Bulimia attacks are episodes of compulsive eating during which a lot of food is consumed in a short time.

An attack of bulimia is characterized by a complete loss of control over what and how much is consumed. The food consumed is usually sweet and high in calories, but it can be anything, that is, everything that is in the refrigerator is eaten, or 5-6 plates of some dish at a time.

The average duration of a bulimic attack is 1 hour, with a maximum of 2 hours. The criterion for bulimia is usually considered to be the presence of at least two such attacks per week, but they can be less frequent - once a week or two and last 3-4 days in a row.

Bulimic attacks are usually carefully hidden from others and occur in the absence of other people. During and after an attack, the bulimic feels intense discomfort, both physical (stomach pain, nausea) and psychological (guilt, self-loathing, despair, and powerlessness). Often there is no feeling of fullness during an overeating attack.

How to deal with bulimia attacks?

It must be borne in mind that an attack of overeating is only one side of the problem. Inducing vomiting or other ways to get rid of calories consumed during an attack are equally important symptoms of bulimia and are not at all healthy behavior.

On the contrary, bouts of overeating are most often the body's reaction to prolonged abstinence from food. Often bulimics try not to eat for half a day or more to compensate for what they eat during attacks, but in fact it is this fasting that provokes a new bout of overeating.

To cope with binge eating, you need to start treating bulimia in general with psychotherapy and normalizing the diet and stop starving or not eating enough, since it is diets and fasting that lead to binge eating.

What to do with a bulimia attack

If you have already experienced a bulimic attack, you are unlikely to be able to cope with it, but as part of a comprehensive treatment for bulimia, the following recommendations are often given on what to do during an attack of bulimia.

1. Take a few minutes before you start eating, ask yourself how you feel, if you are sad, lonely, or if you feel a strong lack of something (usually not food).

2. Remember your feelings and thoughts and after an attack, write them down in a food diary in this way: date, feelings, thoughts.

3. Eat if you still feel like it.

4. Record your feelings and thoughts after a bout of overeating and write them down in a diary.

5. Write down also the amount eaten during bouts of bulimia, as well as at normal times. This will help track that when you keep yourself half-starved, it leads to bouts of binge eating.

Over time, analyzing your feelings and thoughts, as well as rationalizing your diet, will help you reduce the number of bulimic attacks or even get rid of them.

As an illustration of an attack of bulimia, I will cite an excerpt from Paula Aguilera Peiro's novel "Room 11".

When I left the hospital, everything was already decided. Too bad, because I've been bulimic free for so long, so many good days. But the decision has been made, I will not return to work today. I was suddenly filled with this familiar feeling, this desire to eat non-stop all these things that I love so much and that I forbid myself. I know that now is the moment when I MUST give up these harmful thoughts, think about something else, call someone to keep me company. But deep down I know that once such thoughts come into my head, I can almost never get rid of them. Free time, loneliness and harmful thoughts are almost always bad for me.

I feel guilty for not going to work, but a strange force keeps me walking down the street. I walk very fast, I have only one goal - to stock up on food for my plan. First stop: bakery. I take two types of cakes: puff pastry and others, horseshoe-shaped, sprinkled with almonds and stuffed with “angel hair” (I salivate, my heart beats in an accelerated rhythm). In an attempt to hide my intentions, I ask for two more loaves of bread to make it look like I'm doing normal shopping, not for a compulsive fit. I look at the window, I would take a lot of different cakes, but I notice that the saleswoman looks at me questioningly. I'm paying. I put bags in my backpack, my eternal ally, always in crumbs, with chocolate stains melted from the sun.

Second stop: supermarket. When I enter, I have the feeling (perhaps paranoid) that everyone is looking at me and guessing my intentions. I am lost between countless shelves, burning with desire. I turn into the sweets section and it takes me two or three minutes to think about what I can take without looking too suspicious. If not for these thoughts, I would have carried away everything. I take a bag of nut-filled chocolate chip cookies, a bag of white chocolate-covered biscuits, a triangle-shaped plum cake filled with strawberry marmalade and covered in delicious chocolate. This cake reminds me of my childhood. My grandfather often brought it to me when I was still innocent and could eat whatever I liked and wanted without regrets.

I head to the refrigerators to stock up on a bottle of liquid yogurt to make everything I buy more liquid and, very importantly, a carbonated drink that will help me clear everything with more ease. I put the products on the belt and the cashier looks at me in bewilderment. I'm sure she guesses my intentions, but I don't care. Next time I will go to another supermarket. In addition, I am sure that they face such situations all the time. I load everything I bought and head to the train station to drive home.

On the way, unable to resist the temptation, I reach into my backpack. I fumble for something that looks like puff pastry and tear off a piece. I put it in my mouth with the greed of a man who hasn't eaten in a month. Crumbs fall on my shirt, but I don't care, I keep walking. My only goal is to get home as early as possible to make my feast alone. I quickly climb the platform. I look at the monitor and see that the train I am waiting for will only be in 10 minutes. Great, I'm starting to devour the angel hair cake. Glazed sugar and almonds from the surface of the cake drip onto my blouse and remain around my mouth. A woman in her forties sitting next to me looks at me askance. I try to munch silently in an attempt to make things less wild. Once again I feel that everyone is looking at me. I get on the train and continue to eat. Now I get the seats dirty too.

When I finish eating a cake, I hesitate to get another one out of my backpack and continue eating, at least in front of these people who witnessed how I dealt with the previous sweetness. So I get off at the next stop. I continue my self-destruction by gulping down two brownies and drinking plenty of sparkling water before climbing off the next train car.

Now people are new, they have not seen me in action yet, they believe that I am a normal person, so I can afford to continue eating. I take out the bag of cookies and open it. The sound of the package being torn off seems scandalous to me, people look at me, maybe not, but I have a feeling. I eat cookies. So tasty! One more, and one more. I continue to eat and eat all the cookies in the package, but I must seem normal. For a few moments, I think about whether I should get off again at the next station, but decide that it's best to finish all the houses where the bathroom is next.

As soon as the train has reached its destination, I head towards the house. I walk fast, the world that surrounds me does not seem real to me, cars are driving next to me and I can barely hear them, the surrounding landscape is familiar to me, but I'm not sure exactly where I am. And then what I feared happens: I run into an acquaintance who greets me and starts a conversation while I try to get rid of him so that he does not understand my goals. He asks me about Pablo, about work and family. Typical polite questions. I'm nervous and loss. I get very impolite to this person like it's not me, but I want to be left alone, nothing else matters to me now.

Finally, just when I thought it would never happen, I close the door of my house behind me. I look at my watch: I have another hour of freedom before my husband returns. I throw my backpack on the floor, take what interests me from it, and finish off the thousands of calories it still has. Another cookie, the last puff pastry, a glass of runny yogurt, white chocolate biscuits, a glass of Coca-Cola, another cookie… And so on until I ate it all. I look up and see one of the neighbors across the street looking at me through the window in confusion. I think that he watched me eat for about half an hour without stopping. Thousands of stains on my shirt, on the floor, on my face. I do not care. This is my moment.

Bulimia is an eating disorder caused by factors affecting a person's mental health. Women are more at risk of bulimia than men. The peak age for bulimic attacks in women is between 15 and 35 years of age. The main negative ones are violations of the physical health and somatic condition of the patient.

Symptoms that indicate the presence of bulimia

The most noticeable symptoms of bulimia are: eating a lot of food (large portions, a wide variety of dishes), poor chewing of food, a fast pace of eating. These signs should alert others, the earlier the disease is detected, the faster and easier the recovery process will be and the less harm the patient will have time to do to his health.

The characteristic signs of bulimia also include:

• negative attitude towards their appearance;
• excessive preoccupation with the appearance of one's body;
• frequent and excessive fluctuations in weight;
• acute bouts of excessive appetite;
• psychological disorders (depression, insomnia, stress);
• uncontrolled use of diuretic and emetic drugs;
• inability to control your feelings.

Bulimia is characterized by the wrong attitude of a person to food intake, namely overeating. In the course of the disease, a person experiences periodic bouts of uncontrolled hunger. It would seem that there could be something wrong with good and nutritious nutrition, but at such moments the patient absorbs an incredibly large amount of food, which leads to disorders of the food system, which manifest themselves in the form of abdominal pain. That is why the patient carries out various, as it seems to him, useful cleansing procedures. This may be artificial vomiting, taking diuretics or laxatives, fasting, excessive physical activity, etc.

Varieties of bulimia

In medical practice, bulimia is divided into two types:

• nervous;
• pubertal.

Bulimia nervosa most commonly affects patients between the ages of 25 and 30. The reasons are psychological disorders of a person. Most often, constant stress, huge psychological stress, and depression lead to bulimia. All his failures and dissatisfaction a person begins to "jam". It is in food that such a person begins to see the possibility of relieving stress, psychological stress. Food becomes a kind of medicine for all mental suffering and experiences. Quite often, the development of bulimia nervosa leads to:

• lack of personal life;
• dissatisfaction in personal life;
• dissatisfaction with their external data;
• low self-esteem.

Pubertal bulimia is common in adolescents. Bulimia in children can also be caused by dislike for oneself, for one's body, etc. Against the background of hormonal changes in adolescence, children, especially girls, are too sensitive and emotional. In order to have a beautiful, in their opinion, appearance, many resort to various eating disorders. Teenage bulimia is characterized by alternating prolonged fasting with uncontrolled overeating.

The insidiousness of bulimia

Such an insidious disease as bulimia can manifest itself in completely different ways. The nature of the manifestation of symptoms of bulimia depends, as a rule, on the factors that influenced the development of the disease. Sometimes bulimia manifests itself paroxysmal, the patient may feel an uncontrollable feeling of hunger one or more times a week, and the rest of the time have a normal healthy diet. There are cases when the patient feels hungry all the time and needs to eat food permanently. In the course of the disease, the patient ceases to enjoy food and is practically unable to enjoy its taste and smell. At the same time, he actively develops a gnawing state of guilt for the fact that he cannot stop and stop eating food in large quantities.

Ways to deal with bulimia

How to deal with bulimia on their own want to know many who observe the presence of symptoms of the disease. Of course, without the desire of the person himself, it will be extremely difficult to defeat the disease. Therefore, if you find symptoms of bulimia in yourself or your relatives, the first thing to do is to see a doctor.

At the doctor’s appointment, you should honestly talk about what kind of lifestyle you lead, how often you are haunted by hunger, what and in what quantities you eat. First of all, the doctor will look for and establish the root cause of the development of the disease. After identifying the underlying cause of the development of the disease, the doctor will determine the methods and methods of treating bulimia.

Having studied in detail the symptoms of a patient's bulimia, the doctor may prescribe an additional examination. Based on the results of laboratory tests, it will be clear whether the patient requires hospitalization or not. If the patient's health condition is not satisfactory, he will be offered inpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment for bulimia includes:

• a course of treatment of organs that have suffered as a result of malnutrition;
• diet therapy;
• psychotherapy;
• taking vitamin preparations;
• taking antidepressants;
• physiotherapy procedures.

How to get rid of bulimia on your own?!

This question would be more correctly reformulated as follows: How to prevent the development of a mental disorder in the form of bulimia? Because getting rid of bulimia on your own is almost impossible. Not everyone who suffers from this insidious disease can honestly admit that he is sick, which means that a person cannot get rid of the disease without outside help.

So, in order not to become a victim of bulimia, you should:

• lead a healthy lifestyle;
• love yourself and your body the way it is;
• do not seek solace in delicious food (sweet, salty);
• do not abuse alcohol;
• in cases of severe stress or depression, seek help from a psychotherapist;
• do not abuse drugs for weight loss;
• do not use diuretics and laxatives without a doctor's prescription.

The very first step to recovery from bulimia is to admit that the patient has symptoms of bulimia. As soon as the patient understands that he is sick and he has real problems associated with his attitude to food, immediate treatment should be started.

Successful recovery can take a long time. The recovery process can take months or even years. Of course, the main key to recovery is a stabilized psycho-emotional state of the patient.

A patient suffering from bulimia at certain stages of recovery may think that he is already healthy or, conversely, that recovery will never come. But this is not so, if there is a strong desire, the disease can be defeated and the occurrence of relapses in the future can be prevented. And the most important thing must never be forgotten - life and health are worth fighting for.

Bulimia (bulimia nervosa) It is an eating disorder that is classified as a psychiatric disorder. It is manifested by bouts of overeating, during which a person absorbs a huge amount of food in 1-2 hours, sometimes up to 2.5 kg. At the same time, he does not feel her taste and does not experience a feeling of satiety. Following such an eating disorder comes a feeling of remorse, and the bulimic tries to correct the situation. To do this, he induces vomiting, takes laxatives or diuretics, uses enemas, actively participates in sports, or follows a strict diet. As a result, the body is depleted and a whole bunch of diseases develop that can lead to death.

People are caught in a vicious circle. Hunger strikes, chronic stress, overwork put a heavy burden on the shoulders. When the tension becomes unbearable, a nervous breakdown occurs, which causes an overeating attack. While eating, there is euphoria, a feeling of lightness and detachment. But after that, there is a feeling of guilt, physical discomfort and a panic fear of getting better. This causes a new wave of stress and an attempt to lose weight.

Like most other mental disorders, bulimia is not perceived by a person as a serious problem. He does not seek help from a doctor or psychologist. It creates the illusion that you can stop attacks at any time. Bulimia seems like a shameful habit that brings a lot of inconvenience. The bouts of overeating and "cleansing" are carefully hidden, believing that people, even relatives, do not need to know about it.

According to statistics, 10-15% of women aged 15 to 40 suffer from bulimia. After all, it is the fair sex that is constantly concerned about their appearance and overweight. Among men, this problem is less common. They make up only 5% of the total number of patients with bulimia.

Some professions are conducive to the development of bulimia. For example, it is very important for dancers, actors, models and athletes not to be overweight. Therefore, among these people, the disease occurs 8-10 times more often than among representatives of other professions.

Interestingly, this problem is most relevant in developed countries such as the USA, Great Britain, and Switzerland. And among low-income people, bulimia is rare.

Bulimia, like other troubles, rarely comes alone. It is accompanied by self-destructive sexual behavior, depression, suicide attempts, alcoholism and drug use.

Despite all the efforts of doctors, about 50% of patients manage to achieve a complete recovery, 30% of the disease recurs after a few years, and in 20% of cases the treatment does not work. The success of the fight against bulimia largely depends on the willpower and life position of a person.

What shapes our appetite?

Appetite or the desire to eat are the emotions that arise when we are hungry.

Appetite is a pleasant expectation, an anticipation of enjoying delicious food. Thanks to it, a person develops food-procuring behavior: buy food, cook, set the table, eat. The food center is responsible for this activity. It includes several areas located in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, spinal cord. It contains sensitive cells that respond to the concentration of glucose in the blood and hormones of the digestive system. As soon as their level drops, there is a feeling of hunger, followed by an appetite.

Commands from the food center are transmitted along a chain of nerve cells to the digestive organs, and they begin to work actively. Saliva, gastric juice, bile and pancreatic secretions are secreted. These fluids provide digestion and good assimilation of food. Intestinal peristalsis increases - its muscles contract to ensure the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract. At this stage, the feeling of hunger increases even more.

When food enters the stomach, it irritates special receptors. They transmit this information to the food center and there is a feeling of satiety and pleasure from eating. We understand that we have eaten enough and it is time to stop.

In the event that the work of the food center is disturbed, then bulimia develops. Scientists put forward several hypotheses for the development of the disease:

• The receptors in the food center are too sensitive to low blood sugar levels - the appetite appears too early.
• The impulse from the receptors in the stomach does not pass well through the chain of nerve cells due to problems at their junction (synapse) - there is no feeling of fullness.
• Various structures of the food center do not work smoothly.

There are 2 manifestations of appetite:

1. General Appetite- you react positively to any food. It arises from the fact that "hungry" blood, in which there is little nutrition, washes the sensitive nerve cells (receptors) in the brain in the hypothalamus. Violations of this mechanism lead to the appearance of a form of bulimia, in which a person absorbs everything and his appetite is constant.


2. selective appetite- you want something specific: sweet, sour, salty. This form is associated with a lack of some nutrients in the body: glucose, mineral salts, vitamins. This form of appetite comes from the cerebral cortex. On its surface there are areas responsible for the formation of eating behavior. Failure in this area causes periodic bouts of overeating certain foods.

Causes of bulimia

Bulimia is a mental illness. Often it is based on psychological trauma, as a result of which the work of the food center was disrupted.

1. Psychological trauma in childhood
   • an infant in infancy often experienced hunger;
   • the child did not receive enough parental love and attention in childhood;
   • the teenager did not have relationships with peers;
   • parents rewarded the child with food, good behavior or excellent grades.
   In such situations, the child formed the concept that the main way to get pleasure is food. It is safe, pleasant, accessible. But such an attitude violates the basic rule of healthy eating, you need to eat only when you are hungry, otherwise the food center starts to fail.
2. Low self-esteem, which is based on the shortcomings of appearance
   • parents told the child that he was too fat and needed to lose weight in order to become beautiful;
   • criticisms of peers or a coach about appearance and excess weight;
   • the realization by a teenage girl that her body is not the same as that of a model from the cover of a magazine.
   Many girls are overly eager to have a model appearance. They are sure that a thin figure is the key to a successful career and personal life. Therefore, they resort to various methods of losing weight.
   Suspicious people who try to control all events have a high risk of developing bulimia.
3. Effects of stress and high anxiety

   Bulimia attacks can appear after stressful situations. During this period, a person tries to forget with the help of food, to give himself at least a little pleasure. Often this can be done. Indeed, after eating, a large amount of glucose enters the brain and the concentration of “pleasure hormones” increases.

   Stress can be negative: loss of a loved one, divorce, illness, failure at work. In this case, food remains the only pleasure that helps to calm down. Sometimes pleasant events can also provoke bulimia: an increase in the career ladder, a new novel. In this case, overeating is a feast for joy, a reward for one's merits.

4. Nutrient deficiency

   Among bulimics, there are a lot of women who are constantly on a diet. Such a restriction in food leads to the fact that a person cannot think about anything other than food. At a certain point, there is no more strength to endure. The subconscious takes control of the situation and gives permission to eat in reserve. The body, as it were, understands that soon you will repent, and then hungry times will begin again.

   Episodes of uncontrolled binge eating occur in patients with anorexia. In this case, refusal to eat and aversion to food is replaced by an attack of bulimia. Thus, the body, bypassing consciousness, tries to replenish the reserves of useful substances that have been depleted during the period of the hunger strike. Some psychologists believe that bulimia is a mild version of anorexia, when a person cannot completely refuse food.

5. Pleasure Protection

   It happens that a person is not used to giving himself pleasure. He considers himself unworthy of happiness or is convinced that reckoning always follows pleasant moments. In this case, bulimic attacks play the role of self-punishment after sexual pleasure, relaxation or pleasant shopping.

6. Heredity

   If several generations of the same family suffer from bulimia, then they talk about a genetic predisposition to this disease. The reason may be that the tendency to periodically overeat is inherited. It is caused by the peculiarity of the endocrine system and the lack of hormones that control appetite or increased sensitivity of the receptors of the food center in the hypothalamus.

   In most cases, a person suffering from bulimia cannot realize what is pushing him to an attack. If you find this trigger, then you can take measures to keep your appetite in check, preventing attacks.

What Happens During a Bulimic Attack

Before the attack there is a strong hunger or rather craving for food. It happens that a person wants to eat only with the brain, although the stomach is full. This manifests itself in the form of obsessive thoughts about certain dishes, prolonged examination of products in the store, dreams about food. A person loses the ability to focus on school, work or personal life.

Left alone, the patient pounces on food. He eats quickly, not paying attention to the taste of products, which sometimes do not combine at all with each other or can be spoiled. Usually preference is given to sweets and other high-calorie foods. Due to the fact that the feeling of satiety disappears, the feast can continue until the food runs out.

After eating, bulimics feel that the stomach is full. It presses on the internal organs, props up the diaphragm, squeezes the lungs, preventing breathing. A huge amount of food causes spasms in the intestines, which are accompanied by severe pain. Euphoria is replaced by a feeling of remorse and shame, as well as the fear of gaining some weight.

In order to prevent the calories eaten from being digested, there is a desire to induce vomiting. Getting rid of excess food brings physical relief. To lose weight, sometimes a decision is made to drink diuretics or laxatives. They remove from the body not only water, which is vital, but also mineral elements.

If at the initial stage of bulimia they overeat only after stress, then the situation worsens. Attacks become more and more frequent, 2-4 times a day.

Most victims of bulimia suffer greatly, but cannot give up their habit and carefully hide their secret from others.

Symptoms and signs of bulimia

Bulimia is a disease, like alcoholism and drug addiction, and not just misbehavior. It was officially recognized as a disease relatively recently, 20 years ago. The diagnosis of bulimia is based on a thorough questioning. Additional research methods (ultrasound of the abdominal organs, electrocardiography, computed tomography of the head) are necessary if there are disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. A biochemical blood test allows you to determine whether the water-salt balance is disturbed.

There are 3 clear criteria on the basis of which the diagnosis of bulimia.

1. Cravings for food that a person cannot control and as a result eats a large amount of food in a short period of time. At the same time, he does not control the amount eaten and cannot stop
2. To avoid obesity, a person takes inadequate measures: induces vomiting, takes laxatives, diuretics, or hormones that reduce appetite. This happens about 2 times a week for 3 months.
3. A person has a low body weight.
4. Self-esteem is based on body weight and shape.

Bulimia has many manifestations. They will help determine if you or someone close to you is suffering from this disease.
Signs of bulimia:

• Talk about being overweight and eating healthy. Since in people the figure becomes the center of self-esteem, then all attention is concentrated around this problem. Although often bulimics do not suffer from excess weight.
• Obsessive thoughts about food. A person, as a rule, does not advertise that he loves to eat. On the contrary, he carefully hides this fact and officially adheres to a healthy diet or some newfangled diet.
• Periodic fluctuations in weight. Bulimics can gain 5-10 kilograms, and then lose weight pretty quickly. Such results are not due to the fact that overeating has stopped, but to the fact that measures are being taken to get rid of the calories eaten.
• Lethargy, drowsiness, deterioration of memory and attention, depression. The brain is deficient in glucose, and nerve cells suffer from nutritional deficiencies. In addition, worries about excess weight and bouts of overeating are a heavy burden on the psyche.
• Deterioration of the teeth and gums, ulcers in the corners of the mouth. Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid. During bouts of vomiting, it corrodes the mucous membrane of the mouth and ulcers appear on it. The enamel of the teeth turns yellow and is destroyed.
• Hoarseness of voice, frequent pharyngitis, tonsillitis. The vocal cords, pharynx, and palatine tonsils become inflamed after injuries that occur during bouts of vomiting.
• Spasm of the esophagus, heartburn. Frequent vomiting damages the surface layer of the esophagus and impairs the function of the muscles that prevent food from rising up from the stomach (sphincters). In this case, acidic gastric juice burns the inner lining of the esophagus.
• Broken blood vessels in the eyes. Red spots or streaks on the white of the eye under the conjunctiva appear after the rupture of blood vessels during vomiting, when blood pressure temporarily rises.
• Nausea, constipation or bowel disorders. These disorders are associated with overeating. Frequent vomiting or taking laxatives disrupts the bowels.
• Inflammation of the parotid salivary gland as a result of frequent vomiting. Increased pressure interferes with the normal outflow of saliva, and stomatitis and other damage to the oral mucosa contribute to the penetration of microbes into the salivary gland.
• Convulsions, disorders of the heart and kidneys are associated with a deficiency of sodium, chlorine, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium salts. They are washed out with urine when taking diuretics or do not have time to be absorbed due to vomiting and diarrhea, depriving the cells of the ability to function normally.
• The skin becomes dry, premature wrinkles appear, the condition of hair and nails worsens. This is due to dehydration and mineral deficiency.
• Menstrual disorders and decreased libido, erection problems in men. The deterioration of metabolism leads to hormonal disruptions and disruption of the genital organs.

Complications of bulimia can be very dangerous. Victims of the disease die from cardiac arrest during sleep due to salt imbalance, from the ingress of stomach contents into the respiratory system, from rupture of the stomach and esophagus, from kidney failure. Severe alcohol and drug dependence, severe depression often develop.

Bulimia treatment

Bulimia is treated by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. He decides whether it is necessary to go to the hospital or can be treated at home.

Indications for inpatient treatment of bulimia:

• thoughts of suicide;
• severe malnutrition and severe comorbidities;
• depression;
• severe dehydration;
• bulimia, not amenable to treatment at home;
• during pregnancy, when there is a threat to the life of the child.

The best results in the fight against bulimia nervosa are obtained by an integrated approach when psychotherapy and drug treatments are combined. In this case, it is possible to return a person to mental and physical health for several months.

Treatment by a psychologist

The treatment plan is made individually for each patient. In most cases, it is necessary to undergo 10-20 psychotherapy sessions 1-2 times a week. In severe cases, you will need to meet with a psychotherapist several times a week for 6-9 months.

Psychoanalysis of bulimia. The psychoanalyst identifies the reasons that caused the change in eating behavior and helps to understand them. These may be conflicts that occurred in early childhood or contradictions between unconscious attraction and conscious beliefs. The psychologist analyzes dreams, fantasies and associations. Based on this material, he reveals the mechanisms of the disease and gives advice on how to resist attacks.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the treatment of bulimia is considered one of the most effective methods. This method helps to change thoughts, behavior and attitudes towards bulimia and everything that happens around. A person in the classroom learns to recognize the approach of an attack and resist obsessive thoughts about food. This method is great for anxious and suspicious people for whom bulimia brings constant mental suffering.

Interpersonal psychotherapy. This method of treatment is suitable for those people whose bulimia is associated with depression. It is based on the identification of hidden problems in communicating with other people. The psychologist will teach you how to get out of conflict situations correctly.

Family Therapy bulimia helps to improve family relationships, eliminate conflicts and establish proper communication. For a person suffering from bulimia, the help of loved ones is very important, and any carelessly thrown word can cause a new bout of overeating.

group therapy bulimia. A specially trained psychotherapist creates a group of people suffering from eating disorders. People share their medical history and experience of dealing with it. This gives a person the opportunity to increase self-esteem and realize that he is not alone and others also overcome similar difficulties. Group therapy is especially effective in the final phase to prevent recurring episodes of overeating.

Monitoring food intake. The doctor adjusts the menu so that the person receives all the necessary nutrients. In small quantities, they introduce those products that the patient previously considered forbidden for himself. This is necessary in order to form the right attitude towards food.

It is recommended to keep a diary. There it is necessary to record the amount of food eaten and indicate whether there was a desire to sit down again or if there was an urge to vomit. At the same time, it is advised to increase physical activity and play sports, which help to have fun and get rid of depression.

Remote Internet treatment of bulimia. Working with a psychotherapist can take place via skype or email. In this case, methods of cognitive and behavioral therapy are used.

Treatment of bulimia with medications

Used to treat bulimia antidepressants, which improve the conduction of a signal from one nerve cell to another through special connections (synapses). Remember that these drugs slow down the reaction, so do not drive and avoid work that requires a high concentration of attention during the treatment period. Antidepressants do not mix with alcohol and can be very dangerous when taken with other medications. Therefore, tell your doctor about all the drugs that you use.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

They improve the conduction of nerve impulses from the cerebral cortex to the food center and further to the digestive organs. They relieve manifestations of depression and help to objectively evaluate their appearance. But the effect of taking these drugs occurs after 10-20 days. Do not stop treatment on your own and do not increase the dose without your doctor's permission.

Prozac . This drug is considered the most effective treatment for bulimia. Take 1 capsule (20 mg) 3 times daily with or without food. The daily dose is 60 mg. The capsule should not be chewed, washed down with a sufficient amount of water. The doctor sets the duration of the course individually.

fluoxetine . 1 tablet 3 times a day after meals. The minimum course is 3-4 weeks.

Tricyclic antidepressants ,

They increase the concentration of adrenaline and serotonin in synapses, improve the transmission of impulses between nerve cells. They have a strong calming effect, help get rid of depression, reduce bouts of overeating. A lasting effect occurs in 2-4 weeks. Unlike the previous group of drugs, they can cause heart problems.

Amitriptyline . The first days take 1 tablet 3 times a day with meals. Then the dose is increased by 2 times, 2 tablets 3 times a day. The duration of admission is 4 weeks.

Imizin . Begin treatment with 25 mg 3-4 times a day after meals. The dose is increased daily by 25 mg. The doctor sets the daily dose for each patient individually, it can reach 200 mg. The duration of the course is 4-6 weeks. Then the dose is gradually reduced to the minimum (75 mg) and treatment is continued for another 4 weeks.

Antiemetics (antiemetics) in the treatment of bulimia

At the initial stages of treatment, it is recommended to take antiemetics, which allow you to quickly suppress the gag reflex, while antidepressants have not yet begun to work. Antiemetics disrupt signal transmission from the vomiting center, which is located in the medulla oblongata to the stomach, block dopamine and serotonin receptors. This helps to avoid vomiting, which some types of food can provoke in bulimics.

Cerucal . Take half an hour before meals 3-4 times a day. The course of treatment is 2 weeks. The drug not only reduces nausea, but also normalizes the functioning of the digestive system.

Zofran . Does not have a sedative effect and does not cause drowsiness. Take 1 tablet (8 mg) 2 times a day for 5 days.

Remember, the treatment of bulimia is a long process that requires patience and faith in success. Learn to accept your body as it is and lead an active and fulfilling life. You will get the final victory over the disease when you learn to rejoice and enjoy not only eating food.

The most visible symptoms of this disease are an uncontrolled attitude to eating, weight gain and loss. This disease is the result of serious mental disorders.

In other words, bulimia is, first of all, a mental disorder, the basis of which is a feeling of constant hunger, which is accompanied by weakness.

A sick person is constantly pursued by a strong appetite, which is simply impossible to satisfy. Most experts tend to argue that such a disease is a psychosomatic syndrome, which is primarily characterized by "wolfish appetite", during which the patient is able to absorb an incredible amount of food.

Symptoms of bulimia

The bulimia clinic looks like this:

1. Bulimia most often affects women between the ages of fifteen and thirty. Clinical symptoms of the manifestation of this disease are: swelling of the glands on the skin of the face and neck, persistent sore throat, some inflammatory processes in the esophagus and others.
2. Initially, you need to find out whether bulimia is an independent disease. It is generally accepted that the onset of this disease occurs at a time when a person is dissatisfied with his appearance. The consequence of this is very unsuccessful attempts to lose weight, which, as a result, can lead to gluttony.
3. The fact is that most patients, after each meal, cause vomiting, thereby depriving their body of all nutrients. If you constantly engage in inducing vomiting, then this will lead to such a disease as bulimia.

Signs and effects

As mentioned above, the first sign of this unpleasant disease is an irresistible feeling of hunger, which cannot be satisfied with a standard, familiar amount of food. The patient will eat everything that he comes across until the moment when the attack begins to let him go. This applies to one form of the disease.

If the disease is somewhat neglected, then it must be remembered that the feeling of hunger can accompany the patient constantly. There are also cases when the feeling of hunger wakes up only at night. But in any case, after the attack ends, the patient tries to get rid of all the food eaten, while taking various laxatives or self-inducing vomiting.

The consequences of this disease can be very unpleasant. The very first thing that can happen is a violation of tooth enamel, then all kinds of problems with the gums appear. This is directly related to the fact that in the process of vomiting there is an active action of gastric juice on the teeth and gums. The same reason can provoke the appearance of an inflammatory process of the esophagus and the entire parotid salivary gland.

Remember that a disease such as bulimia nervosa can lead to disruption of almost every human organ and any system in the body. The patient's intestines are disrupted, and the processes of the kidneys and liver can easily be disrupted.

As for the stomach, this disease is very dangerous for him. The fact is that in the process of constant vomiting, internal bleeding can open in the stomach itself. If this disease has affected a woman, then in the process of its development, her menstrual cycle may be disrupted.

How is bulimia treated with medications?

Drug treatment of bulimia is one of the most important components of the entire comprehensive program, which is aimed primarily at ridding the patient of the existing disorder.

In the process of treating bulimia nervosa with medications, you can safely use various antidepressants. These drugs have fully proven their effectiveness in the treatment of this disease. They practically do not have any side effects.

What medications do doctors prescribe to treat bulimia? Of the drugs in this group, SSRIs have proven themselves very well. These drugs have an antidepressant effect, can significantly reduce the patient's appetite, and this is very important, especially at the initial stage of bulimia.

Medications in this group include: Venlafaxine, Celexa and some others.

Only an experienced and qualified specialist is able to prescribe certain means. Since only a doctor will be able to fully study the medical history of his patient and all the individual characteristics of his body, after which certain medications will be prescribed.

Remember that the effect of all antidepressants in various eating disorders has been studied quite extensively. Such medications can significantly reduce the number of episodes of overeating, they somewhat alleviate the symptoms of the manifestation of a particular disease (in this case, this applies to bulimia).

As mentioned above, as with any other disease, it is necessary to diagnose bulimia in a timely manner and immediately begin treatment of this unpleasant disease. The treatment of this disease must necessarily be complex, otherwise it will not bring the slightest result.

An important factor is that the specialist conducts a special conversation with the patient's family, since therapeutic correction should also take place at home.

All therapy for this disease begins from the moment the patient comes to the first consultation. As for the psychotherapy of the patient, it is carried out by the entire medical staff.

Remember that most people who suffer from a disease such as bulimia are prone to permanent depression. Their symptoms can also be removed with the help of antidepressants. To date, to combat this disease, fluoxetine is perfect. This antidepressant is able to stop constant bouts of overeating.

There are also cases when the patient simply needs hospitalization, and this should not be delayed. Bulimia, which can lead to anorexia, can easily be attributed to such cases, and the patient, in the process of developing this disease, loses up to twenty percent in weight.

Summing up all of the above, we can only say one thing: never self-medicate and seek help from a specialist in a timely manner. Be healthy!

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bulimia nervosa

Description:

Bulimia nervosa is a disease characterized by episodes of uncontrolled high food intake, often high-calorie foods. After such bouts of “gluttony”, a patient suffering from bulimia nervosa tries to artificially induce vomiting in herself and / or uses various, including laxatives, to “cleanse” the body of food eaten. Usually, the consumption of food and the subsequent "self-cleansing" are carried out in seclusion.

It is now completely clear that the detection and treatment of bulimia nervosa is a serious medical challenge in view of the high risk of developing dangerous complications of the disease.

Bulimia nervosa is dangerous for the development of life-threatening conditions: ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, internal bleeding, hypoglycemia, gastric perforation, impaired renal function, heart rhythm disturbances, amenorrhea, and a drop in blood pressure.

Relationship between anorexia, bulimia and obesity

Causes of Bulimia Nervosa:

In most cases, bulimia is psychogenic in nature. Episodes of overeating are often triggered by stress.

Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa:

Bulimia is characterized by recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food. The patient has a subjective feeling of lack of control in eating. These bouts of binge eating are followed by a pattern of behavior aimed at compensating for "binge", such as purging (including vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics), or refraining from eating with increased exercise. Unlike patients with anorexia, the weight of a patient with bulimia may be within the normal range for her age and height. But, as with anorexia, they are also afraid of gaining weight, desperate to lose weight, and morbidly preoccupied with their body shapes.

Roussel's symptom - wounds inflicted during attempts to induce vomiting

Treatment for Bulimia Nervosa:

Most patients with uncomplicated bulimia nervosa do not require hospitalization. In general, patients with bulimia nervosa are not as secretive about their symptoms as patients with anorexia nervosa. Thus, outpatient treatment is usually not difficult, but the course of necessary psychotherapy is often lengthy. Often overweight patients suffering from bulimia nervosa, receiving long courses of psychotherapy, recover and even bring their weight back to normal. In some cases, when bouts of “binge eating” are frequent and prolonged, outpatient treatment is not effective, or the patient has suicidal or other psychotic tendencies, hospitalization becomes the only right choice. be stopped only in stationary conditions.

Antidepressants have been proven to be effective in treating bulimia. Among antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine have found use. Antidepressants can reduce the frequency and severity of binge eating and purging episodes. Thus, antidepressants have been successfully used in particularly difficult clinical cases of bulimia nervosa that do not respond to monopsychotherapy. Imipramine (Tofranil), desipramine (Norpramin), trazodone (Desyrel), and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors have also been shown to be effective. Thus, for the treatment of bulimia nervosa, most antidepressants were found to have a therapeutic effect at doses used to treat depressive episodes.

Where to go:

Medications, drugs, pills for the treatment of Bulimia Nervosa:

ZAO Canonpharma Production Russia

CJSC "ALSI Pharma" Russia

AS Grindex Latvia

CJSC "Biokom" Russia

LLC "Ozon" Russia

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Sun Pharmaceutical Industries) India

CJSC "ALSI Pharma" Russia

LLC "Ozon" Russia

Antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

JSC "Nobel Almaty Pharmaceutical Factory" Republic of Kazakhstan

Pharmland LLC Republic of Belarus

Hemofarm, A.D. (Hemofarm A.D.) Serbia

OJSC “Chemical-Pharmaceutical Plant “AKRIKHIN” Russia

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, Ind. Area (Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, Ind Area) India

Top list of the best over-the-counter antidepressants

Depression is not uncommon for a modern person. But with such a diagnosis, few people are in a hurry to turn to a psychotherapist, preferring to take over-the-counter antidepressants.

Can depression be cured with over-the-counter antidepressants, and how to choose the most effective drug?

In the pharmacy you can find antidepressants without prescriptions that will help relieve anxiety, depression, and normalize sleep.

When you need antidepressants without a prescription

Before choosing an antidepressant, you need to make sure whether you really need to fight your condition with medication or whether it is enough to eliminate the factors that cause depression. Before using antidepressants, experts recommend minimizing stress, reviewing lifestyle, normalizing rest and work.

It should be noted right away that for people with severe depressive disorders, antidepressants sold in pharmacies without a prescription are not suitable. Drugs against depression have a lot of side effects, and their intake and dosage should be selected by the doctor on a strictly individual basis.

Antidepressants have a different composition and chemical structure, and the way they act on the body is very different. After all, depression depression is different - and the same drug in the same dosage in some patients can lead to recovery, while others, on the contrary, lead to a worsening of the condition. Therefore, using antidepressants without a prescription is very imprudent if the depressive state already has the character of a mental illness, and not a temporary nervous breakdown.

Note! Without a prescription, sedatives, amino acids, metabolic drugs, "weak" tranquilizers and nootropics are usually dispensed. It is impossible to buy strong antidepressants without prescriptions in a pharmacy.

If a person just needs to reduce the reaction of the nervous system to nerve stimuli, improve mood, then “light” antidepressants will undoubtedly help improve the quality of life. In addition, these drugs help with the following conditions:

Antidepressants without a prescription have a very limited list, but they all do not have side effects on the body and it is almost impossible to get poisoned by them.

The antidepressant effect of drugs is due to the stimulating effect on the human psyche. Therapeutic activity depends on the mechanism of action of the drug and the severity of the pathology.

Herbal antidepressants

It is better to start treating mild nervous disorders with herbal preparations - such antidepressants can be easily purchased without a prescription at any pharmacy. Herbal antidepressants also help with anxiety and depressive conditions that appear with stress and anxiety.

List of Russian phytopreparations for the treatment of depression

Note! Doctors say that most people who take antidepressants do not suffer from nervous system problems. Most often, people themselves give themselves a “setting for depression”, and then try to recover from a far-fetched state.

The following herbal preparations also help to get rid of a depressive state:

• Infusion of immortelle and lemongrass - improve sleep, relieve feelings of overwork;
• Ginseng infusion - increases stress resistance, is used to treat mild depressive conditions;
• Infusion of motherwort, oregano, peppermint - mild antidepressants that have virtually no side effects;
• Infusion of hawthorn - has a calming effect on the nervous system.

Consists of herbal ingredients. Is an effective sedative

All of these herbal preparations are used for mild to moderate depression and have a mild effect, they can be used for sleep disorders, anxiety, restlessness. The exclusive advantage of herbal antidepressants is that you can buy them cheaper than other drugs of the same effect.

Synthetic antidepressants

Synthetic drugs for the treatment of mild types of depression help relieve nervousness, reduce feelings of anxiety and anxiety, and normalize sleep. These drugs include metabolites, nootropics, tetracyclic drugs

Antidepressants of synthetic origin (Russia)

In the near abroad, there is a list of drugs for depression, which differ in the same effect:

• Ukraine: Mirtazapine (UAH), Venlaxor (UAH), Paroxin (UAH), Fluoxetine (UAH 40-50);
• Belarus: Melatonin (bel.rub.), Chaga extract (1.24-2.5 bel.rub.), Apilak (3-4 bel.rub.), Ginseng tincture (1-2.5 bel.rub.) .

There are a large number of synthetic antidepressant drugs, but only a few of them are sold without a doctor's prescription. On some forums you can find a whole list of such drugs (for example, Prozac, Sonocaps, Metralindol, etc.), but all these drugs are quite potent and powerful, and you can’t buy them at a pharmacy without a prescription without breaking the law.

Each antidepressant drug, along with the contraindications listed above, may have its own, unique to this drug.

How to take antidepressants correctly

Antidepressants, which can be bought without a prescription, have a steady effect in eliminating nervous conditions. But this does not mean at all that they can be used uncontrollably for a long time without serious consequences.

Many drugs of this series have contraindications and side effects. The most common contraindications to taking antidepressants include:

• Age under 18;
• Pregnancy and lactation;
• Individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

But each antidepressant also has its own contraindications, which should be considered when choosing a medication.

Often people mistakenly think of antidepressants as "brain vitamins" that they take to improve mood and general well-being, so they can be consumed without compromising health. But this is not so - taking antidepressants is limited to a certain period.

Weak over-the-counter antidepressants can be taken for 2-3 months because treatment with such drugs is long, and the effect of taking it usually occurs after 6-8 weeks from the start of taking it.

Consideration should also be given to the compatibility of antidepressants with other medications. So, a combination of tranquilizers and antidepressants can lead to increased side effects and slow metabolism, and antidepressants in combination with sympathomimetics can cause tachycardia.

Many people do not feel what they think they should be after taking over-the-counter antidepressants. Reviews of such patients suggest that the drugs do not help to cope with depression and are ineffective. But usually the problem is that a certain medicine is not suitable in this case for this person or is used in the wrong dosage. Therefore, in order to choose the right drug, it is better to seek help from a doctor.

Tranquilizers without a doctor's prescription: a list

Our modern life sometimes presents a lot of unpleasant surprises. Stress, anxiety, anxiety have become constant companions of a person. When another turmoil unsettles the calm, everyone begins to think about taking sedatives and stimulants. What to choose? What medicine for depression without a prescription can be bought at a pharmacy, are such drugs dangerous?

Depression is a frequent part of modern life.

Antidepressants or tranquilizers?

Many mistakenly believe that these two groups of drugs that act in the same way under stress. But not everything is so simple. Arm yourself with some knowledge of pharmacology when you go to the pharmacy for the right drug.

tranquilizers

Translated from Latin, the word "tranquilizer" means "sedation". These are psychotropic drugs that are used to treat many diseases. For the first time these drugs were synthesized in the middle of the last century. And the term "tranquilizers" entered medical use in 1956. Often these drugs are called "anxiolytics".

Tranquilizers are medicines that relieve a person's symptoms of fear and anxiety. They stabilize the emotional background without negatively affecting the ability to think and memory.

The main effect of these drugs is anxiolytic (anti-anxiety). Due to this, the patient stops the feeling of anxiety, fear, reduces anxiety and emotional tension.

Interactions between drugs and tranquilizers

Medicines also have an additional therapeutic effect:

• sleeping pills (fighting insomnia);
• sedative (reducing anxiety);
• anticonvulsant (stopping spasms);
• muscle relaxant (muscle relaxation).

Tranquilizers successfully help to deal with increased suspiciousness, obsessive thoughts, stabilize the state of the autonomic system, normalize blood circulation and lower blood pressure. But drugs of this level are not able to help a person get rid of hallucinations, delusions and affective disorders. Other means - antipsychotics - are struggling with this.

Types of anxiolytics

The list of tranquilizers is regularly updated, so there is no clear classification of such drugs. The most common drugs are tranquilizers, the list of which belongs to the class of benzodiazepines. They are divided into the following types:

1. With a pronounced anxiolytic effect. Lorazepam and Phenozepam are considered the strongest.
2. With moderate action. These tranquilizers include: Clobazam, Oxazepam, Bromazepam and Gidazepam.
3. With a pronounced hypnotic effect. These include Estazolam, Triazolam, Nitrazepam, Midazolam and Flunitrazepam.
4. With anticonvulsant effect. Clonazepam and Diazepam are the most common anti-seizure medications.

Antipsychotics. Antipsychotic drugs or antipsychotics. These medications are classified as psychotropic tranquilizers. They are used to treat various mental, neurotic and psychological diseases.

Modern doctors are ambivalent about the appointment of such drugs - antipsychotics provoke the frequent development of dangerous side effects.

When prescribing antipsychotic medications, it is recommended to use a new generation of atypical antipsychotics. They are considered the most gentle and safe for health.

What are neuroleptics

The list of non-prescription neuroleptic drugs is not as long as that of antidepressants and tranquilizers. In pharmacies, you can freely buy the following antipsychotics: Olanzapine, Chlorprothixen, Trifftazine, Thioridazine, Seroquel.

Do I need a prescription for tranquilizers

Benzodiazepane tranquilizers are drugs that can be purchased at pharmacies strictly by prescription. These drugs are addictive (less effective) and addictive (mental and physical). Anxiolytics of new generations can be purchased without a prescription. This:

Daytime tranquilizers. In terms of their medicinal composition, daytime anxiolytics are similar to benzodiazepines, but have a more gentle effect. In daytime tranquilizers, the anti-anxiety effect prevails, and the hypnotic, sedative and muscle relaxant effect is minimal. A person taking such medicines does not change the usual rhythm of life.

Anxiolytics of a new generation. The clear advantages of such drugs include the absence of an addiction syndrome (as with benzodiazepan drugs). But the expected effect is much weaker, and the appearance of side effects (problems with the gastrointestinal tract) is often noted.

List of tranquilizers without doctor's prescriptions

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are medications designed to combat the symptoms of depression. Depression is a mental disorder, accompanied by a drop in mood, a decrease in intellectual abilities and motor skills.

A person in a depressed state cannot adequately assess his personality and often suffers from somatovegetative disorders (loss of appetite, muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, lethargy, absent-mindedness, etc.).

Antidepressants not only stop such manifestations. Some of the drugs of this series even help fight smoking, bedwetting. They work as painkillers for pain of a chronic (protracted) nature.

Conditions for prescribing antidepressants

New generation antidepressants are considered the most effective. They relieve depressive manifestations subtly, delicately, without causing side effects and addiction.

Types of antidepressants

All drugs in this group are divided into two broad categories:

Timiretics. Means of stimulating influence. They are used in the fight against depression, which is accompanied by an oppressed state of the individual and pronounced depression.

Thymoleptics. Means with pronounced sedative properties. Such antidepressants minimize anxiety, have a relaxing effect, restore healthy sleep and stop the psycho-emotional state. Thymoleptics do not affect the state of the central nervous system in any way (they do not act depressingly on it).

Thymoleptic antidepressants are effective in the treatment of depressive conditions that occur with manifestations of agitation and irritability.

Features of taking antidepressants (compatibility with food)

Antidepressants are also divided into types that differ in the mechanism of action:

1. Stopping neuronal uptake of monoamines. These include non-selective agents (blocking the uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin). These are tricyclic antidepressants: Mapoline, Fluvoxamine, Reboxetine, Amizol, Melipramine.
2. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-B and MAO-A inhibitors). These are: Transamine, Autorix, Nialamide, Moclobemide, Pirlindol.

Also, antidepressants are divided into:

• drugs with a sedative-stimulating effect (Pyrazidol, Imipramine);
• drugs with a clear psychostimulant effect (Moclobemide, Transamine, Fluoxitin, Nialamide);
• drugs with a sedative effect (Trazadone, Amitriptyline, Tianeptine, Pipofezin, Mirtazalin, Paroxetine, Maprotiline).

The most widely used antidepressants with a blocking effect on the capture of monoamines. Such drugs are most effective, their therapeutic effect is noted after 2-3 weeks of administration.

Do you need a prescription

A prescription for the purchase of antidepressant drugs in pharmacies will become necessary only in the following cases:

1. Exacerbation of the disease.
2. Therapy of depression of severe and prolonged forms.
3. If there is an atypical course of the disorder.

Treatment of depressive conditions in mild forms can be carried out with the help of drugs sold freely in pharmacies (over-the-counter). The over-the-counter antidepressants listed below are a new generation of drugs.

New generation antidepressants "saw the light" in the 2000s

Modern drugs have an undeniable advantage over antidepressants produced earlier. They give much fewer side effects, are not addictive, and have a quick healing effect on the body. The new generation of drugs can be combined with the simultaneous use of other drugs.

List of non-prescription antidepressants

Although you can buy pills for depression without prescriptions at any pharmacy. With all the safety of antidepressants and tranquilizers, do not get carried away with self-medication! It is mandatory to consult a doctor first. It is absolutely impossible to take such medicines for a long time! Do not forget about the long lists of contraindications for such drugs. Take care of your body.

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One comment on "Non-Prescription Tranquilizers List"

What pills do not inhibit potency? And then after fluoxetine, my last erection disappeared, even smartprost did not help.

Antidepressants for bulimia

The site provides reference data. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of the disease is likely under the supervision of a conscientious doctor.

Bulimia (bulimia nervosa) is an eating disorder that is classified as a mental disorder. It is manifested by bouts of overeating, during which a person absorbs a huge amount of food in 1-2 hours, sometimes up to 2.5 kg. Along with this, he does not feel her taste and does not experience the emotion of satiety. After such a food breakdown comes a feeling of remorse, and the bulimic tries to correct the situation. For this, it leads to vomiting. takes laxatives or diuretics, uses enemas, is actively involved in sports or adheres to a strict diet. As a result, the body is depleted and a whole bunch of diseases begin that can lead to a fatal ending.

A person with bulimia has two obsessions. He daydreams about food for hours and scrupulously chooses his favorite treats in the store in order to enjoy them when the ergonomic moment comes. Feasts always take place in solitude. Second obsession: I need to lose weight. A lady thinks herself fat, in addition, if she has a lack of weight. She fanatically follows fashion, trying to have a model figure. Invariably talks about weight loss, diets and proper nutrition.

People are caught in a vicious circle. Hunger strikes, chronic stress. overwork is a heavy burden on the shoulders. At a time when the tension becomes unbearable, there is a nervous breakdown, which leads to an attack of overeating. During the meal, euphoria appears, a feeling of lightness and detachment. But then there is a feeling of guilt, physical discomfort and a panic fear of getting better. This leads to a new wave of stress and an attempt to lose weight.

Like most other mental disorders, bulimia is not perceived by a person as a significant nuisance. He does not seek help from a doctor or a psychologist. An illusion is created that it is possible to stop attacks at any second. Bulimia is considered a shameful habit that brings a lot of inconvenience. Attacks of overeating and cleansing are carefully hidden, believing that people, besides relatives, do not need to know about it.

According to statistics, 10-15% of women aged 15 to 40 suffer from bulimia. Since just women are invariably concerned about their appearance and excess weight. Among men, this trouble is less common. They make up only 5% of the total number of patients with bulimia.

Some professions are conducive to the formation of bulimia. For example, it is extremely important for dancers, actors, models and athletes not to be overweight. Based on this, among these people the disease is seen 8-10 times more often than among representatives of other professions.

It is noteworthy that most of all this trouble is relevant in developed countries such as the USA, England, Switzerland. And among people with a low level of income, bulimia is rarely seen.

Bulimia, like other troubles, rarely comes alone. It is accompanied by self-destructive sexual behavior, depression. suicide attempts, drunkenness and drug use.

Despite all the efforts of doctors, approximately 50% of patients manage to achieve a complete recovery, 30% of the disease relapses after a couple of years, and in 20% of cases the treatment does not work. The success of the fight against bulimia is highly dependent on the willpower and life position of a person.

What shapes our appetite?

Appetite or the desire to eat are emotions that appear at a time when we are hungry.

Appetite is a pleasant expectation, an anticipation of the pleasure of delicious food. Thanks to it, a person develops food-procuring behavior: to purchase food, cook, set the table, eat. The food center is responsible for this activity. It includes a couple of areas located in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, spinal cord. There are sensitive cells that react to the concentration of glucose in the blood and hormones of the digestive system. When their level drops, a feeling of hunger appears, followed by an appetite.

Commands from the food center are transmitted along a chain of nerve cells to the digestive organs, and they begin to work actively. Saliva, gastric juice, bile and pancreatic secretions are secreted. These fluids provide digestion and good assimilation of food. The peristalsis of the intestine improves - its muscles decrease in order to ensure the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract. At this stage, the feeling of hunger improves even more.

At the time when food enters the stomach, it angers special receptors. They transmit this information to the food center and there appears a feeling of fullness and enjoyment of food. We understand that we have eaten enough and it is time to stop.

In the event that the work of the food center is disrupted, then bulimia begins. Scientists put forward a couple of guesses about the development of the disease:

• The receptors in the food center are too sensitive to low blood sugar - the appetite appears too early.
• The impulse from the receptors in the stomach does not pass well along the chain of nerve cells due to troubles at their junction (synapse) - there is no feeling of fullness.
• Different structures of the food center do not work smoothly.

There are 2 manifestations of appetite:

1. Unspecialized appetite - you respond positively to any food. It appears from the fact that hungry blood, in which there is little nutrition, washes the sensitive nerve cells (receptors) in the brain in the hypothalamus. Violations of this mechanism lead to the appearance of a form of bulimia, in which a person absorbs everything and his appetite is constant.
2. Selective appetite - you want something specific: sweet, sour, salty. This form is associated with a deficiency in the body of some nutrients: glucose, mineral salts, vitamins. This form of appetite comes from the cerebral cortex. On its surface there are areas responsible for the formation of eating behavior. Failure at this point leads to periodic bouts of overeating certain foods.

Circumstances of bulimia

Bulimia is a mental illness. Quite often, it is based on psychological trauma, due to which the work of the food center was disrupted.

1. Psychological trauma in childhood
   • a baby in infancy quite often experienced hunger;
   • the child did not take enough parental love and attention in his youth;
   • the child does not have relationships with peers;
   • parents rewarded the child with food, good behavior or good grades.

In such circumstances, the child formed the concept that the main way to get pleasure is food. It is safe, pleasant, accessible. But such an installation violates the main rule of healthy eating, it is necessary to eat only at a time when you are hungry, otherwise the food center starts to fail.

Low self-esteem, which is based on the shortcomings of appearance

• parents inspired the child that he was too fat and needed to lose weight in order to become beautiful;
• criticisms of peers or a coach about appearance and excess weight;
• the realization as a child girl that her body is not the same as that of a model from the cover of a magazine.

Many girls are overly eager to have a model appearance. They are sure that a thin figure is the key to a successful career and personal life. Based on this, they resort to different methods of losing weight.

There is a high risk of developing bulimia in suspicious people who try to control all events.

Effects of stress and high anxiety

Bulimia attacks can appear at the end of stressful situations. At this time, a person tries to forget himself through food, to give himself at least a little pleasure. Quite often this can be done. Since at the end of the meal, a lot of glucose enters the brain and the concentration of pleasure hormones increases.

Stress can be negative: loss of a loved one, divorce, illness, failure at work. In this case, food remains the only pleasure that helps to calm down. From time to time, pleasant events can also cause bulimia: an increase in the hierarchy, a new novel. In this case, overeating is a feast on euphoria, rewarding yourself for your merits.

Nutrient deficiency

Among bulimics, there are quite a few ladies who invariably adhere to a diet. Such a restriction in food leads to the fact that a person is unable to think about anything other than food. At a certain point, there is no more strength to endure. The subconscious takes control of the situation and gives permission to have in reserve. The body, as it were, understands that soon you will repent, and then hungry times will begin again.

Episodes of uncontrolled binge eating are seen in patients with anorexia. In this case, refusal to eat and aversion to food is replaced by an attack of bulimia. So, the body, bypassing consciousness, tries to replenish the reserves of the necessary substances, which have been depleted during the period of the hunger strike. Some psychologists believe that bulimia is a mild version of anorexia, at a time when a person is not able to completely refuse food.

Protection from pleasure

It is not uncommon that a person is not used to giving himself pleasure. He considers himself unworthy of happiness or is convinced that retribution constantly follows pleasant moments. In this case, bulimic attacks play the role of self-punishment at the end of sexual pleasure, relaxation, or pleasant acquisitions.

Heredity

If a couple of generations of the same family suffer from bulimia, then they talk about a genetic predisposition to this disease. The circumstance is possible in the fact that the tendency to periodic overeating is inherited. It is caused by the zest of the endocrine system and the lack of hormones that control appetite or increased sensitivity of the receptors of the food center in the hypothalamus.

As a rule, a person suffering from bulimia does not have the opportunity to understand what pushes him to an attack. If you find this trigger, then you can take measures to keep your appetite in check, preventing seizures.

What Happens During a Bulimic Attack

Before the attack, there is a strong hunger or rather a craving for food. It is not uncommon that a person wants to have only the brain, despite the fact that the stomach is full. This manifests itself in the form of obsessive thoughts about certain dishes, looking at food in the store for a long time, dreams about food. A person loses the ability to focus on studies, work or personal life.

Left alone, the patient pounces on food. He eats quickly, not paying attention to the taste of foods, which from time to time do not fit together at all or can be broken. In most cases, preference is given to sweets and other high-calorie foods. Due to the fact that the feeling of fullness disappears, the feast can last until the food runs out.

At the end of the meal, bulimics feel that the stomach is full. It presses on the internal organs, props up the diaphragm, squeezes the lungs, preventing breathing. A huge amount of food leads to in the intestines, which are accompanied by severe pain. Euphoria is replaced by a feeling of remorse and shame, and the fear of getting better is not enough.

In order to prevent the calories eaten from being digested, there is a desire to lead to vomiting. Getting rid of excess food brings physical relief. In order to lose weight from time to time, a decision is made to drink diuretics or laxatives. They remove from the body not only water, which is vital, but also mineral elements.

If at the initial stage of bulimia they overeat only after the end of stress, then later the situation worsens. Attacks become more and more frequent 2-4 times a day.

Most of the victims of bulimia suffer greatly, but will not be able to give up their habit and whisper their secret from others.

Symptoms and indicators of bulimia

Bulimia is a disease, like drinking and drug addiction, and not just misbehavior. It was officially recognized as a disease recently, 20 years ago. The diagnosis of bulimia is based on a thorough questioning. Additional methods of study (ultrasound of the abdominal organs, electrocardiography, computed tomography of the head) are needed if there is a violation in the work of internal organs. Biochemical study of blood allows you to find out whether the water-salt balance is disturbed.

There are 3 clear criteria on which the diagnosis of bulimia is based.

1. Cravings for food that a person does not have the ability to control and, as a result, eats a lot of food in a short period of time. Along with this, he does not control the amount eaten and has no way to stop.
2. In order to avoid obesity, a person takes inadequate measures: leads to vomiting, takes laxatives, diuretics, or hormones that reduce appetite. This happens about 2 times a week for 3 months.
3. A person has a low body weight.
4. Self-esteem is based on body weight and shape.

Bulimia has many manifestations. They will help you find out if you or someone in your family suffers from this disease.

• Conversations about excess weight and healthy eating. Because in people the figure becomes the center of self-esteem, then all attention is concentrated around this trouble. Despite the fact that usually bulimics do not suffer from excess weight.
• Obsessive thoughts about food. A person, in most cases, hides that he loves to eat. On the contrary, he scrupulously hides this fact and officially adheres to a healthy diet or some newfangled diet.
• Periodic fluctuations in weight. Bulimics will be able to recover by 5-10 kilograms, and later lose weight quickly enough. Such results are not connected with the fact that overeating is over, but with the fact that measures are being taken to save from the calories eaten.
• Lethargy, drowsiness, deterioration of memory and attention, depression. The brain is deficient in glucose, and nerve cells are deficient in nutrients. In addition, worries about excess weight and bouts of overeating are a heavy burden on the psyche.
• Deterioration of the teeth and gums, ulcers in the corners of the mouth. Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid. During bouts of vomiting, it corrodes the mucous membrane of the mouth and ulcers appear on it. The enamel of the teeth turns yellow and is destroyed.
• Hoarseness of voice, frequent pharyngitis, tonsillitis. The vocal cords, pharynx, and palatine tonsils become inflamed at the end of injuries that occur during bouts of vomiting.
• Spasm of the esophagus, heartburn. Frequent vomiting damages the surface layer of the esophagus and impairs the functioning of the muscles that prevent food from rising up from the stomach (sphincters). Along with this, acidic gastric juice burns the inner lining of the esophagus.
• Broken blood vessels in the eyes. Red spots or streaks on the white of the eye under the conjunctiva appear at the end of the rupture of blood vessels during vomiting, at a time when blood pressure temporarily increases.
• Nausea, constipation, or bowel problems. These disorders are associated with overeating. Frequent vomiting or taking a laxative disrupts the bowels.
• Inflammation of the parotid salivary gland due to frequent vomiting. Increased pressure interferes with the normal outflow of saliva, and stomatitis and other damage to the oral mucosa contribute to the penetration of microbes into the salivary gland.
• Seizures. violations of the heart and kidneys are associated with a lack of salts of sodium, chlorine, potassium, phosphorus, calcium. They are washed out with urine when taking diuretics or do not have time to be absorbed due to vomiting and diarrhea, depriving the cells of the ability to function normally.
• The skin becomes dry, premature wrinkles appear, the condition of hair and nails worsens. This is due to dehydration and lack of minerals.
• Menstrual irregularities and decreased libido, trouble with erection in men. The deterioration of metabolism leads to hormonal disruptions and disruption of the genital organs.

Complications of bulimia can be quite scary. Victims of the disease die from cardiac arrest during sleep due to salt imbalance, from the ingress of stomach contents into the respiratory system, from rupture of the stomach and esophagus, from kidney failure. Quite often begins severe alcohol and drug addiction, severe depression.

Bulimia treatment

Bulimia is treated by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. He decides whether to go to the hospital or perhaps be treated at home.

Indications for inpatient treatment of bulimia:

excellent performance in the fight against bulimia nervosa gives an integrated approach, at a time when psychotherapy and drug treatments are combined. In this case, it is possible to return a person to mental and physical health within a few months.

Treatment by a psychologist

The plan of treatment is drawn up personally for each patient. As a rule, you need to go through psychotherapy sessions 1-2 times a week. In severe cases, meetings with a psychotherapist a couple of times a week for 6-9 months will be useful.

Psychoanalysis of bulimia. The psychoanalyst identifies the circumstances that caused the change in eating behavior, and helps to understand them. It can be conflicts that happened in early childhood or inconsistencies between conscious beliefs and unconscious attraction. The psychologist analyzes dreams, fantasies and associations. Based on this material, he reveals the mechanisms of the disease and gives recommendations on how to resist seizures.

Cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of bulimia is considered one of the most effective methods. This method helps to change thoughts, behavior and attitude towards bulimia and everything that happens around. A person in the classroom learns to recognize the approach of an attack and resist obsessive thoughts about food. This method is excellent for anxious and suspicious people to whom bulimia brings constant mental suffering.

Interpersonal psychotherapy. This method of treatment is suitable for those people whose bulimia is associated with depression. It is based on the identification of hidden troubles in communicating with other people. The psychologist will teach you how to correctly get out of conflict situations.

Home therapy for bulimia helps to improve family relationships, resolve conflicts and establish good communication. For a person suffering from bulimia, the help of relatives is extremely important, and any casually thrown word can lead to a new bout of overeating.

Group therapy for bulimia. A deliberately trained psychotherapist forms a group of people suffering from an eating disorder. People share their medical history and experience of dealing with it. This gives a person the opportunity to increase self-esteem and understand that he is not alone and others also overcome similar difficulties. Group therapy is especially effective in the final stage, to prevent recurrences of overeating.

Monitoring food intake. The doctor adjusts the menu so that the person receives all the necessary nutrients. In small quantities, they introduce those products that the patient previously considered forbidden for himself. This is necessary to form the right attitude towards food.

It is recommended to keep a diary. In that direction, you need to record the amount of food eaten and show whether there is a desire to sit still or if there is an urge to vomit. At one point, it is recommended to expand physical activity and play sports, which help to take pleasure and get rid of depression.

Remote Internet treatment of bulimia. Work with a psychotherapist can take place via skype or email. In this case, methods of cognitive and behavioral therapy are used.

Treatment of bulimia with drugs

Antidepressants are used to treat bulimia. which improve the conduction of a signal from one nerve cell to another through special connections (synapses). Do not forget that these drugs slow down the reaction, therefore, do not drive and avoid work that requires a high concentration of attention during the treatment period. Antidepressants do not mix with alcohol and can be quite scary when taken with other medications. Based on this, inform the doctor about all the drugs that you use.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

They improve the conduction of nerve impulses from the cerebral cortex to the food center and then to the digestive organs. They relieve manifestations of depression and help to objectively evaluate their appearance. But the effect of taking these drugs comes through the day. Do not stop treatment on your own and do not increase the dose without your doctor's permission.

Prozac. This drug is considered the most effective treatment for bulimia. Take 1 capsule (20 mg) 3 times a day, regardless of meals. The daily dose is 60 mg. The capsule should not be chewed, washed down with a sufficient amount of water. The doctor sets the duration of the course personally.

fluoxetine. 1 pill 3 times a day after meals. The minimum course is 3-4 weeks.

They increase the concentration of adrenaline and serotonin in synapses, improve the transmission of impulses between nerve cells. They have a strong calming effect, help to get rid of depression, reduce bouts of overeating. A lasting effect occurs in 2-4 weeks. Unlike the previous group of drugs, they can lead to heart failure.

Amitriptyline. The first days take 1 pill 3 times a day during meals. Later, the dose is increased by 2 times, 2 pills 3 times a day. The duration of admission is 4 weeks.

Imizin. Begin treatment with 25 mg 3-4 times a day after meals. The dose is increased by 25 mg every day. The doctor sets the daily dose for each patient personally, it can be about 200 mg. The duration of the course is 4-6 weeks. Later, the dose is slowly reduced to the minimum (75 mg) and treatment is continued for another 4 weeks.

Antiemetics (antiemetics) in the treatment of bulimia

At the initial stages of treatment, it is advised to take antiemetics, which allow you to quickly suppress the gag reflex, while the antidepressants have not yet begun to function. Antiemetics disrupt signal transmission from the vomiting center, which is located in the medulla oblongata to the stomach, block dopamine and serotonin receptors. That is why it is possible to avoid vomiting, which some types of food can cause in bulimics.

Cerucal. Take half an hour before meals 3-4 times a day. The course of treatment is 2 weeks. The drug not only reduces nausea. but also normalizes the work of the digestive system.

Zofran. Does not have a sedative effect and does not lead to. Take 1 pill (8 mg) 2 times a day for 5 days.

Do not forget, the treatment of bulimia is a long process that requires patience and faith in success. Learn to accept your body as it is and lead an active and fulfilling life. You will get the final victory over the disease, when you learn to rejoice and receive pleasures not only by eating food.

Specialty: Practicing doctor of the 2nd category

anonymously

Hello, my name is Katya and I am 17 years old. At the age of 15, I decided to lose weight. I wasn't fat or fat, no. At 17, I look like 14 years old, and at 15 I was still a completely unformed child. I weighed 53 kg with a height of 160. I decided to lose weight correctly. Then I didn’t know about diets, I just decided not to eat junk food, starchy foods, sweets, fatty foods and limit carbohydrates. I did not follow the weight and did not chase to lose 10 kg in a week. Started losing weight in the spring. Already in September, my weight was 38 kg. I did not suffer from anorexia, because I allowed myself goodies, only a little, ate 3 times a day, ate according to the principle of proper nutrition (fruits, vegetables, buckwheat, various cereals, meat) and went in for sports. I was happy and everyone admired me. I didn't want to lose weight anymore, I liked myself. At that time, I was already 16. Now I live in complete hell. I got bulimic. As if there was some kind of click and hop, my brain began to act against me. I do not know what it is connected with. I understand with my mind, with my body, that I am not hungry, that I have eaten too much, but I will not stop until I eat everything. I don't vomit as often as many bulimics. I am very afraid of vomiting, because. I already have gastritis and pancreatitis. But fear, a terrible state and a complete belly, which makes it impossible to move, make me do it. It used to happen once a month, then it became more frequent. Now, on average, I induce vomiting 2-3 r. in Week. I have recovered and weigh 48. The clothes have become small. I hate myself. I'm sitting at home, I've lost my friends, I've become nervous, I'm lashing out at my parents. I do not want anything. I am so tired after a year of this illness that I just want to die. I don't want to live, I'm tired. I tried to fight, I fight every day, but there is no strength. I drank blood pressure - fluoxetine, advised at the pharmacy Pila goldline, which helps to curb appetite. It is useless. I tried to control, it lasts me a maximum of 3 days. I told my parents, showed articles about this disease. They say that it is a matter of willpower, that she must pull herself together. They don't understand how you can't control how much you eat. I love my parents very much, just like they love me. They themselves are sick and elderly and live only for me. The only thing that stops me from not swallowing pills is they. I don't know how to live with this anymore. Find a psychologist? Is it possible to find a real psychologist in a small town who can understand this problem? Is there any way to solve this problem without it? I want to become healthy, I want to live a normal life, not obsess over food and not overeat. ...

Katya, hello, tell us a little more about the circumstances of your life, when did you switch from food asceticism to excesses? What did you do - what kind of relationship were you in - how did your life affect you then? And what is wrong with your parents? Are you the only child in the family?

anonymously

Yes, being busy during the day, in my opinion, is a good thing, otherwise when you are at home, then the refrigerator is here, very close .. Or maybe you can find a job in which summer camp as a counselor, for example? There must be absolutely meager food there, and children - they take a lot of attention and strength, while it’s cool to communicate with them in my opinion ... Maybe you will be distracted from your feeling of loneliness and some kind of abandonment or something ... And do you study somewhere? and HERE IS ABOUT YOUR FIGHT IDEA. Maybe well, her fight? Maybe something simpler, so every day they woke up, stretched, said "God, give me strength and strengthen my will to live today without diving into food-food", and see what is very small, but bringing pleasure you can do for yourself EXACTLY TODAY do to feel a little better? It seems to me that summer itself is a resource time, you can move more, go out into the air, admire the greenery, go to the water, breathe ...