The 4 ‘types’ Of Bulimia And Their Different Phases
Are there different types of bulimia? What phases does this eating disorder have? Discover what the behavior and attitude of a bulimic person is like.
The bulimia It is a psychological eating disorder in which people suffer from episodes of high eating (where a large amount of food is consumed at one time). During these more or less exaggerated intakes, many people lose control over their diet. To compensate for this lack of control, those who suffer from this disorder will try to lose weight through inappropriate ways such as vomiting, the use of laxatives, among others.
But, although this is the best known part of bulimia, the reality is that there are phases within this disorder and different types (no longer recognized separately in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) that will help us better identify this disorder.
People who suffer from this eating disorder end up going through a series of phases or cycles that are between binge eating and purging. These two cycles are also accompanied by a series of behaviors, thoughts and emotions. In this way, we could speak of the people with bulimia They usually go through a cycle between dieting, binge eating, and repeating these phases.
In general, people who suffer from bulimia, although they may be aware of these cycles, feel that it is impossible to stop. Still, understanding what these phases are based on can help you discover how to stop these cycles and start a path to recovery:
High intake episode: During this phase, people who suffer from bulimia usually have a high intake, that is, eating compulsively and without control. In this way, these episodes involve eating much more food than normally.
purge episode: Purging in many cases becomes a way to free oneself from the negative feelings, whether physical or emotional, that they feel due to binge eating. These purges are carried out through self-induced vomiting, as well as the use of laxatives or diuretics. Additionally, some people use other behaviors, such as exercising a lot, to try to compensate for the extra calories consumed.
Calm period before restarting the cycle: After an episode of binge eating and purging, people with bulimia may experience a calm period. At this point, the person may decide to try to never binge or purge again. Even so, due to their poor personal perception, they often decide to start restricting food intake to lose weight, a behavior that tends to lead to high intakes again.
Types of bulimia
In addition to the phases of bulimia, to understand this disorder, we must understand that before Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders It also established different categories within this pathology. Thus, the previous edition of this manual listed separately the purgative bulimia and bulimia without purging With the new edition of the DSM-V, these two were incorporated into the diagnosis of bulimia, because it is recognized that people who suffer from this disorder usually participate in a wide variety of different behaviors. In addition, some psychologists also differentiate bulimia associated with obesity or not associated with it. These categories can help us better understand what this disorder entails:
Purgative or purgative bulimia: This was one of the types of bulimia more common. Its main characteristic is that this bulimia is accompanied by a purgation phase. During this phase, people try through compensatory behaviors to eliminate the calories they have consumed during the binge eating episode. These behaviors may be vomiting or the use of diuretics or laxatives. Both behaviors are a desperate way to try to reverse binge eating and the feelings of guilt and discomfort that are often associated with it.
Non-purgative bulimia: In this case, the person with bulimia without purging does not engage in compensatory behavior to try to eliminate the effects of the binge. That is, instead of resorting to vomiting, diuretics or laxatives as a remedy for massive food intake, people resort to excessive physical exercise to try to eliminate the calories ingested or fasting measures are used for long periods.
Bulimia associated with obesity: This is one of the types of bulimia which occurs in people with a degree of obesity. Therefore, this is an overweight person who does not feel comfortable with his or her physical appearance and who tries to lose weight through bulimic behaviors.
Bulimia associated with variable weight: These types of bulimia They occur in people with a certain degree of obesity and who suffer from exaggerated weight changes due to compensatory behaviors associated with bulimia. This ends up generating the belief in bulimic people that they will be able to lose the weight they want through these behaviors.
These types of bulimia They are just a way to better understand this disorder. In reality, bulimia can occur for many reasons and with different behaviors. Therefore, if you think someone is in this situation, it is important to recommend the help of a mental health professional or even medical healthcare if the case is serious or there is a risk to the person’s life.
