Practical Tips For Successful Bulimia Treatment In Central London

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves binge-eating and compensatory behaviours. People with bulimia often hide the fact that they are overeating and may be eating thousands of calories in secret. They then compensate by either purging (inducing vomiting, misusing laxatives or taking diuretics) or non-purging methods such as dieting or excessive exercise.

Self-Help Groups

Self-help groups are a way of helping people who have an eating disorder. They promote reciprocal caring and offer a repository of useful experiential knowledge. They are especially useful for socially isolated people. Self-help groups may be a critical component of recovery for some people with eating disorders. These groups include twelve-step programs, support groups, and online self-help groups. They are often facilitated by a mentor, who is a peer who has overcome addiction or mental health issues and shares similar experiences with the person in central london bulimia treatment.

The Royal Free London CAMHS eating disorder service has a strong focus on empowering patients to be in charge of their own care. They can do this by participating in self-help groups, as well as having family therapy sessions. They also have the option of being hospitalised, if necessary. In this situation, doctors will carefully monitor your weight and health to ensure you are healthy enough to go home.

Counselling

People with bulimia often engage in over-compensatory behaviours, such as vomiting, taking laxatives and excessive exercise. They may also skip meals or eat very small quantities of food, which results in feelings of guilt and shame. They may also ruminate about negative body image thoughts. The weight of people with bulimia nervosa is typically within the healthy range but they experience high levels of body dissatisfaction.

CBT-E focuses on helping patients to recognise and understand the underlying causes of their eating problems, such as perfectionism and low self-esteem. It can also help them to manage their emotions in more healthy ways. The therapist will teach patients how to adopt regular eating habits and help them develop a better relationship with their bodies. Patients are encouraged to discuss their progress with their therapist, as well as how the treatment might affect other areas of their life. For example, they might have to change their work patterns or spend less time with friends and family. This can be a difficult transition, but it is essential for full recovery.

Medication

Bulimia can cause severe health problems, including heart and kidney damage. It is a mental illness, and a combination of psychotherapy and medical treatments is usually needed to help people recover. Psychotherapy includes cognitive-behavioural therapy, family-based therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy. These have been shown to be effective in treating bulimia. Unlike anorexia, which is characterized by extreme food restriction, bulimia involves periods of binge eating and purging behaviours. Binge eating is triggered by triggers such as stress, low mood and guilt. Binge eating is often accompanied by a desire to lose weight, and may involve consuming large amounts of high-fat foods. Purging may include laxatives, induced vomiting or intense exercise.

Most people with bulimia are female, and it typically starts during the teenage years. It is a very private illness and can lead to serious complications, such as an inflamed esophagus and dental problems. Treatment is typically a combination of individual therapy and family therapy, and medicine may be prescribed to help with depression or anxiety.

Hospitalisation

For some people with bulimia nervosa, inpatient treatment is needed. This may be because of the physical impact of purging or binge eating, such as eroded teeth, stomach ulcers, cracked fingers or sore knuckles. Alternatively, it might be because they have lost too much weight and their doctors are worried about their health.

People who are hospitalised usually stay on a ward and have meals at the hospital, which are served in a dining room. The food is supervised and can be very high calorie, especially if the person has been on a restricted diet for a long time. It is possible for families and friends to visit on a weekly basis or even daily. They also receive individual counselling and group therapy, such as art therapy or family therapy. This helps them to work out what triggers their eating disorder and how to cope better. For many, this is a major part of recovery.

Conclusion

Our eating disorder day therapy programme allows you to access treatment whilst remaining at home. You will have regular appointments with doctors who will monitor your weight, health and symptoms. NICE guidelines recommend individual cognitive behaviour therapy with an eating disorder focus, Maudsley model of anorexia nervosa treatment for adults or specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM). These therapies have been shown to be effective in many research studies.