When a person important to us is suffering from an illness, it is not only she who is suffering and having a hard time, but also the people closest to her. In this case, if the one who is suffering from this disorder is your girlfriend, it is understandable that you are extremely worried about her and that your intention is to help her as best as possible. There are a number of things you can do to help your girlfriend move forward and finally heal, however, you should never forget that ultimately the main person responsible for doing it is she and in the case of being a minor, her parents must also be involved. fathers. But what can you do if your girlfriend has bulimia?
In this Online Psychology article: What to do if my girlfriend has bulimia? We are going to give you a series of tips that will undoubtedly serve as a guide to know how you can support her in this process. We will also give you basic information about this disease since it is essential that you know it well.
Bulimia nervosa
The purges performed by bulimic people can range from self-induction of vomiting to overuse of laxatives and / or diuretics. They may also exercise excessively in order to counteract the effect caused by bingeing. Bulimia nervosa is much more common in adolescence and occurs with more often in women than in men.
Bulimia nervosa: symptoms
Some of the symptoms and signs that people with this type of eating disorder present are the following:
- Laxative or diuretic abuse after each binge of food.
- Self-induction of vomiting after eating large amounts of food.
- Exercising vigorously and excessively to counteract the effects of binge eating.
- Sudden changes in body weight
- Unsafety
- Low self-esteem
- Intense fear of gaining weight
- Wear on the tooth enamel caused by contact with stomach acid at the time of vomiting.
- Depression
- Feeling of lack of control
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Amenorrhea (interruption of the menstrual cycle)
- Excessive tiredness
- Indigestion
- Constant mood swings
- Dissatisfaction with one's own body silhouette
The environment and the supportive social network play a decisive role in the treatment of an eating disorder. If you want to know what to do if your girlfriend has bulimia, it is important that you follow these tips:
- Educate yourself well about this disorder. The first thing you have to do is be fully informed about this eating disorder. For this, you can even go to a professional to explain everything related to this disease and the way in which you can contribute to support your girlfriend.
- Talk to her parents. If your girlfriend is not receiving the appropriate treatment to treat this condition, it is necessary that you choose to speak with her parents and tell them about what is happening. On many occasions parents do not want to see or accept that their children have a problem and that you talk to them and show your interest in helping her and her concern will help them get down to work with her and begin to support her by giving her a solution.
- Empathy. Do not try to convince your girlfriend to start a treatment in a forced way, on the contrary, be empathetic and understanding with her, listen to her and do not judge her. That she feels your support and that you really know how to put yourself in her place, then mention in a good way that she needs help and that you are going to be there to support her.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
