Knowing when to seek bulimia help can be complicated because you may not feel ready to admit to yourself or others that you suffer from a serious eating disorder. However, because there are a number of serious medical health risks of bulimia, accepting help for your bulimia is important. The following are some questions that you can ask yourself in order to help determine if you suffer from bulimia nervosa and require treatment. If you answer yes to several of these questions, contact McCallum Place to receive the bulimia help that you need.

Are you obsessed with your body shape, size, or weight?
Do you feel that food and dieting dominate your life?
Are you afraid that when you start eating that you will not be able to stop?
Do you frequently eat until you feel sick?
Do you feel guilty, ashamed, or depressed after you eat?
Do you vomit or take laxatives in order to control your weight or to ‘undo’ what you ate?

Other major signs and symptoms of bulimia that can signify when you need to get help include:

Frequent binge episodes: These binges are generally characterized by a loss of control. Individuals suffering from bulimia will typically eat until feeling uncomfortably full.
Unhealthy weight control behaviors and frequent purging: Following a binge, an individual suffering from bulimia or anorexia binge and purge type will use one of many behaviors to attempt to rid their body of excess calories consumed during a binge and prevent weight gain. This is often through self-induced vomiting or the use of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics. Additionally, making up for binges using fasting, excessive exercise, or crash diets can also be a symptom of anorexia.

Why you Need Bulimia Help

If you have been suffering from bulimia, it is important that you seek bulimia help in order to resume normal eating and return to your normal life. Because bulimia can lead to a number of potentially deadly side effects including heart problems, digestive problems, electrolyte imbalances, and death, receiving the help and treatment that you need to overcome bulimia is important. Some of the main goals that you should hope to achieve from your bulimia help and treatment include:

Learning to not act on and eventually eliminate the urge for binges
Establishing a regular, healthy pattern of meals and snacks
Understanding subtle feelings of hunger and satiety to learn what, when, and how much to eat
Overcoming negative thoughts and emotions
Seeing relapses and setbacks as a part of the recovery process and not a reason to give up
Maintaining healthy behaviors long-term

Types of Bulimia Help

The most important step that you can make toward receiving bulimia help and overcoming your eating disorder is to begin bulimia treatment. When you decide that you are ready to take this step, there will be a number of treatment options and programs available to help. McCallum Place Eating Disorder Center offers a variety of types of bulimia help in St. Louis including: