Clinical/Statistical data

Bulimia affects an extremely large proportion of young women and teenage girls. The specific numbers are difficult to determine because often the affliction is misdiagnosed, mistreated or not reported. Data available from the National Institute of Mental Health appears to suggest that as many as 5% of the female population will be effected by this eating disorder. Males also fall victim to bulimia although in lower proportions than females.

What these statistics mean in real numbers is that as many as 7,000,000 females and up to 1,000,000 males will be struck by bulimia.

Whatever the exact numbers are it is clear that this is not a rare eating disorder. It is rampant and demands treatment before the debilitating effects cause severe medical problems. Bulimia demands that an individual gain control over their eating habits. Recurrent binging and purging can lead to extremely serious difficulties.

Gaining control of bulimia, while ultimately an individual responsibility, is difficult and demanding. It generally requires the dedicated help of loved ones and the motivation of the affected individual to want to make a positive change in their behavior that will lead to the adoption of life sustaining and life changing conduct.

Harm that may be caused

Many medical problems are created because of bulimia which can include kidney malfunction, stomach disorders, problems with teeth and gums, malnutrition or other severe ailments. Without proper treatment for bulimia some people will die as a result. There is additional risk for psychological disorders to arise as a result of a bulimic lifestyle, if those problems are not already at the root of the eating disorder. It is evident that bulimia can cause a downward spiraling of an individual’s quality of life and create angst, anger or even depression for it’s victims.

Treatment

Bulimia is most common among teenage girls and women in their early twenties. Intervention and treatment should begin as soon as the eating disorder is recognized and continue until the eating disorder is cured and a healthy life style is adopted. A difficulty that often prevents effective and timely treatment is often caused by the bulimics failure to recognize the problem or by engaging in behaviors that hide or mask the disease. It is not uncommon for a bulimic to feel ashamed of their activities and to be experiencing suffering in plain view of loved ones.

It is often the task of close friends or loved ones to help with the identification of bulimia and encourage or demand that treatment be sought. Positive outcomes are best achieved with diagnosis of the eating disorder in the relatively early stages of formation. Positive outcomes are also likely with those that have been coping with the eating disorder over long periods of time, although it may take a more sustained period of treatment to successfully deal with the eating disorder.

Treatment for bulimia can entail a wide variety of activities. Education, counseling, coaching, mentoring, nutrition and meal planning as well as medical treatment and hospitalization may be required to assist the individual in conquering bulimia. The results of failing to properly treat the eating disorder can be disastrous. However, effective treatment can often result in dramatic progress and provides the best opportunity for enabling the person suffering from bulimia to rejoin their world as well adjusted and healthy individuals.

Results

The potential results of effective treatment can be dramatic. A person that beats bulimia is often filled with a strong sense of accomplishment and self-assurance. They are armed with the knowledge that they possess the strength to conquer any challenge that life presents to them.

In summary, bulimia is a widespread affliction that can lead to potentially life threatening conditions. The individual with bulimia must desire to make a change in their lives and recognize that help is available to provide information, encouragement, education and counseling. The recognition of the need for change is the first critical step in the pathway leading to success.

Learn about the different Bulimia Treatments

If You Have Decided To Seek Help For Your Bulimia, Then Identifying And Weighing Up The Most Effective Bulimia Treatments Is A Must!

When looking for bulimia treatment, it is important that you find a solution which matches your needs and current situation. Because once you begin, it is important that you are able to follow through with your treatment to its logical outcome. To this end, we have developed a range of treatment options which cater for all situations without compromising on quality or effectiveness.

Our treatment options include powerful psychological counseling techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamics, nutritional interventions and hypnosis. These are underpinned with leading edge tools such as Neurolingustic programming (NLP), emotional freedom therapy (EFT) and creative therapy to treat your bulimia. At Bulimia Hope, the way in which you receive your bulimia treatment will be tailored to suit your own specific needs, preferences and availability.

Click on one of the treatments below to read about it:

1. Private one-on-one counselling
2. Group counselling sessions
3. Bulimia Self Help: Home-study program
4. Beat bulimia workshop
5. Break-Through Sessions
6. Ask Vathani a question

Private one-on-one counselling

The single most effective bulimia treatment is the one to one counseling. The sheer intensity and regular frequency such as weekly or fortnightly sessions prove to be the most successful. How often you receive this counseling would depend on how stable or chaotic your bulimia currently is, frequency and severity of your bingeing and vomiting behavior, as well as how quickly you wish to implement changes in your life.

You can choose to receive bulimia counseling by experts at Bulimia Hope either by:
•    Face to face
•    Telephone

Although in person is very effective, the next best option is telephone counseling. If you do not have a fully qualified bulimia counselor in your area, then telephone counseling would be a good choice for you.

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Group counselling sessions

For some bulimia sufferers, in person or telephone counseling can be too intense or too expensive. Group Coaching is the answer to this problem. The bulimia treatment provides a shared and communal learning with others in a similar situation and who want the same outcome.

At Bulimia Hope, confidential groups are kept purposefully small and closed…so you will find that everyone in the group will benefit by getting the attention they need, and not being lost in the crowd.

Those unable to afford individual bulimia treatment will benefit from the same therapeutic journey, without compromising on the quality of the treatment.

The two group coaching options available are:
•    Face to face
•    Telephone

Group coaching varies in duration and is held twice a year, so you can join when you feel ready.

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Bulimia Self Help: Home-study program Home-study program

If you prefer to adopt a more flexible approach which is tailored to your own schedule, at the pace that suits you and with the regular guidance from a bulimia expert, then the Bulimia Success Program will suit you best.

The Bulimia Success Program is based on the proven success of cognitive behavioral therapy; alongside other complimentary tools to make this method very effective. If you are a self starter and a committed individual with a lot of focus and want to free your life from bulimia and improve your overall health, then this option will appeal to you.

Read more and order the Bulimia Success Program

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Beat bulimia workshop

This option is only currently available to UK residents, Bulimia Hope will shortly make this Beat Bulimia Workshop available in the USA and Europe.

The Beat Bulimia workshop is a whole day, interactive and experiential learning where you can expect some great insight, shifts and break throughs. You will leave feeling confident about applying your newly learned techniques and strategies to end all your bulimia behaviours, unwanted emotions and unhelpful thought patterns.

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Break-Through Sessions

If time or a regular commitment is your biggest obstacle and is standing in the way of your bulimia recovery, then a 3 hour Break-Through session might be the answer. This is not for the faint hearted, as the intensity and insight is very concentrated.

However the treatment objectives, which you agree with your bulimia specialist before arriving for the session, will be achieved allowing you to return home and to your life with a new perspective, new skills, strategies and a laser focus on your recovery. This treatment is based on a “solution focused approach” and is mainly held in person, although it can be delivered over the telephone.

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Ask Vathani a question

At times, knowing which way is forward can be very unclear, leaving you with too many questions and not enough answers.

On the other hand, you may be a parent, friend or family member and want to ask about:
•    Signs and symptoms
•    What may cause bulimia nervosa
•    A medical question
•    Food, diet and weight loss
•    Changes in behavior
•    Other eating disorders like anorexia and binge eating

If this is you, you may find it reassuring to know you can write directly to a bulimia expert at Bulimia Hope and ask your question. Your question will get answered within three working days. Although this is not therapy in itself, it is certainly the push many people need to start their bulimia recovery or to help them with managing relapses.

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Teleseminar

If you are a sufferer who is already engaged in treatment or were recently…yet feel the need to keep your finger on the pulse and get new ideas to motivate you and keep you on the straight and narrow. Or guide you at your most vulnerable time before a lapse turns in to a relapse…this form of easily accessible internet monthly support may be the option for you.

If this appeals to you, you can subscribe to a monthly 90 minute call on various and relevant Bulimia treatment topics, which is packed full with tips, and simple advice on how to do things for yourself without the need for a therapist.

An mp3 recording will be made available to subscribers of this service where they can download it and listen to it on their IPod. If you listen to the call live then you will also have the option of asking your questions LIVE on the call and getting immediate answers.

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Online Bulimia Treatment

For those who wish to further develop themselves, or those currently only able to make a minimal commitment to their bulimia recovery, can watch videos on YouTube. These very popular and empowering videos which give advice on specific bulimia problems and issues.

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Beat Bulimia is a two-day workshop developed and led by Vathani Navasothy from Bulimia Hope and Awakening Dawn: Eating Disorder Counselling & Training services. It is currently held in London and created as a tool to help people overcome their bulimia, provide tools for bulimia treatment and continuing bulimia recovery.

The Beat Bulimia workshop is a pathway to recovery and delivers a powerful experiential transformation on your inner journey toward self-awareness. We deal with the problems inherent in a life consumed by binge eating and purging, and the personal journeys of others in this small and supportive group will further add to your growth. It will help to identify your own inner strengths and resources to beat bulimia, enjoy a successful life, and empower you with new ways of caring for yourself.

You will learn

• Effective strategies to help you to gradually stop vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics
• How to effectively handle past events holding you back and move on successfully
• How to be assertive and communicate in a way that will allow you to get to what you want
• New ways to cope with stress and anxiety rather than turning to food
• How to master a set of strategies to help you let go of guilt and shame from the past, and build a more empowering future
• How to effectively deal with self-sabotage and toxic relationships
• Natural and creative strategies for your every day problem solving
• How to understand your mind and how it can keeps locked onto bulimia, how it creates and responds to both the past and future events
• How to choose how you feel, instead of being a victim of events and people around you
• How to motivate yourself away from relapsing and get through the hard times
• How to set and achieve realistic weight, shape and size goals
• 2nd Day: Powerful, modern and innovative psychological techniques for bulimia treatment which you can apply yourself.

You Will Benefit

If you are someone that suffers from Bulimia or is trying to recover from bulimia, and who wants to live life in a state of self-harmony and personal fulfilment.

Workshop Outcomes

Find out how your feelings, habits and thoughts have been impacted by experiences in your past, as you pinpoint patterns of behaviour that affect your relationship with food. Patterns which have a serious impact on your relationships with your family, co-workers and friends.

Sharing

You will be part of a safe and confidential small circle of people with similar challenges and wants for the future so that you can learn from them and see things through other eyes. A great deal of time will be available to address needs of the individual in addition to all the issues that are important in the lives of people who suffer from bulimia.

Moving Forward

Vathani will see to it that when you depart, you will have information regarding all the new skills and insights that will be helpful to you in the future. Life can take on new meaning when you no longer are held prisoner by bulimic thoughts, feelings and actions. The goal of this workshop is a good start as a first move towards a healthy, new you, and a new life.

Ongoing support is available for those needing personal Coaching or therapy after the workshop. As a delegate of this workshop, you can expect to take advantage of discounted fee for this follow-up support.

Workshop Details

Date: 13th & 14th March 2010

Time: 9am-5pm (Sat & Sun)

Venue:

Ambassador Suite 3, Justin Plaza 3, 341 London Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4BE

Your Investment

2 Day Workshop: £200

To make payment by cheque, please send a cheque made out to “Awakening Dawn”, at Awakening Dawn , 56 Windsor Road; Thornton Heath; Croydon ; Surrey CR7 8HE

Or

To make payment via Paypal, either send payment to this e-mail address Vathani@bulimiahope.com or click on the button below:

The answer is; discuss your concern with them. Don’t ignore bulimia signs and hope their binge & purge routines will go away or think that overtime they will grow out of their bulimic habits. They won’t and you will only get more apprehensive about the situation.

The problem for many people, who are close to a suspected bulimic, is that they are unsure about how to approach the person and the subject of bulimia. They feel duty bound to help them overcome bulimia but are afraid that if they do, they might damage their relationship.

To assist you with this situation, we have put together a list of positive steps to help you be proactive, do the right thing and maintain or improve your relationship.

Knowledge is the key in helping you take the right approach when confronting a suspected bulimic. Find out all you can about Bulimia;

• Bulimia signs
• Bulimia symptoms
• Effects of bulimia
• Dangers Of Bulimia
• Bulimia medical help
• Bulimia support
• Bulimia treatment programs

With an excellent appreciation of bulimia nervosa, you will find it easier to talk about and have a good understanding of what that bulimic person is going through.

• When you raise the issue of bulimia, do not criticize, condemn or complain. Your objective is to build a trusting relationship so that the person with bulimia feels relaxed and are able to confide in you.
• Find the right time to raise the topic of their binge & purge routines. Make sure there are no interruptions and explain that what ever they disclose about their bulimia, it will not be shared with anybody else.
• Air your concerns; explain how their suspected binge & purge routines has made you want to become involved in what is a very private and personal matter.
• You could start by saying, “Emma, I feel upset when you refuse to eat with us and you go and shut yourself away in your bedroom,” or “I’m concerned about you using laxatives everyday, I fear for the damage you are doing to your kidneys. Can we talk about it so we both understand what is going on for you?” Then be ready to truly listen, understand and empathize.
• If they open up and admit to binge & purge routines, do not make out that you are going to try and rescue them, save them, force them to have bulimia treatment or to stop being bulimic. Your role is simply to be a friend and be there for them. To help guide them on the road to bulimia recovery.
• At this point in time they are coping with Bulimia in the best way they can. Bulimia is already making their lives a misery; so avoid putting any unreasonable expectations, pressures or demands on them.
• Work with them to seek help or agree on how you can provide support or where to get non-medicated treatment for bulimia e.g. assistance with weekly food shopping, help them find a treatment or accompany them when they visit their GP.
• Jointly start a new hobby that may serve to distract their bulimic habits like dancing or walking. Suggest professional eating disorder treatments (Counseling, GP, Group Therapy, Self-Help, Alternative treatments for bulimia, internet based bulimia treatment etc)
• Be careful not to incite Bulimic behaviors e.g. do not give praise when weight loss is noted or criticize when weight is gained.
• Be prepared for denial or a refusal to be helped with their bulimia. Seek support for yourself; this will better enable you to deal with the effects of bulimia that arise from their binge & purge routines. You could simply take some “Time Out” or have regular conversations with a qualified counselor. Learning to deal with bulimia is vital.
• If you are a friend, letting someone else know that you are trying to help a bulimic (like a teacher if you are a student) may help to take some of the pressure off you.
• If you are a Parent, remove the temptation of binging and purging from the home environment. Don’t keep cupboards filled with typical binge foods such as sweets, candy, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, and so on… instead stock up with fruits, healthy cereal bars, nuts and fresh juices.
• Relax some of your own rules around food and body issues. Don’t force people to eat everything on their plate especially if they are bulimic. Give space for others to grow and be independent. Always provide love and affection.
• If you are a partner, remember to focus on the aspects of your relationship that give you both pleasure. Stay focused on the relationship not the binge & purge routines.
• Do not blame yourself for their bulimia. You did not cause the eating disorder; so you have no reason to harbor any guilty feelings.
• Be mindful of how you communicate your own perception of bulimia as well as weight, shape, diets and body image.
• Accept that bulimia recovery will not happen over night, be patient and continue to provide your support and care for as long as it takes.

Learn about the different Bulimia Treatments