WHAT CAN DO HELP THEM?

If someone close to you has bulimia, you can face it together in many different ways, but remember that they are the one with the problem. Loved ones can research treatment options, read appropriate books, attend lectures, talk to experts, and lend a supportive ear, but only the bulimic herself can do the works.

Bulimia is a protective device used to handle pain. If it was easy to give up, the person would have so already. Someone who uses food as a coping mechanism needs understanding and compassion. The reality of bulimia may shock or disgust you, but separate the individual from her binge-purge behaviour. She deserves love and appreciation for who she is apart from the bulimia, and compassion for the pain that has driven her to it. If a loved-one became disabled or ill, you would still be there for them-bulimia is disabling and life-threatening.

Parents of bulimics especially need to be aware of their limitations in helping their children. Often, the relationship is too close objective evaluation. Let your daughter open up to you with her feelings, and if she does not make progress with your support within a short time, encourage professional therapy. It may also be appropriate for parents to seek out professional advice or a support group for help with their own feelings of frustration and helplessness.
Parents usually play a part in the development of their child’s behaviour, and in many instances, may have to face issues and make adjustments of their own. This is not to say than they are the cause of the eating disorder, but rather that they may have contributed to it in some way and need to acknowledge that. Parents may need to reevaluate their values, ways of communicating, family rules about food, ways of handling feelings, parenting roles, and the family’s decision-making process. Guilt, anger, frustration, denial, and cynicism are all likely sentiments.
As hard as this all sounds, family therapy has proved to be one of the most successful methods of overcoming eating disorders. With better communication, increased self-knowledge and mutual acceptance of what has happened in the past, parents and children can focus on the important task of recovery in the present.

Psychoterapy

Psychotherapy is a cornerstone of bulimia treatment. Individual, family or group therapy may be very beneficial in dealing with bulimia. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps the individual address the negative ideas surrounding food, body-image and self-esteem, while providing constructive ways of implementing new food habits. Family therapy may help the entire family deal with underlying conflicts and provide coping techniques for the family as a whole, while support groups provide a source of support and comfort. Individual therapy addresses underlying personal issues such as self-esteem and guilt associated with food. On the whole, psychotherapy is very successful in treating bulimia, and it is advised that you research which type or types of therapy would best suit you

Drug Treatments

Medication may be prescribed to bulimic patients to help improve related symptoms such as accompanying depression, anxiety or obsessive behavior. Commonly prescribed drugs include antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and the antipsychotic drug lithium. While these drugs may help initially, up to 80% of patients relapse after the medication is discontinued, and in many cases, the side-effects are distressing.It is strongly advised that you research any prescription medication and their side-effects before agreeing to drug therapy.

Natural Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies for BulimiaEating disorder treatment options available, natural remedies can be of great benefit in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with bulimia, without the negative side effects of prescription medications. Some herbal formulas that assist with the related symptoms of bulimia include Passiflora Incarnata, which soothes the mind and calms the nerves. Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s Wort) has been very successful in treating the depression, which often accompanies an eating disorder.Natural remedies such as MindSoothe may facilitate a reasonable attitude and lessen the burden on pressured minds. MindSoothe may also promote a well-adjusted outlook and positive temperament, support healthy sleep patterns, and routine appetite.

Written by :

SITI HAJAR BINTI ITHNIN (G76232)