Moving Past Anorexia and Bulimia

Were you diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia? Both eating disorders can be life-threatening without medical and psychological treatment. If you are in recovery, then you know that anorexia and bulimia recovery can last for years before you completely heal physically. Even then, the urge to revert to old habits may loom, waiting for a trigger.

How can you move past anorexia and bulimia and lead a fulfilling life again?

What are anorexia and bulimia?

Anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders considered deadly if left untreated. Anorexia is notable for starvation and excessive exercise as ways to keep the weight below average. Typically, the patient is unaware of the danger the behavior poses to their physical health.

As the patient continues to lose weight and starve his or her body, the brain’s gray matter loses volume, causing brain fog and cognitive decline. The sufferer might develop mood swings and personality changes.

Bulimia is similar to anorexia in that the disorder stems from compulsive behavior. With bulimia, the patient may eat very little or moderate amounts of food and then purge the food from his or her body.

Purging methods include vomiting, laxatives, enemas, or over-exercise. Eventually, the body begins purging the contents of the stomach without prompting, making it difficult for them to get enough nutrition to function.

Anorexic patients are severely underweight, while bulimic patients may be underweight or of average weight. If caught early enough and medical treatment is a priority, the anorexia or bulimia patient can recover, although this can take anywhere from six months to more than nine years.

This is why therapy with a licensed mental health care professional is imperative to arm the patient with strategies to keep from falling back into unhealthy behaviors.

Tips for recovery

Once you stabilize your physical health, you can work on changing your mindset and perspective. You may have realized that you have thought distortions regarding your body image. Do you see yourself as larger than you physically are? Do you feel your self-worth is tied to your size or appearance?

You are not alone. Many people struggle with body dysmorphia combined with an eating disorder. Recovery must be a priority. But there are things you can do to increase your odds of beating anorexia and bulimia.

Seek medical treatment.

Organ failure and cardiac arrest are common in the late stages of anorexia and bulimia patients. You must receive prompt medical attention if you suffer from either eating disorder. Your physician will monitor your lab work and run tests to stabilize you out of the danger zone. You might receive your nutrition through IVs until you are strong enough to eat.

After that, you might meet with a nutritionist or dietician about reintroducing food. Since your stomach may not have held food down for some time, your meals will probably be small portions of easy-to-digest foods. The goal is to get you to eat smaller amounts as your stomach adjusts to a regular schedule.

Seek therapy.

After your medical needs are taken care of, and you are physically on the mend, cognitive and behavioral therapy can help you to identify negative thoughts and emotions before you react. For example, have you ever noticed the emotion you felt before a purge? Do you remember the thoughts that flitted through your mind or what triggered the anorexia and bulimia behaviors?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) uses various methods to help you analyze your triggers and reframe your thoughts into more productive ones. This change in thinking can elicit a different emotion. Instead of feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed after a trigger or thought, you might feel empowered based on the CBT method you use.

Your therapist will introduce you to the concepts based on your personal triggers. The therapist may assign homework for you to try and report back how the techniques worked for you during the week.

Manage your stress.

Stress can trigger anorexia or bulimia behaviors. If you can, try to avoid your triggers. If it is a place or situation, physically leave the room. For example, if social anxiety makes you self-conscious about your appearance, make strides initially by shopping at a smaller store instead of forcing yourself to go to the mall on a Saturday. However, it may not be possible or feasible to move out of an environment.

Ask your therapist about how to manage your stress levels with relaxation techniques. For example, some patients rely on deep breathing, stretching, meditation, or yoga to center their minds and control their impulses.

Eat on schedule.

Your nutritionist may ask you to keep a food journal to ensure that you are eating adequately to decrease the chances of missing meals, even by accident. You may be asked to eat every three to four hours. These small portions are the right size for your stomach and should help you rediscover the sensations of hunger and fullness.

For some anorexia and bulimia sufferers, the full stomach sensation is repulsive. Work with your therapist and the nutritionist or dietician to move past this flawed thinking.

Stay mindful.

To recognize hunger and fullness, you must stay mindful and present during any eating occasion. Try to limit distractions and eat slowly. The communication between the brain and the stomach takes about twenty minutes. Slowing down will help you recognize a slightly full stomach.

At first, your nutritionist will have you stick to strict portions and eating intervals, but further into your recovery, you will learn to serve portions and eat enough to keep your body fueled.

Improve your body image.

If your relationship with exercise is healthy, your therapist and physician may recommend some form of exercise to boost your self-confidence and body image. Although exercise is essential for many reasons, the psychological aspect of body image will make a huge impact.

How you view your body and appearance can determine your emotions and behaviors. For example, if you refuse to accept your body where it is now, you might struggle with anxiety and depression. On the other hand, adopting a positive body image requires work, significantly if your body is changing the healthier you become during recovery.

Socialize with friends.

People struggling with eating disorders tend to isolate themselves from others. They may withdraw because they are embarrassed by how they perceive their appearance, or they might be afraid someone will judge them. While in anorexia and bulimia recovery, try to socialize with friends again.

If you don’t have someone you can call, attend local events. You may meet others with the same hobbies or interests as you. At first, socializing may seem like too big of a step forward. Instead, pick a date on the calendar and plan one thing for the month. Commit to attending this one engagement for the entire month, then report how well it went to your therapist.

Create a support system.

Your healthcare team might consist of your primary care physician, therapist, nutritionist, physical therapist, and other specialists. But aside from these professionals, you also need a support system of people who love you and want to see you succeed.

Your support system may include your spouse, children, parents, and extended family. Or it might just be your best friend. Your support system can be as small or as large as you need. You might find support from an online group or your church family. Lean on these people on good days and on the days when you find yourself struggling not to give in to old impulses.

Finding a therapist for anorexia and bulimia

Do you suspect that you or a loved one suffer from an eating disorder? Do the symptoms of anorexia and bulimia sound too familiar? Contact our office today to speak with a receptionist who will schedule you with a counselor specializing in eating disorder treatment and recovery. Give us a call today.