Bulimia - Diagnosing bulimia
- Introduction
- Symptoms of bulimia
- Causes of bulimia
- Diagnosing bulimia
- Treating bulimia
- Complications of bulimia
- 'Bulimia isn't a women’s disease; it’s a people's disease'
- 'I knew it had to stop because I was living a dual life'
- 'I went into hospital with a ruptured bile duct from vomiting so much'
If you have an eating disorder such as bulimia, the first step is to recognise that you have a problem and visit your GP. You may think it is not serious, but bulimia can damage your long-term health.
Accepting that you need help and support is the first step to recovery, but this may be a very difficult step for you to take. Most people who have bulimia hide their situation for months or years before seeking help. It can often take a change of situation, such as the start of a new relationship or living with new people, to make a person with bulimia want to seek help.
It may help to make a list of questions you want to ask before you see your GP. Once you have explained your situation to your GP, they will decide whether to refer you to a specialist mental health team.
Your local team will include:
- specialist counsellors
- psychiatrists
- psychologists
- nurses
- dietitians
- other healthcare professionals
Your treatment depends on how serious your condition is and the best way to manage it. Your GP may recommend a self-help programme to start your recovery before referring you for specialist treatment.
You can make a full recovery from bulimia. The earlier you start treatment, the quicker the recovery process will be.
Do I have an eating disorder?
Doctors sometimes use a questionnaire called the SCOFF questionnaire to help recognise people who may have an eating disorder. This involves answering the following five questions:
- Scoff: Do you ever make yourself vomit because you feel uncomfortably full?
- Control: Do you worry you have lost control over how much you eat?
- One stone: Have you recently lost more than one stone (six kilograms) in a three-month period?
- Fat: Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
- Food: Would you say that food dominates your life?
If you answer “yes” to two or more of these questions, you may have an eating disorder.
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