Bulimia: Help Yourself

If you have answered yes to two or more of the above questions you should look for further diagnosis or tests as you are at risk of having or developing an eating disorder.

Are you Bulimic? How to stop it.

Are you Bulimic and want to change that? Do you want to regain control of your life and finish with the circle of Bulimic behaviour? The most important thing to stopping bulimic behaviour is wanting to stop it. You are the only person who can decide whether to stop it or not.

If you are on the first stages of coming out from bulimia, these tips might help:

1) Write a letter to your bulimia. Write one as if it was a friend of you –something like thanks to you I am slimmer, calmer, and so on. Then write another letter as if your bulimia was your enemy, something like “I hate you because you make me ill, because of you I do not have friends, I cannot go out and party with anyone…”. Both letters will help you identify if you want to stop being bulimic and WHY you want to change. Finding good reasons to change is the first step to changing.

2) Make a list of advantages and disadvantages of being bulimic. Think not only of yourself but how bulimia affects your friends and family.

3) Believe in change. People can come out of their bulimia. You can cure yourself or at the very least reduce the frequency of your bulimic crisis. Read inspiring books, real stories of people who have won their battle against their eating disorder. Find inspiration an encouragement in their stories.

4) Once you are ready to change, look for adequate treatment. Sometimes just visiting your doctor or the help of a nutritionist can work wonders if you are wanting to change.

5) Inform yourself about the different treatments. Different things work for different people. Some people needs medicaments while others find support from other sufferers the best therapy. Personal psychological support or even hospital treatment as an inpatient are also available.

6) To help yourself, observe your bulimic behaviours and record them in a diary. Be as honest as possible. Once you have identified your bulimic behaviours over a period of time try to understand the WHY. This will help you take conscience of your behaviour and try to avoid the starting sings in the future. For example, if you notice that you have bulimic crisis on the weekends because you are lonely, then in the future try to plan something in anticipation to avoid feeling lonely and starting another crisis.

This workbook contains tools to help bulimics break the cycle of bingeing and reacting, allowing them to take control of their lives and make positive behavior changes. Use it to recognize the symptoms of bulimia, its causes, and the health risks it poses. Then work through the exercises to normalize eating and deal with the issues that underlie the symptoms. Take control of your recovery process with checklists, self-monitoring assessments, and thought diaries. Practical advice and real-life examples reinforce attitudes and offer encouragement. Discover that it is possible to overcome your disorder and live a happier, more fulfilling life.