Bulimia is a disorder associated with feeding as well as anorexia nervosa , a psychological origin and can have severe physical consequences. While anorexics simply starve themselves, bulimics overeat and then "clean" themselves by vomiting what they have caused. Sufferers from bulimia also commonly use loss weight pills, laxatives and diuretics to reduce weight. Vomiting may have two purposes: the prevention of getting the weight, and a temporary reduction of depression and other negative feelings.
Bulimia mostly affects young women. Its signs first appear about age of 18. This is a real disease and people suffering from it usually are not able to control it without experts help. Family’s and friends warnings to stop with such behaviour are in the best case useless and at worst they have precisely the opposite effect.
It is believed that the pressures and conflicts within the family initially causes bulimia. Bulimic is usually a person who wants to achieve huge success striving towards perfection, and feels that she can not meet the expectations of her parents. Her self-esteem is at a low level and she suffers from depression. Perhaps as a child she was physically or sexually abused; about half of all bulimics have in the past experience of abuse.
Bulimia can occur on its own or alternating with anorexia. In second which occurs approximately in every fifth case a girl for a while does not want to eat, preparing for overeating. Despite the overlap these two disorders are associated with a different personality characteristics: anorexics are prone to suppress their urges, including sex, while bulimics, on the other hand it often meets their cravings, exaggerating, getting into trouble with drugs, promiscuous behavior, theft in stores or uncontrolled buying.
General health of people suffering from bulimia depends on how often they overeat and clean. Bulimic person may vomit occasionally (once a month) or very often (many times a day). Physical consequences include swelling of the stomach or pancreas, inflammation of the esophagus, increased salivary glands and teeth and gum bleeding disease due to vomiting gastric acids.
The consequences of bulimia also include weakening the immune system, eyesight, hair and nail loss, teeth falling out or truncating of front teeth by pushing fingers deep into the throat.
Another possible bulimia consequence is the disruption of the menstrual cycle or even its disappearance, which leads to permanent sterility, and premature climax.
Given that bulimics often use laxatives its long-term usage develops laxative dependency. It may cause constipation, painful, bleeding hemorrhoids and dehydration.
Frequent vomiting also spend a lot of water and potassium from the bodily tissues that causes disturbed heart rhythm, muscle cramps and even paralysis. In severe cases, some of these physical problems can lead to death.
Another danger is suicidal depression .
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