How to Stop Purging: 7 Ways to Stop the Cycle

People suffering from bulimia get stuck in a viscous cycle of binging and purging that is not only physically harmful but also mentally draining as well. Lots of bulimics reach their breaking point but don’t know how to stop purging. Bulimics can suffer from painful and embarrassing physical symptoms such as stomach ulcers, bloating, dry skin, sores or abrasion on their knuckles, eroded tooth enamel, tears in the esophagus, and constipation. Emotional symptoms of bulimia are equally as painful and embarrassing and can include depression, mood swings, feeling out of control, and feeling intense self-loathing after a binge/purge session has occurred.
Getting control over purging first involves getting control over your compulsive urges. This can be done a number of ways, including avoiding triggers, improving self-esteem, changing eating habits and seeking help. Here are seven ways to help you stop purging.
1. Identify your triggers. Everyone has different triggers. Stress, loneliness, family problems, a bad day can all lead to the impulse to purge. Take note of what your triggers are and try to avoid them and learn ways to better cope with them.
2. Improve your self-esteem. Self-esteem is a big key factor in your binge/purge cycle. Studies show that people with low self-esteem are more prone to depression, loneliness, poor body image, helplessness, feeling like they have no control, and feeling unable to cope with stress and change. These are all triggers for a binge/purge cycle. Improving your self-esteem will help remove these triggers from your life.
3. Eat at regular intervals. Never let yourself get hungry. Avoiding food for long periods of time can cause you to get that out-of-control hungry feeling that triggers a binge. Eating a small amount every 3 to 4 hours can curb binges and subsequent purges.
4. Consider taking medications. Since bulimia is primarily a psychological disorder, some people have found recovery success through a combination of psychotherapy and medications. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the only anti-depressant approved by the USDA for the treatment of bulimia is Prozac. Prozac has been found to reduce binging and purging, prevent relapse, and improve attitudes toward eating. Other types of medications, such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have also been shown to reduce binging and purging cycles. Discussing your disorder with your doctor or therapist can help you decide if medications are right for you.
5. Get comprehensive treatment. Group therapy, and especially cognitive behavior therapy, is an effective way to maintain recovery after you’ve maintained some sense of control over your binging and purging. Comprehensive therapy that includes group and individual counseling, psychotherapy, medications and nutritional counseling is the most successful form of treatment.
6. Be honest with yourself and others. Recruit a friend or trusted family member to help you along in your recovery process. Fill them in on your triggers and advise them on steps they can take to help diffuse the pressure of a potential binge/purge cycle. If certain situations or environments trigger your disorder, turn down invitations and turn to your trusted confidant instead to help get your mind off of a stressful situation.
7. Change your mindset about overindulging. Just because you binge or eat something you feel you shouldn’t, doesn’t mean you should scrap the entire day as a lost cause and purge. Take your recovery one day at a time and be patient with yourself. Relapse is inevitable but a necessary step in the recovery process.
Getting Help for Bulimia
The best way to stop purging is to seek professional help for your bulimia. The first course of action is to treat the physical problems your disorder has caused, followed by treating the emotional and mental issues underlying your eating disorder. Therapy is a very effective treatment for bulimia and can help you curb your binging and purging impulses and potentially save your life.