The #1 Bulimia Symptom To Look Out For - What I Wish My Parents Had Known

by julie.anna Spotting a bulimia symptom could be the difference between life or death. It could mean that your loved one gets the help that they ne

of anxiety disorders also predisposes people to developing Eating ...

by julie.anna

Spotting a bulimia symptom could be the difference between life or death. It could mean that your loved one gets the help that they need... It could mean that their bulimia ordeal comes to an end. But...

If you don't know the key bulimia symptom to look out for... Their bulimia could go undetected and untreated for years - even decades.

My bulimia ordeal lasted over 10 years. If my parents had known this bulimia symptom... They would have discovered my illness... And, without a doubt they could have got me into treatment.

My 10 years of bulimia could so easily have just been 1.

What is the #1 Bulimia Symptom That Everyone Ought to Know?

It's the persons attitude and reactions to food... A bulimic doesn't treat food like a normal and healthy person does. Watch closely - they'll try their best to hide it...

Have you noticed the following:

Angry/Defensive Reactions to Comments About Food

To a bulimic, the topic of food feels shameful and upsetting. They'll often over react to simple comments that people make about their eating habits...

I remember when I was bulimic, I always felt as though people were having a go at me... If somebody commented on how much I had eaten, even in alight hearted way, I'd take it as an insult and I would find them threatening. I was paranoid that they suspected my secret.

I remember once, when I was in the deepest years of my bulimia, my father noticed I was eating in the kitchen after dinner. He asked me if I was really hungry and if I needed the food... I flew off the wall... I threw my plate of food into the sink and ran out of the house... Tears streaming from my eyes I hid under a bridge down the road. There I threw up everything.

Bulimia was making me crazy... I was constantly paranoid.

Secretive Bingeing / Lots of Food Going Missing

Bulimics are so ashamed of their illness that they go to all lengths to hide it. They know that binging in public will make people suspicious... So, they often eat alone. They'll binge while others are showering or out walking the dog... They might offer to clean up the kitchen after dinner so that they have the opportunity to eat lots of leftovers, alone...

Bulimics are very good at hiding their binges - so keep a vigilant eye open. >They may appear to eat normally when people are watching... But what do they do when they think they're alone?

You need to find out...

... signs we can look out for in our friends, children and other loved

Bulimia-Symptoms

-Childhood-Eating-Disorders-and-Food-Anxiety-(Image-via-Eating ...

How Do Stress and Anxiety Contribute to the Symptoms...

Source : http://imentalhealth.net/mental-health-disorders/eating-disorders/the-1-bulimia-symptom-to-look-out-for-what-i-wish-my-parents-had-known

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Commonly question about The #1 Bulimia Symptom To Look Out For - What I Wish My Parents Had Known

Question :

Bulimia Questions, IBS, ovarian cysts, something else?

i m going to the doctor tuesday, but i m just wanting to know what i should expect.

I m 17, female, and i suffer from bulimia nervosa. I ve been struggling since i was 16 and i m about to turn 18, so about 2 years. Anyways, it started with laxative abuse a while ago, and water pill abuse. I shortly stopped and began to purge more. I haven t used laxatives in an extremely long time, for about 6 months, at least. (that s long for me) Also, note that i m not a typical bulimic, i purge a lot.. but not because i binge a lot. I will admit i do binge and purge, but sometimes i ll just eat a normal meal and purge that too..I also eat pretty healthy for the most part...but anyways i m not sure but this is what i ve been experiencing the past few months:

-EXTREME constipation, like sometimes i can t go in a period of 2-3 days, and i will eat a TON of fiber and i drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. I also exercise!
- heart burn, acid reflux... (that s an obvious one though...)
-right side upper chest pains (shooting), near rib cage.. sometimes laying down makes it worse.. could be heart burn though right??
-heavy water retention, all in my lower stomach. I look pregnant. and i m not just saying that because I "feel fat" all the time, I literally do look like i m expecting. It s near my uterus and it s a good 4 extra lbs of water/waste build up... gross i know
-gas....especially on my period which would be 95% of the time.. like my period will not go away!
-pain on my lower left side, right near my hip bone, below my belly button. (sharp pain at times, kind of feels like a gas bubble or water balloon lump that needs to seriously empty itself or get popped) ... when i put pressure on it i feel like i have to go to the bathroom, but nothing happens. i also feel some discomfort like someone is squeezing a muscle or something really hard. it s difficult to explain but it s not fun!
-menstrual cycle from the dates : Oct 2-Oct 19(2010), Oct 21-Dec 2 (2010), Dec 24-Now (still going on) and the previous symptom is really starting to hurt and has a constant pain. I have gained about 7 lbs for literally NO reason in the past week all in my stomach (guessing it s constipation). I eat how i usually do, exercise as normal, I weighed less on New Years!! What happened?!

I m starting to get worried because the massive bloating and back up/constipation is making my bulimia worse because I can t shed the weight and I feel bigger than ever. I ve tried not eating, drinking tons of water and fiber, and that won t work. No matter how much I work out, it just won t go away...I feel like I keep gaining but I m doing everything that seems like I should be LOSING. Nothing will empty my intestines lately! And I can t shed this weight no matter HOW hard I try and I usually lose weight quickly (not healthy, but quickly). Don t understand the problem!!??

Do I have IBS? Ovarian Cysts?...something else? I m considering taking laxatives but I don t know if that would be considered a relapse since I used to abuse them. I have to generally take 3-4 even though the box calls for 1-2, but my body will not respond to a low number anymore...so even if i took it for constipation use.. would that be considered a relapse per say?

Answer :
Okay well firstly your problem is a TON of fibre which causes constipation. Too little or too much fibre causes constipation. Next problem is lack of digestive enzymes in the diet.

People who are lacking digestive enzymes may suffer with:

* Heartburn
* Bloating and Flatulence
* Constipation
* Food allergies
* Parasites
* Bad bacteria
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome
* Decreased energy
* Lowered immune response
* Headaches
* Fatigue
* Inflammation

If you think you have extreme constipation read this! >>>

"Oprah recommends them...enzymes saved my life!"

For forty-five years, Donna struggled with constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The constipation was so severe that it was normal for three or four weeks to pass without a single bowel movement...and all her movements were accompanied by vomiting!

A nurse, Donnas life became nearly unbearable; she was required to assist in five-hour surgeries while in agonizing discomfort.

Then, after hearing about digestive enzymes on the Oprah show, she began taking Puristat enzymes. Its a miracle, she says, having gone to the bathroom every day since she began with Puristat."

Recommend to take digestive enzyme supplements with each meal.
>>>http://www.puristat.com/bloating/enzymes

Another problem may be a thyroid imbalance. Hypothyroidism causes the metabolism to slow down and makes weight loss very difficult. People with anorexia or bulimia are at risk for hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism symptoms are many and include constipation, fluid retention and menstral cycle issues including prolonged bleeding. It is well documented that lack of iodine and selenium will affect the thyroid. Lack of selenium especially is implicated in hashimoto s thyroiditis - autoimmune hypothyroidism - which is why studies show 200mg of selenium daily decreases TPO thyroid antibodies. >>>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/lon

Source(s):

RedAngel

Question :

I can t have exercise bulimia can i?

I keep reading about this in the news, my roommate made a silly comment accusing me of this, I don t think I have a problem per se, but the diagnosis is so vague I am not sure...

I am pretty healthy generally. I try to eat clean, and whilst I don t restrict myself, I definitely do not over indulge either.

I did used to be on the brink of an eating disorder, a few years ago, but it was due to the death of my friend, guilt and life dissatisfaction. I just did not like myself or the way anything was working, and was obsessed with starving, it wasn t about being skinny or anything like that. I knew i didnt look attractive but at the time, i wasn t socialising ever, so that was hardly the point of it.

THAT was about three years ago.

Now, I work out, 5-6 times a week for about 1hr 20 mins - 1hr 40 mins every time. Never less than 1.20 (unless I am late for something).
I do this religiously, and yes I cancel plans with friends to go to the gym. I basically plan around the gym sometimes, and i get upset if I cant go. I like to know all social things in advance, so I can add time if i have to miss too many days etc etc..

I have never really thought of it as an obsession, as much as it keeps me sane. I like to listen to music, and zoning out with my ipod is sometimes when I am happiest.

I do not work out to burn calories, but i will be lying if I said I am not aware of how many calories i burn per work out.

Anyways..
I just want to know some hard stats and symptoms, as obviously I dont want to fall back into old habits just because i like the burn.. :)

Answer :
No, you re fine.

Look, the problem with people is they like to think they re the "norm" on the bell curve by which everyone else is compared as an outlier. If somene sits on their duff all day, then they think the average person sits on their duff all day. If someone exercises every day, then they think the average person exercises every day. When you get these two people together, then one or the other will think the other one is weird.

The average person probably exercises 1-2x week, maybe 30 minutes at most. However, what they SHOULD be doing is at least 4x week, 30 minutes or more. And, if you want to be in good shape, you will do what you re doing...5-6x week, 1hr+ each time.

Think of it like this...do you think our military branches get in shape by only working out 3-4x week for 3 minutes? Hell no. The 3-4x for 30 minutes is some minimum "standard" vague "experts" came up with to try to entice folks to devote a little time to exercise without having them ***** about needing to do it so much. These are the same experts that consider "walking" and other low-impact, mundane crap to be "exercise". Meanwhile, folks who really want to get in shape rely on weight-lifting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprints, etc.

Now, some folks may feel they HAVE to exercise to stay in shape, while others just like to exercise because they enjoy it, they feel good during and after doing it, and they don t feel good if they slack off.

Going further to each side of the bell curve, you also get the chronic slackers...the folks who just don t like to work-out, or have serious energy issues due to diet or illness so they can t work-out. And on the other side of the bell curve you get the ana/mia folks who are doing squats while taking a shower, getting dressed, etc...always doing some kind of exercise in order to burn calories and lose weight. THAT would be obsessive.

But if you love going to the gym and staying in shape, then you would prioritize that as part of your life. And, yes, that means putting it above going and doing things with friends sometimes. That doesn t make you bizarre, that just means you ve prioritized it.

One thing I WOULD be worried about, though, is that you may be spending too much time doing inefficient exercises. If you re running on the treadmill for hours on end, then you can speed up your work-out by replacing that with a 4 minute Tabata cardio sprints or something. Add in 30 minutes of weight-lifting, and you re done. A high-intensity, solid, good-for-you work-out shouldn t take more than 30 minutes. But, like I said, if you enjoy going to the gym and working out, then spend more time doing it.

Think of it like sex. Sure, the average sex session can finish up after 10 minutes when both parties orgasm. But some folks like to **** for hours on end...because it s fun and they enjoy it. And while the average couple may do it 1-2x a week, some couples do it 7x+ a week, at least an hour each time. If they like it, they do it. And, yes, sometimes they ll blow off hanging out with friends so they can sneak off and fornicate for an hour or two. It doesn t mean they re weird. But if they were constantly f ing each other to where critical things in their life were falling apart, like they couldn t hold down a job or pay their bills since they re f ing too much...yes, then it becomes a problem.

Tell your friend to get her fat-*** off the couch and start working out more.

Question :

Anorexia or Bulimia (perhaps both)?

Firstly, I have to stress that I want a very professional opinion. I m worried about a good friend of mine who could be suffering from one of the eating disorders mentioned above.

A friend of mine who was around 17-18 stone (possibly more, I m unsure of the actual weight at the time) lost a considerable amount of weight in around 5 months. He dropped to around 13 stone in about 6 months, which is fine. I really understand that it is indeed possible with hard exercise and lowered food amounts. However, since then he dropped to around 11st 4lb. Although this is within his BMI, he was seriously gaunt and looked very ill.

Recently, he has moved in with my family after some problems with his mother and a lot of symptoms point to both disorders.

To start, he is around 6 1" and is currently around 12st 4lb. Although he is within BMI, he still looks rather gaunt. I also don t trust BMI as I know things such as bone density can have an impact on weight. I will list what I have noticed. I m really hoping that it will have some resolve. He will NOT go to the GP surgery without being pushed, and I need to reinforce my thought before I start to intervene. I will state now though that his weight is something he s told me directly. I am unsure whether it s his truth weight

- Consumes a LOT of fruit, easily 10+ items a day.
- A lot of seafood. (I know, low fat, high protein)
- A high consumption of Tomato Ketchup
- A refusal to eat anything outside of a specific regime
- MUST cycle for 3-7 hours or some kind of cardio-vascular exercise every day. There were days when it was, what most people would consider excessive.
- He will often eat within the confines of his room. I would say he s been hiding himself from the world for the most part. He did not speak to me for at least 4 months or so until he asked to move in. He s usually okay with eating in front of me, but usually doesn t like to eat outside of his room or in a "safe" area.
- He s worried about gaining weight if he eats something like pizza, etcetera.
- He worries about calories and fat intake to an extreme amount.
- Signs of depression
- Possible Autism (higher-functions aren t too impared, but you have to be VERY literal when speaking. There are other signs, too)
- Chews gum very frequently. I ve seen him go through 3 packets (12 pieces per packet?) in 9 hours.

I do not think he s purged, but the excessive exercise on his days off work is a sure sign that something s not right. Don t get me wrong, I love to cycle myself, but 3-7 hours a day is a bit extreme unless he was training for some event or trekking somewhere long-distance, which he s really not.

I will also have to state that, we re not sure if the seafood he s eating is within date. There have been times that my mum has seen a pack of out-of-date prawns disappear from the fridge and no rubbish bags have been spotted leaving the house.

Anyway, any advice anyone can give me to help the guy out would be seriously welcome.

Answer :
All these signs point to that he does have an eating disorder of some sort. I have suffered from one and i know many people that have too.
Best thing for him is to see a professional like I did... they do really help. But I know how tough it is to admit to things like this! I couldn t and still can t actually say it! When I spoke to my therapist (who I was seeing for depression and self harm already), I couldn t actually say it, I wrote it on paper instead! This is something I use a lot!! Writing helps as it makes it seem less direct, and well, I am not sure why but I found it easier than speaking!

If your friend is getting to a bad stage and he can t go himself then there is nothing wrong with you going to speak to someone for him... get them to give you advice on how to help him or something.

Try and speak to him about it too. Have a look on the internet as there is a lot of information around about helping friends and loved ones with EDs... Also there are a few internet forums too that can be useful! One I used to go on is Virtual Teen. Search it in google. They are really nice and friendly there!!

But overall best bet is to go to see a professional :/

Good luck x

Source(s):

Personal Experience