Advice for Parents: Raising Children Without Bulimia

They’ve said that curing oneself of Bulimia is about as hard as kicking a serious drug habit. So let’s set aside all our misguided notions that Bulimia is something the “cheerleaders are going to grow out of” once they get out of high school. This is more than image consciousness, and has nothing to do with depth of character. Given that so many Americans now suffer from eating disorders, the time has come to take measures against diseases like Bulimia before they manifest themselves completely in an individual. This is not a lifestyle that anyone wants to fall into. Taking preventive measures against developing bulimic habits is a much easier course than all the pain an individual will suffer if they do fall under its spell. This article is for parents, who are interested in shielding their children from unnecessary physical and emotional pain.

Bulimia had a lot to do with control. Many bulimics begin as Anorexics, and find that the starvation lifestyle becomes nearly impossible to maintain, or that Bulimia will give them the best of both worlds, by allowing them to eat, but not suffer the consequences of that eating. Bulimia is typically characterized by binge eating, where most sufferers claim to feel a sense of either euphoria or numbness, and then a purge episode, either by induced vomiting, laxative use, and/or excessive exercise. Bulimics tend to isolate themselves as their addiction gets worse, estranging themselves from friends and family to ensure the safety of their addiction. Their binge episodes become more serious, and begin to control all other areas of their life. They will lie to cover their steps, or become irritable if their lifestyle is questioned. They can experience electrolyte problems, esophagus and tooth damage from acid exposure, and heart problems. Another looming threat to bulimics is suicide, which is unfortunately not entirely uncommon for sufferers of this disorder. Eating disorders like Bulimia must not be taken lightly. If genetics are indeed a part of Bulimia, so much the more important is an upbringing that will counteract that predisposition.