My Girlfriend Has Bulimia: What Can I Do To Help Her?
During relationships, arguments and misunderstandings arise, among other circumstances that the couple must overcome. But sometimes the problems are more complex, and it is not so easy to find the solution.
In this article we will see a series of advice for those people who ask themselves: “my girlfriend has bulimia: what should I do to help her?”
The first thing to do in these cases is to fully understand the situation you are dealing with and its effects on the mental health (and by extension, the physical health) of your partner. Let’s see then what bulimia represents for a person.
bulimia nervosa It is an eating disorder The person affected by this mental alteration feels the irrational need to eat food, and does so compulsively in short periods of time (binge eating), and then performs purging rituals.
What follows after the binge is the feeling of intense guilt, which leads the subject to want to undo the “damage” caused by having eaten that way, and looks for a way to expel food from your body Induced vomiting is the alternative par excellence.
The person has several ways of trying to evacuate these foods, which may be the following:
This disorder is much more common in adolescents, and has a greater incidence in the female gender than in its male counterpart.
The most notable symptoms of bulimia They are easily evident by the close environment of the affected person, and are mainly related to mood and body weight. Let’s see what they are.
What should I do if my girlfriend has bulimia?
Now that we are clear about the concept of this disorder and what its main symptoms are, let’s look at it. How can we help our partner if he or she is experiencing bulimia nervosa?
Some tips so that you can provide the best support and attention to your partner during this complicated situation are the following.
1. Know the information regarding the disorder
It is essential that you educate yourself about this disorder with the intention of Provide your partner with the information they need so that they understand that this is not appropriate behavior
The fact that you represent a support figure for her will make it more likely that she will listen to you and pay attention to you.
Furthermore, knowing better what this disorder is about It will prevent you from also falling into anxiety regarding your girlfriend’s situation and this way you will be able to help in the best way.
2. Communicate the situation to family members
It is really important that you let her family know what the situation is with the case of bulimia, especially the parents, taking into account that they may not be aware, or may not have the necessary information, about what is happening with their child. daughter.
Mostly, adolescents do not usually tell their parents about uncomfortable situations, and taking into account the possible depressive symptoms that the subject may be presenting, That makes it even more difficult for you to want to talk to your family about it
You, as their romantic partner, must take the initiative to explain to their immediate family group what the situation is, in addition to providing them with the information that you have gained to help your partner.
3. Show empathy towards her
When one considers the idea of ”my girlfriend has bulimia”, at first it is possible to feel a certain isolation by not understanding the reasons that lead her to do that.
But empathy goes beyond the mere rational analysis of what makes a person behave the way they do, so reinforcing the empathic bond and expressing this in your way of communicating with them will help you.
The situation your girlfriend is going through is not her fault ; This is a disorder of which you are currently a victim. Therefore, you should avoid reproaching her, or saying things that discourage her even more, such as downplaying what is happening to her, for example.
The ideal would always be that you try to put yourself in their place, imagine how they must feel when they are going through that situation. From there, from understanding, is where you will get what is necessary to help her, always staying positive and empathetic with her.
4. Seek professional help
It is absolutely essential to attend psychotherapy If she needs it, you can attend with her to show that you are really interested in her speedy improvement, which would represent a source of support and motivation so that your partner can come out ahead of her.
