What is Bulimia Nervous?
The disease is prevalent mainly in adolescent girls.
Causes of Bulimia Nervous
The etiology of bulimia nervosa coincides with the etiology of anorexia nervosa. However, with this disease, along with the loss of food cravings, episodes of its increase are noted. In the psychoanalytic sense, overeating and fullness can be a defense against heightened sexuality.
Symptoms of Bulimia Nervous
Patients complain about periods that resemble bouts of keen desire to eat, obsessive thoughts and dreams about food. Sometimes in these experiences there is a certain type of food (meat, flour, sweet), obsession is eliminated by overeating, in which a large amount of food is eaten in a short period of time, some of which can be conditionally edible or spoiled. Further, to prevent overweight, patients induce vomiting, take a laxative, diuretic, starve for a long time, use hormones that suppress appetite. Patients feel too full, have an obsessive fear of becoming overwhelmed. Behind the facade of bulimia, a depression clinic can also be hidden.
Diagnosis of Bulimia Nervous
Attacks of overeating with excessive concern and control of body weight. May be a continuation or onset of anorexia nervosa. The diagnosis requires all of the following symptoms:
- Irresistible craving for food, in a short time can eat a large amount of food.
- Countering the effect of obesity through vomiting, abuse of laxatives, periods of fasting, the use of appetite suppressants.
- Setting the patient a low limit of body weight.
Differential diagnostics
It is necessary to differentiate nervous bulimia with endocrine pathology, in particular with selective bulimia in diabetes mellitus and with bulimia in dissociative and somatoform disorders. Endocrine disorders are characteristic of endocrine disorders, and bulimia correlates with blood sugar levels. In dissociative and somatoform disorders, bulimia is psychogenic (protective) in nature, and somatoform disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are secondary in connection with the stimulation of vomiting.
Treatment of Bulimia Nervous
Nervous bulimia is treated in the same way as anorexia nervosa with a combination of benzodiazepines, tranquilizers, antidepressants (prozac, sometimes melipramine), and complex psychotherapy.