Bulimia
Overview
Bulimia (bulimia nervosa) is an eating disorder and serious mental health condition. It can affect anyone and treatment may take time, but you can recover from it.
Symptoms
The main signs of bulimia are: losing control of how much you're eating over a very short time (binge eating)ridding your body of the extra food (purging) Purging may include making yourself sick (vomiting), taking laxative or diuretic medicines, avoiding eating for long periods of time, exercising excessively, or a combination of these. Other signs of bulimia include: fear of putting on weightobsessing and being very critical about your weight and body shapemood changes – feeling very tense, irritable, anxious or depressedthinking about food a lot, and planning binge-eatingfeeling guilty and ashamed, and behaving secretively about eating habitsavoiding social activities that involve foodfeeling like you have no control over your eating You may also notice physical signs like: feeling tired (fatigue) and trouble sleepingfeeling weak or dizzya sore throat from being sickbloating or tummy painpuffy sides of your face and under your ears from swollen glandsirregular or stopped periods
Treatment
Treatment for bulimia takes time, but you can recover. Depending on how long you've had bulimia and how severe it is, treatment can last several months or years. Your treatment will be tailored to you and include any other support you might need, such as fordepressionoranxiety. You may be referred to an eating disorder specialist. The main treatments are: talking therapies– this usually includes a self-help booklet or online programme which you may do by yourself or with a therapist (your family may also be involved if you're under 18)medicines, such asantidepressants, if you have another condition closely linked to bulimia, such as anxiety or depressionsupport from a nutrition specialist (dietitian) You'll usually have appointments at a clinic. But you may need to stay in hospital if you have serious health problems (such as being very underweight) or doctors are worried you're at risk ofself-harmorsuicide. If you're pregnant, tell your midwife and GP if you have an eating disorder or had one in the past. This will help them offer you the right support during and after pregnancy.
When to see a doctor
Support is available if you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis or emergency, no matter what you're going through. Find out where to get urgent help for mental health