Bulimia: How to Deal with the Mental and Physical Health Risks
Bulimia is no joke. As I explain in my masterclasses for bulimia, there are so many mental health risks, as well as physical health risks, that you need to be aware of in order to know how to deal with them. Whether you’re in London, NYC, or San Diego, struggling with bulimia is especially difficult because you want to be out and about, enjoying the sights and having fun. However, all you seem to be able to do is focus on what you’re eating and how you’re going to get rid of it. Understanding the risks is paramount so you can move forward in your bulimia recovery.
What is Bulimia?
It’s important to identify the struggles that people have with bulimia before identifying the mental health and physical health risks. Bulimia is a brain disorder, which means that if you are living in London or elsewhere and you have bulimia, your brain isn’t functioning as efficiently and effectively when compared to other people who don’t struggle with bulimia.
Topics We Discuss in My Masterclasses for Bulimia
Common signs and symptoms of bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is when people eat a large amount of food within a 2-hour period and feel like they can’t stop or control what they’re eating. Then, they perform compensatory behaviors afterward to “get rid of” or “make up for” what they’ve eaten. Such compensatory behaviors include purging, fasting, using laxatives, and overexercising. First coined in 1979, in order to qualify for a bulimia diagnosis, an individual need to binge/compensate at least 2x/week for 3 months.
Mental Health Risks of Bulimia
Mental health risks of bulimia nervosa include depression, anxiety, and deep feelings of shame and self-loathing. Isolation is often common, as well as a preoccupation with food, eating, and body image. There is also a lot of time, energy, and often money spent on (a) buying/accessing the food, and (b) compensating for the binge.
Physical Health Risks of Bulimia
Physical health risks of bulimia nervosa depend on what type of, or what combination of compensatory behaviors people use. Vomiting or purging on a regular basis can lead to acid reflux, edema, esophageal inflammation or rupture, as well as pancreatitis or ulcers. It can also cause tooth decay or staining.
Restriction
Laxatives (as well as purging) can lead to irregularities in sodium and potassium levels. Overexercise can cause stress fractures or other overuse injuries that can turn into lifelong physical problems. Fasting or restricting as a compensatory behavior may cause dizziness or lightheadedness, plus low blood sugar and glucose deficits.
I can’t emphasize enough how SERIOUS these physical risks for bulimia are. Your sodium and potassium levels can drop so much that you can go into cardiac arrest. It’s really, really, scary. That’s why it’s VITAL to get the best help for bulimia as you can.
How to Get Help for Bulimia
If you are struggling with bulimia, it’s important to get help TODAY. Whether it’s from an eating disorder therapist or a bulimia coach, it’s necessary for you to get the help you deserve. Here are the first steps:
Get a Medical Evaluation.
When living in California, Florida, Ontario (Canada), Colorado, or anywhere in the world, it’s vital to seek bulimia help. First, get an evaluation from a medical professional trained in eating disorders so they can medically stabilize you. Also, see a dentist who is familiar with eating disorders so they can address tooth decay and staining.
Determine Your Level of Care
When you consult a medical professional, preferably one who specializes in eating disorders, ask what level of care you need. In order to qualify for a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), or even a residential program, you need to be medically stable enough for each particular level.
If you’re really struggling, you may first need hospitalization to stabilize you physically, and then you can step down into residential or PHP. It’s typically not a great idea to go straight into IOP or into an outpatient eating disorder treatment if you’ve been in the hospital for bulimia.
Get an Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Team
If you’re stable enough to get outpatient eating disorder treatment, the next step is to assemble a team. You’ll need a team of an eating disorder therapist, an eating disorder dietitian, and a medical professional. You want the Avengers of eating disorder professionals on your team!
It’s important that you work with top eating disorder providers in Chicago, Atlanta, London, or elsewhere who really know what they’re doing and have a lot of experience. My recommendation is that your eating disorder therapists and eating disorder dietitians have a practice of at least 70% eating disorder clients, if not higher. My therapy practice is 95% eating disorders, and I’ve been doing it for 11 years and am well-trained, so I really know how to treat bulimia.
Work with me in my inevitable Binge Eating Program, Online Course, or Try My Masterclasses for Binge Eating in London, England, the UK, Ontario, Canada, or anywhere in the U.S.
If you are looking for an eating recovery coach, ensure that they specialize in eating disorders and have extensive training and experience. My strong recommendation is that they’re also an eating disorder therapist like me so that they will be able to identify whether there are any other mental health issues that need addressing. In such situations, I’d work with your eating recovery coach and add a therapist to the team. You can also use my online course for support alongside your team of professionals. Lastly, I offer masterclasses for bulimia in London, England, the UK, Ontario, and the US.
Get Support with my Masterclasses for Bulimia, An Online Course, and Executive Recovery Coaching!
Start Working with an Eating Recovery and Bulimia Coach for Bulimia and Binge Eating Treatment in Florida, London, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado, and Anywhere in the World!
💚 Take the first step toward binge eating recovery in the INEVITABLE BINGE EATING RECOVERY PROGRAM*, which combines a comprehensive online binge eating class with a private, hidden Facebook group where you can get support. It’s an online course for high performers who aim to transform their relationships with food. It is available to you in perpetuity as long as I’m offering the course and the binge eating support group (years!).
Begin Working with Marianne Miller, A Bulimia and Binge Eating Coach Available in NYC, California, London, Ontario, and Many Other Locations Online.
💚 Sign up for the ELITE BINGE EATING RECOVERY METHOD**. It’s a 3-month, online binge-eating coaching + an online class for professionals, students, athletes, and all-around high achievers who just want to gain balance and control of food.
Catch Marianne Miller, Eating Disorder Therapist, and Binge Eating Coach on Social Media
💚 Watch my Instagram LIVES on Thursdays from 12-1p PST (3-4p EST, 8-9p GMT) . I have conversations with professionals such as eating disorder dietitians and therapists on many topics, such as binge eating, BED, bulimia, body image, etc. Subscribe to my Instagram @drmariannemiller, and you’ll get bulimia and BED info sent to your phone with my reels, posts, etc.
Disclaimers for Body Image, Bulimia, and My Virtual Online Binge Eating Program
*The INEVITABLE BINGE EATING RECOVERY PROGRAM is online binge-eating education and private virtual group support via a Facebook Group. The aim of this course is to help people reduce and eliminate any type of distressed eating, such as binge eating or binge/purge behaviors via education, behavioral changes, and mindset shifts. The INEVITABLE BINGE EATING RECOVERY COURSE is not a clinical eating disorder therapy or eating disorder treatment program and is not intended to serve as such. In them, Dr. Marianne Miller works from her role as a binge-eating coach, not as a binge-eating therapist.
**The ELITE BINGE EATING RECOVERY METHOD is virtual binge eating education and LIVE virtual coaching support. The goal of this program is to help people stop any type of distressed eating, such as binge eating or binge/purge behaviors via education, behavioral changes, and mindset shifts. The ELITE BINGE EATING RECOVERY METHOD is not a clinical eating disorder therapy or eating disorder treatment program and is not intended to serve as such. In them, Dr. Marianne Miller works from her role as a binge-eating coach, not as a binge-eating therapist.