If you are reading this article you have an interest in advice concerning treatment for Bulimia Nervosa.
As a family member, friend or partner observing the eating disorder bulimia, you may feel angry, scared or upset towards it which often translates into anger towards the sufferer. Dealing with bulimia is frustrating; painful. No doubt can bulimia cause huge rifts and arguments within families and friends through stress. As a sufferer of bulimia, you may feel trapped. It may be like you are chained to a boulder that nobody else can see. You are hoping for a release from a vicious cycle, to be happy and free from bulimia and to just be normal.
But the question is: What is normal? Often a sufferer’s perceptions of reality turn so distorted they no longer have any hold on what it is like to be normal. Their behaviour becomes irrational, erratic and ridiculous; usually the only person who experiences this is themselves. Such behaviour can eventually develop into dangerous self-loathing.
The truth is that Bulimia Nervosa is an addiction. And like any other addictive habits it can take weeks, months and even years to break. If you were searching for a quick solution, a simple fix from a flick of a wand, then it is guaranteed that you shall be disappointed. Recovery is a slow, painful process, frequently physically and mentally draining, but also enormously valuable and satisfying.
Sadly, a large majority of sufferers do so in silence before confronting their problem. It is often only once they have spiralled into the deepest abyss that they search for help from bulimia, or are in the correct state to accept it. As a family member or friend, it can difficult not blame the individual or tell them to ‘snap out of it’; as for the individual it is hard to feel as if they are not to blame or feel backed into a corner by their accuser. Yet it is vital to understand that the root of the problem lies not with the eating disorder itself, but in the issues behind. There are reasons why this self-destructing routine occurred, and even if they are not entirely clear (and it can be infuriating not to know precisely why) these patterns of negative thought-processes need to be addressed and challenged.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Life Coaching and Self-Help Books for Treatment of Bulimia
It is strongly recommended that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is implemented during recovery and treatment from Bulimia Nervosa. It deals not with the actions, but the reasoning beyond the actions, which is far more important. To tell a sufferer of the physical damaging effects of their behaviour is more often than not unfortunately like talking a brick wall; typically the fear of long-term harm is less distressing than weight gain. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy teaches more positive ways of thinking, building firm foundations of self-confidence and self-identity that can significantly prevent the risk of bulimia relapse in two, ten, or even twenty years. Once a sufferer is prepared to conclude Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (the timings for this greatly vary) it is advised they contact a Life-Coach to help them to continue their journey, even if they declare they feel ‘fine’.
If you are unable (or do not wish to) receive or suggest Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or wish to pursue further advice, self-help books are also useful for treatment of bulimia and other eating disorders at home, although they demand a great deal of self-motivation and determination.
Antidepressants for Treatment of Bulimia
How wonderful would it be to say that pills can be the perfect solution in demolishing an eating disorder! Regrettably, this is not the answer. Whilst in some extreme cases doctors may deem antidepressants an option, if they are prescribed they must not be the solitary source of recovery.
So how do you begin recovery from bulimia? Deal with the problem delicately. Although support from loved ones is exceedingly beneficial, the sufferer’s freedom and happiness away from the illness must come from within and is far more precious. A typical sufferer might desperately throw themselves into recovery, only to realise they have set unattainable goals and leave them falling back into destructive feelings of failure, even worse than before. Small, achievable, goals is the remedy. Gently introduce hobbies, exercise for enjoyment and time for relaxation.
Overtime a sufferer may well become impatient. They may become irritated and irate, fearing that their efforts are useless and it would be easier to slip back into old habits. There is a need for a vent of tormented emotion that would have otherwise been released through their bulimia. This is very common. The road of recovery comes not without its downfalls and setbacks, but it is hard for sufferers to be convinced of that when they return to the terrifying monsters of the past.
You may have heard the word ‘control’ used when speaking of eating disorders; you may be tired of hearing it! But indeed, control is something most people with Bulimia Nervosa experience; either the sense of empowerment, for tricking the body’s system, or the sense of loss for completely abandoning all self-discipline. They need to be reassured that they are in control of their own lives and that the future is theirs to take pleasure in. Sometimes the obsession of eating disorders can override a person’s thoughts, permitting them only to anticipate the next day or the next meal; putting their lives in perspective and broadening their outlooks on the world around them can subdue the sting of everyday life and force them to have vision of a healthier future.
There are no set techniques for definite treatment for bulimia and other eating disorders, as it differs from person to person. The most essential tool that has proven to be most effective is love. Not that love purely of family, friends or partners but that of oneself; once you heal the mind the body shall follow.
For more information or advice on treatment for eating disorders please go to www.b-eat.co.uk/Home
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