What is bulimia (nervosa)?

Bulimia is a condition which a sufferer will eat a large amount of food, many hundreds of calories, quickly and without control. In bulimia, their binges will follow by an attempt to compensate their behaviours most commonly by making themselves vomit. Sometimes a sufferer will deliberately starve themselves of take laxatives or use diuretics. This forms a bulimic cycle in which they may make carry out this behaviour on a daily basis, once in a while, or consistently over a number of months or years.

While the bulimic pattern exists, the sufferer will experience an array of negative feelings that fuel their habit including self hatred, disgust, low self esteem and are likely to have depression. On the outside, bulimic sufferers will often come across as confident do-gooders who are personable but are in fact deeply unhappy. Unlike anorexia, bulimia is not visible and can remain hidden from those who are closest to them for a long time.  

What is happening?

Those who have bulimia will often describe feelings of emptiness, which is hunger they are trying to fill through bingeing. The desperate feelings they experience is what triggers a binge. When they feel full, they get the urge to get rid of it as if it is something evil. Vomiting brings relief. Other compensating behaviours bring somewhat of a relief that helps them ease their pain. Once the food has been removed from the body, a 'high' may be experienced. Some sufferer's speak of 'purity' making themselves feel better.