Bulimia Treatment During COVID-19
COVID-19 has upended our lives in so many ways that seemed utterly unimaginable not long ago. There is so much anxiety and uncertainty. Isolation is difficult and doesn’t make dealing with it easier, to say the least. Even in the best of times, we sometimes eat too much to numb our anxiety, but now with the increased stress of this pandemic, this behavior can be magnified, especially granting our upturned routines and unlimited access to the stocked fridge and pantry. Does food help comfort us in the short term? Yes, of course. Does it solve the problem in the long run? No. You know this well, as do we. We can and want to help you break this behavior, which so often leaves us feeling helpless and has harmful effects on our health. Do you feel out of control when you binge? Afterwards, do you stop the scale from going up by vomiting or doing something else to get rid of the calories? Do you feel stuck in your relationship with food and live in a world of secrecy and shame where most of your thoughts or actions pivot around food? Is food both the cause of and solution to your most pressing problems? Is food causing a kind of vicious cycle that you feel trapped in?
At the Kahm Clinic we want to give you the support and the tools/structure that you need to challenge the bulimia and to establish physical and nutritional health. With the support and encouragement from our caring nutritionist we can help you develop skills and strategies to manage ongoing difficulties with food, body image and eating disorder behaviors.
Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating along with a perceived loss of control, which is followed by regular compensatory behaviors (purging) to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, and misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications. Bulimia is often a very secretive disorder and difficult to diagnose because individuals with the disorder can appear to be healthy on the outside. Here are some warning signs to consider if you suspect you or someone you know may be struggling with the disorder:
Evidence of binge eating, such as the disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time, or the presence of wrappers and containers indicating overeating.
Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics.
Excessive, rigid exercise regimen - despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to "burn off" calories taken in.
Unusual swelling of the parotid glands (the cheeks and/or jaw area).
Calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self-induced vomiting.
Discolored or stained teeth
Creation of lifestyle schedules or rituals to make time for binge-and-purge sessions.
Withdrawals from usual friends and activities.
In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting and control of food are becoming primary concerns.