Am I bulimic?

S

SkittleWarrior

New member
I made myself vomit yesterday because I felt guilty for eating ice cream.

I made myself vomit today for taking seconds at dinner.

I look up in the mirror from the sink and feel like it isn't me I'm seeing, with my eyes all watery, my face red. I wonder, how can I be doing this to myself?

I did it for a while this summer...and now it's back.

Should I seek help?

I feel like I'll never reach my goal of 70 pounds lost for July.
 
  • Dramatic weight loss in a relatively short period of time.
  • Wearing big or baggy clothes or dressing in layers to hide body shape and/or weight loss.
  • Obsession with weight and complaining of weight problems (even if "average" weight or thin).
  • Obsession with calories and fat content of foods.
  • Obsession with continuous exercise.
  • Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately following meals (sometimes accompanied with water running in the bathroom for a long period of time to hide the sound of vomiting).
  • Visible food restriction and self-starvation.
  • Visible bingeing and/or purging.
  • Use or hiding use of diet pills, laxatives, ipecac syrup (can cause immediate death!) or enemas.
  • Isolation. Fear of eating around and with others.
  • Unusual Food rituals such as shifting the food around on the plate to look eaten; cutting food into tiny pieces; making sure the fork avoids contact with the lips (using teeth to scrap food off the fork or spoon); chewing food and spitting it out, but not swallowing; dropping food into napkin on lap to later throw away.
  • Hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases, under the bed) to avoid eating (Anorexia) or to eat at a later time (Bulimia).
  • Flushing uneaten food down the toilet (can cause sewage problems).
  • Vague or secretive eating patterns.
  • Keeping a "food diary" or lists that consists of food and/or behaviors (ie., purging, restricting, calories consumed, exercise, etc.)
  • Pre-occupied thoughts of food, weight and cooking.
  • Visiting websites that promote unhealthy ways to lose weight.
  • Reading books about weight loss and eating disorders.
  • Self-defeating statements after food consumption.
  • Hair loss. Pale or "grey" appearance to the skin.
  • Dizziness and headaches.
  • Frequent soar throats and/or swollen glands.
  • Low self-esteem. Feeling worthless. Often putting themself down and complaining of being "too stupid" or "too fat" and saying they don't matter. Need for acceptance and approval from others.
  • Complaints of often feeling cold.
  • Low blood pressure.
  • Loss of menstrual cycle.
  • Constipation or incontinence.
  • Bruised or calluses knuckles; bloodshot or bleeding in the eyes; light bruising under the eyes and on the cheeks.
  • Perfectionistic personality.
  • Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations.
  • Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
  • Insomnia. Poor sleeping habits

Compulsive Overeating/Binge Eating Disorder
  • Fear of not being able to control eating, and while eating, not being able to stop.
  • Isolation. Fear of eating around and with others.
  • Chronic dieting on a variety of popular diet plans.
  • Holding the belief that life will be better if they can lose weight.
  • hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases, under the bed) to eat at a later time.
  • Vague or secretive eating patterns.
  • Self-defeating statements after food consumption.
  • Blames failure in social and professional community on weight.
  • Holding the belief that food is their only friend.
  • Frequently out of breath after relatively light activities.
  • Excessive sweating and shortness of breath.
  • High blood pressure and/or cholesterol.
  • Leg and joint pain.
  • Weight gain.
  • Decreased mobility due to weight gain.
  • Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations.
  • Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
  • Insomnia. Poor Sleeping Habits.


The following is considered the "text book" definition of Bulimia Nervosa to assist doctors in making a clinical diagnosis... it is in no way representative of what a sufferer feels or experiences in living with the illness. It is important to note that you can still suffer from Bulimia even if one of the below signs is not present (also see the Signs and Symptoms section). In other words, if you think you have Bulimia, it's dangerous to read the diagnostic criteria and think "I don't have one of the symptoms, so I must not be Bulimic".

  1. Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:
    • eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances
    • a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)
  2. Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting; misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.
  3. The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months.
  4. Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.
  5. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of Anorexia Nervosa.
    • Purging Type: during the current episode of Bulimia Nervosa, the person has regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas
    • Nonpurging Type: during the current episode of Bulimia Nervosa, the person has used other inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as fasting or excessive exercise, but has not regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas

    Based on textbook examples of bulimia, you currently are not bulimic but you are probably on your way to being one.. Since you are asking the question if you should seek help? Only you know the answer to that, but since you're asking, it's obviously a concern for you - so I would say yes, you do need help, to develop a better relationship with food ad your self worth
 
Thank you. Both of those have helped. I was just scaring myself...but I think I can start to get it under control. I hope I can, anyway.
 
I can tell you that bulimia is all about control issues. Been there--done that. Just don't continue making excuses. Don't let that disease consume you. --It will. If you continue to vomit or excerise compulsively--find a support system.
 
I used to be too... then it stopped gradually. I am still not at my ideal most weight, but I just don't want to put myself through that ever again. I'm happy that I'm healthy now. I hope you get better. Life is much better without it!
 
My aunt was bulimic and got down to 98lbs in about a year from 300lbs.......she now weighs about 400lbs and almost died in the process......it is not a cure all for weight loss, it will make you sicker and sicker and engulf you in a world of guilt and decite.........get help now.....even if you don't think you need it......it can't hurt!!!!! STAR
 
I'm no doctor, but I do know that it isn't normal to intentionally throw up something, unless of course, you were poisoned. Even if you think you have it under control, talk/see someone about it. A year down the road, should it take a turn for the worst, you don't want to put the guilt on yourself for not doing something about it sooner. Take care :)[/U]
 
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Skittle, please seek some professional advice on this. I fought for a while with ulcers that made me up-chuck and I know the damage that stomach acids can do to your throat and other parts of the body. Have you ever seen the decayed teeth of a long term bulemic. Not a pretty sight. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv, but I would get this checked out.

Jay:cool:
 
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