Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder which should be fought with perseverance and dedication. Here are some pointers on how to overcome bulimia nervosa.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that originates due to an individual garnering a low self-esteem, a self tarnished image that centers around them being physically unattractive to the beholder. Bulimia nervosa is a tactic that partially relies on the individual focusing on pleasing everyone around with their appearance. They are self-conscious and want to appear pleasing to the society. They have an urge to follow societal norms of beauty and grace.
Bulimia is an eating disorder that plagues individuals predominantly women between the age group of 19 to 40. Bulimia nervosa is a severe psychological disorder where an individual may consume large amounts of food rich in fat and carbohydrates. To contradict their actions, this is followed by a strong urge to vomit the contents out, inducing the urge by force. Bulimia is characterized by binge eating and regurgitating the contents by vomiting or using laxatives. The individual displays certain signs of being a bulimic, such as, binge eating, vomiting, low self-esteem, frequenting the toilet too often, weight fluctuations, erratic menstrual cycle, weak immunity system and constipation. It is required that one always remain vigilant and makes sure to communicate with the individual in question about his/her condition. It is known that women who have these symptoms are aware about the condition they suffer, however, they are afraid of letting their family members know about the same. It is, therefore, due to this secrecy maintained by the individual that the condition may go unnoticed and worsen, thereby leading to further health problems.
The exact cause of bulimia is not known, however genetic factors and low self-esteem are known to be major causes. A shocking fact about bulimia is that women are prone to developing this disorder more than men. It is always better to counter the symptoms as soon as possible. Here are some bulimia tips for you to delve upon.
How to Fight Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa can be controlled and, to a large extent, cured by following certain simple and easy to execute steps.
☛ Change your Mental Focus
What happens with bulimics is that they are too self-conscious and are always on tenterhooks to lose weight and conform to societal agendas. The first thing that they must do is to change their mental focus and make changes in their thought process. It is most important that one starts to see the brighter side of life, rather than concentrating on the darker side that only has gloom to offer. Make new friends, reconnect with friends with whom you had lost touch, make an effort to mix around, go shopping, read novels that are centered around an interesting subject.
☛ Try to Feel Good
Bulimia is marked by muscle pain, body being stiff and lethargy. It is understandable because the foods ingested are thrown out of the system in no time. However, to get rid of this situation, one has to make an effort to feel good about oneself. Go out for casual walks, make your favorite dish, help out in the kitchen or just visit the market to look around what’s new!
☛ Eating Habits
Binge eating is what you need to avert. Eat healthy, eat right and eat regularly. Make an effort to set an eating timetable for yourself. Eat at short intervals to curb the sudden and strong urge to binge and eat in large quantities. Small morsels help. Don’t gobble up your food. Eat slow and steady, (think, slow and steady wins the race!). Cherish what is offered on your plate. When you are done eating, try and engross yourself in an activity, to distract yourself from thinking of ideas on how to throw out the food that you have just eaten. Drink plenty of water. Avoid coffee and if you smoke, make an effort to quit the ‘stick’!
☛ Exercise
Exercising excessively is a sign of bulimia. This should be avoided. Well, I do not mean that you need to avoid exercising altogether. Exercise, but in moderation conforming to your bodily requirement is the only point that I intend to make here. Consult a physician and ask him what is his prescription and perspective on your exercise regimen.
☛ Make Placards
Get some colorful, handmade chart papers and write motivational quotes on them. Stick them where they are easily visible. It serves to be a constant reminder to practice what you have preached! You may also write customized statements such as:
~ I will succeed. I will not revert to my old ways. I will be fine. …
~ I have started to feel better. There is so much to do in life … .
~ Life is beautiful. I have sailed through the worst times of life and here I am … back with a bang! …
☛ Meditate
Indulge in meditation or practice certain yoga poses. The condition is that your physician should prescribe you what you are supposed to do. Yoga helps one to calm down, reverberating positive and soothing thoughts. It helps you concentrate and focus on what you must avoid and what you must accept. Tai-chi is another form of exercise, a slow moving dance, which helps one to calm down and curb binge eating, helping you in developing control over your urge to throw up the ingested food contents.
☛ Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a helpful tool in countering bulimia. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is known to help fight negative thoughts by replacing them with the positive and useful ones. You are able to fight the gloom and the disorientation that you face due to bulimia with this therapy. The method of free association may help an individual to recoup and bring out instances that have a connection with the present condition. When the individual speaks his mind without filtering thoughts, one may reveal situations that lead him to developing this eating disorder.
☛ Think About Your Aspirations
Having role models can help you lead a life free of bulimia nervosa. We all have aspirations and we have our respective, varying degrees of motivation powers working towards reaching our goals. Sift through magazines for the hobby you wanted to pursue; say you want to learn strumming the guitar, or you want to pursue a doctorate in anthropology or physiognomy. Well, you need to cut out pictures and images that remind you of your aspiration or goals and stick it on a sheet with little motivating lines. Place it strategically so that you can notice it irrespective of your location in the room.
You could help your loved one to lose the bulimic grip … And remember getting off it, is challenge half won, but staying off it is battle won!
