My girlfriend has bulimia: what to do to help her?

During couple relationships, discussions and misunderstandings arise, among other circumstances that the couple must overcome. But sometimes the problems are more complex, and it is not so easy to find the solution.

In this article we will see a series of advice for those who ask themselves: "my girlfriend has bulimia: what should I do to help her?".

• Related article: "The 10 most common eating disorders"

What is bulimia?

The first thing to do in these cases is to fully understand the situation you are dealing with and its effects on the mental health (and by extension, the physical health) of your partner. Let's see then what bulimia represents for a person.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder. The person affected by this mental disorder feels the irrational need to eat food, and does so compulsively in short periods of time (binge eating), then perform rituals of purge.

What follows after the binge is the feeling of intense guilt, which leads the subject to want to undo the "damage" caused by having eaten that way, and

looks for a way to expel food from your body. Induced vomiting is the quintessential alternative.

The person has several ways of trying to evacuate these foods, which can be the following:

• Voluntary induction of vomiting.
• Excessive intake of laxatives.
• Excessive intake of diuretics.
• Intense and excessive exercise (does not necessarily cause vomiting).

This disorder is much more common in adolescents, and has a higher incidence in females than in her male counterpart.

Now let's see what are the symptoms of bulimia.

Symptoms of this eating disorder

The most notable symptoms of bulimia are easily evident by the close environment of the affected person, and are mainly related to mood and body weight. Let's see what they are.

• Noticeable changes in body weight.
• Intense feelings of insecurity.
• Problems with self-esteem.
• Fear of the idea of ​​gaining weight.
• Wear of the enamel on the teeth, caused by excessive vomiting.
• Intense depressive states.
• Poor impulse control.
• Stomach problems.
• Irregular menstruation.
• Prolonged fatigue.
• Indigestion.
• Affective lability (rapid changes in mood).
• Body dysphoria (rejection by one's own body).

What to do if my girlfriend has bulimia?

Now that we are clear about the concept of this disorder and what its main symptoms are, let's move on to see how we can help our partner in case he is presenting bulimia nervosa.

Some tips for you to provide the best accompaniment and attention to your partner during this complicated situation are the following.

1. Know the information regarding the disorder

It is essential that you educate yourself about this disorder with the intention of provide your partner with the information they need to understand that this is not proper behavior.

The fact that you represent a supportive figure for her will make it more likely that she will listen to you and pay attention to you.

In addition, knowing better what this disorder is about it will prevent you from falling into anxiety about your girlfriend's situation too, and in this way you will be able to help in the best way.

2. Communicate the situation to family members

It is really important that you let her family know what the situation is with the case of bulimia, especially at the parents, taking into account that they may not be aware, or not have the necessary information about what is happening with their daughter.

Adolescents do not usually tell their parents about uncomfortable situations, and taking into account the possible depressive picture that the subject may be presenting, that makes it even more difficult for you to want to talk to your family members about it.

You, as your sentimental partner, should take the initiative to explain to your direct family group which is the situation, in addition to providing them with the information from which you have drawn to help your partner.

3. Show empathy for her

When one considers the idea of ​​"my girlfriend has bulimia", at first it is possible to feel a certain isolation by not understanding the reasons that lead her to do that.

But empathy goes beyond the mere rational analysis of what makes a person behave the way they do. makes her, so reinforcing her empathic bond and translating this into your way of communicating with her will help you.

The situation your girlfriend is going through is not her fault; It is a disorder of which he is being a victim at this time. Therefore, you should avoid reproaching her, or saying things that discourage her even more, such as downplaying what is happening to her, for example.

Ideally, you should always try to put yourself in his place, imagine how he must feel when he is going through that situation. From there, from the understanding of her, is where you will get what you need to help her, always staying positive and empathetic with her.

4. Seek professional help

It is absolutely essential to attend psychotherapy. If she needs it, you can attend with her to show that you are really interested in her prompt improvement, which would represent a source of support and motivation so that your partner can go out in front of.

Convincing her to enlist the assistance of a psychologist is one of the most important steps in helping her recover.

Bibliographic references:

• Hay, P.J., Mond, J., Buttner, P., Darby, A. (2008). Murthy, R.S., ed. Eating Disorder Behaviors Are Increasing: Findings from Two Sequential Community Surveys in South Australia. PLOS ONE. 3 (2): e1541.
• Palmer, R. (2004). Bulimia nervosa: 25 years on. The British Journal of Psychiatry: the Journal of Mental Science 185 (6): 447-448.