol is the issue, the ability of a parent is compromised. This is a tragic case of the parents addiction hurting the child as much as the parent. Much the same can be said of narcotics.

The best thing you can do is look for a hypnotherapist who has a history of working with bulimia. They are out there.

Bulimia has a genetic element without doubt. It is also largely the result of conditions and outside influence. All things considered it is hardly surprising bulimic girls feel so isolated. This is a disease an entire family has to confront. Saying 'Stop doing it' will have virtually no effect. The increase in anxiety will probably make it worse.

There are however things that you can do. The first is to encourage a bulimic individual to talk to someone about it.

It is highly unlikely that they are the only person they know that is bulimic. They just may not realize they have friends that are bulimic, or may not know which ones have experienced this issue.

Getting good counseling is a good start, however you do need to know how to choose a counselor or therapist. Just going to 'a psychiatrist' is not the answer. Typically the role of a psychiatrist for bulimic clients is to talk for 20 minutes and then prescribe an anti depressant. It does nothing to address the underlying issues and effects no cure. The only time it may serve a purpose is when the person is in imminent danger of harming themselves or others and needs to be committed which is absolutely not typical bulimic behavior.

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