YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Bulimia Nervosa by Corette Johnson
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder that causes a person to eat uncontrollably to the point where they are full and at the end of the eating session they want their stomach’s to become empty because they are afraid of weight gain. There are also different stages of bulimia nervosa, the mild cases average to about 1-3 bouts of bingeing in a week and there are more severe cases that average about 14 bouts per week (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2014). Many people binge eat because they are stressed or depressed and this is an outlet for them to express how they feel. Most of the time there are other issues that is causing them to overeat, such as a mental disorder that has not been recognized (English, 2013). For example, depression can cause a person to have low self-esteem, they don’t think their body is good enough and they have no control over their life, all of these symptoms could cause one to binge. After the binge the person feel ashamed and guilty and want to empty their stomach by vomiting or using some sort of laxative (English, 2013).
Moreover, there are several treatment option to help you or a loved one who is facing this dilemma, the first step would be psychotherapy which is a talking session that helps the patient with different avenues to approach this disorder. Also there is cognitive therapy which helps the patient to recognize the healthier option instead of concentrating on the negative (MAYOCLINIC, n.d). Finally, there is interpersonal psychotherapy which would help the patient with overcoming depression, low self-esteem and other causes that would be preventing them from loving their bodies and themselves (MAYOCLINIC, n.d).
Many believe some of the common myths associated with bulimia nervosa which are to believe that people with this disorder are always vomiting and this disorder only relates to women, men are disregarded and if you have the disorder you would grow out of it and finally bulimia nervosa would not kill you (McCarthy, 2013). More importantly if you suspect a friend to be suffering from bulimia nervosa do not turn your back on them, they are crying out for help. There are counselors that are waiting to help.
As a final point, the proper credentials should be a key factor when searching for a therapist, important documents to look for would be that they have a master’s degree in clinical or counseling psychology, they must complete the GRE examinations and complete a dissertation (Psychology school guide, n.d).
References
English, N. (Nick English). (2013).
Retrieved from http://greatist.com/happiness/science-why-we-binge.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2014). Abnormal Psychology (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
MAYOCLINIC (n.d).
Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bulimia/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20179842.
McCarthy, T. (Tennie McCarthy). (2013).
Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tennie-mccarty/bulimia_b_2450621.html
Psychology School Guide
Retrieved from http://www.psychologyschoolguide.net/counseling-careers/becoming-an-eating-disorder-counselor/.