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the bulimic stereotype?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Health & Wellbeing
It seems like people assume bulimics are always obsessed with their appearence and weight and such, as well as calorie consumption.
Also that people are often withdrawn and suddenly stop doing well in school and such.
Dieting as well - it seems like it's always that people are dieting, and then slip up and then purge.

I am bulimic but none of this describes who i am.
i hate it when people obsess with their appearence and weight. it may seem hypocritical but i actually never speak of my appearence or my weight to other people, especially don't pay attention to calories in my diet either.
I am currently doing very well in school. focused and everything. i guess that's why no one has suspected it yet.
finally i don't diet. i haven't and i just eat normally and purge after. several times a day.
so i don't know where that puts me. i don't know why i have this disorder either. the way i sometimes see it is that it's a middle finger to society - like saying that im none of these things yet i do still have these problems.
anyone have thoughts on this situation or whether they identify with the stereotype?

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah I'm the same. Although it is about my weight, it doesn't change my weight. I don't "look" bulimic. I don't think anyone would believe me IRL.

    I do have support, etc. It's just not making much difference.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    piccolo wrote: »
    Yeah I'm the same. Although it is about my weight, it doesn't change my weight. I don't "look" bulimic. I don't think anyone would believe me IRL.

    I do have support, etc. It's just not making much difference.

    Nah, i've lost like 10 pounds and no one noticed. other than my parents. blamed it on stress even though im not really stressed about school.
    atm it's a complete secret for me - no support - i have one friend who knows.
    don't know if i want to seek help just yet. i know the consequences and want to see if i can get over it myself.
    again - middle finger to society - i don't want help. just yet.
    thoughts?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i think society is slowly starting to realise that eating disorders are not all about what we can see, but about what is going on inside a person's head. people can be hiding all kinds of secrets behind a smile. i don't think you are alone in not talking about your weight and eating to people. sometimes people are surprised when they find out i have an eating disorder, because i don't go on about it, just like i don't go on about other problems i have. it doesn't mean that they are not real, but that i don't raise it in general conversation.

    you say you don't want help, but you do need to work towards stopping what you are doing. it's not like having a bad habit that doesn't do any harm, being sick several times a day could kill you, whatever the reason for it.

    as a side note, i don't think the name of what is wrong is all that important, but you can't be diagnosed with bulimia if you are not bingeing before you are sick.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i dont think its so much that there is a stereotype, its just you dont fully fit the bulimic criteria, although you obviously have bulimic tendencies. They would probably diagnose you with EDNOS.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    omg hi wrote: »
    as a side note, i don't think the name of what is wrong is all that important, but you can't be diagnosed with bulimia if you are not bingeing before you are sick.

    I don't, technically, binge and I've been diagnosed with it.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i think there's some ambiguity with the term "binge"
    can someone clearly define what it means in this context?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've been diagonosed with it in the past without even making myself sick.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    blueeye wrote: »
    i think there's some ambiguity with the term "binge"
    can someone clearly define what it means in this context?

    It's a very subjective term, I'm not really sure. Have you tried looking at NHS direct or b-eat?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the DSM criteria tells you what a binge is in clinical terms but i guess it is subjective between practitioners.
    Diagnostic Criteria for Bulimia Nervosa

    (Adapted from DSM-IV-TR)

    A. Recurring episodes of binge eating. The two characteristics of a binge eating episode are:

    (1) Eating a much larger amount of food than most people would consider normal under similar circumstances and within the same time frame (eating may continue for several hours).
    (2) While eating, there is a feeling of loss of control over the amount of food or type of food being consumed.

    B. There are recurring efforts to compensate for bingeing episodes and to avoid gaining weight. These may take the form of self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretics, enemas, restricting calories or excessive exercise.

    C. On average, binge eating and compensatory behaviours take place twice weekly, and have done so for 3 months.

    D. There is an excessive influence of body weight and shape on self-worth.

    E. The disorder occurs at times other than during episodes of anorexia nervosa.

    There are two identifiable types of bulimia nervosa:

    Purging Type: Throughout the present episode of bulimia nervosa, there has been a regular occurrence of purging behaviours in the form of self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretics, or enemas.

    Non-purging Type: Throughout the present episode of bulimia nervosa, there have been other efforts to compensate, such as restricting calories or excessive exercise, but there has been no regular occurrence of self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretics, or enemas.

    Diagnostic Criteria for Bulimia Nervosa

    (Adapted from ICD-10)

    (a) The constant obsession with eating and the overwhelming desire for food leads to episodes of eating large amounts of food in short time periods.

    (b) There are efforts made to reduce the effect of eating foods perceived as fattening in the form of self-induced vomiting and other purging techniques, alternating episodes of calorie restriction, using appetite suppressants, thyroid preparations or diuretics. People with diabetes may refrain from using their insulin treatment.

    (c) There is an intense fear of becoming fat, which leads to the desire to reach a specific body weight much lower than is considered normal or healthy for height and age. In many cases, the bulimia follows an episode of anorexia nervosa, although the period of time between the two disorders may vary considerably.

    ICD-10 also includes 'atypical' bulimia nervosa, which refers to individuals who show some, but not all, of the characteristics of bulimia nervosa.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    what's the difference between bulimia without anorexia and bulimia with? i mean in terms of behaviour.
    in that case i don't know what is considered a normal amount of intake of food. i guess my "binges" would be above "normal" in a given time frame. but i do purge after eating whether it is a binge or not. so i would.... after dinner for example. even if i've eaten normal amounts.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    These are all questions you should put to a professional really.

    To be honest, it's all nuances and you seem to have identified a problem that you need to seek help for.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ya i know what you mean when you say that you purge after a normal meal. I do that as well but I still have occasional binges.

    i was wondering what a binge really means since it could be different for everyone. for example, what i consider a binge is two bowls of rice noodles, a bowl of soup, a few cookies and some hummus and chips.
    I think it varies quantity wise but its the way you feel about it. I believe that the amout of food i described is out of control and too much for me so I need to purge. for someone else, 2 cookies is too much and will make them purge.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    what i feel is a binge will entirely depend on my mood that day, but yes, id definitely consider the first example a binge, and there have been times when id consider two cookies a binge too, depending on my level of self loathing that day, and also what else id already eaten earlier
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