Maybe you…

• Feel like you can’t stop eating, even though you want to

• Eat until your uncomfortably full 

• Feel out of control when you eat

• Have feelings of intense guilt after you eat

• Look for ways to get rid of the food you just ate – 

  • Self-induced vomiting, over exercising, laxative use, skipping the next meal 

• Judge yourself based on the shape of your body. 

• Avoid social activities because you feel ashamed of your body

In therapy we…

• Identify triggers to binging and compensatory behaviors (vomiting, laxatives, over exercise, ect)

• Learn skills to manage urges and emotions

• Make weight and shape less important in your self-evaluation

• Identify and change thoughts that contribute to the cycle of eating disorder symptoms.

• Learn to maintain a sustainable eating pattern. 

• Identify underlying needs that contribute to bulimia behaviors and find new ways to meet those needs

What Is Bulimia?

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder that involves a cycle of binge eating followed by attempts to undo the binge.

During a binge, someone may eat a large amount of food while feeling out of control or unable to stop. Afterwards, feelings like shame, guilt, or fear of weight gain can feel overwhelming. To try to compensate, a person may engage in:

• self-induce vomiting

• over-exercise

• skip meals

• misuse laxatives or diuretics

Some people also engage in these behaviors as a way to manage difficult emotions or keep feelings stable.

For people struggling with bulimia, self-worth becomes closely tied to body shape or weight, which can make each episode feel even more painful. Over time, the binge–purge cycle can become automatic and very difficult to stop.