Self Health Loops

Therapy and one on one counseling are recommended non-medicated treatment for bulimia. Surgical treatment or hospitalization is only required in severe cases and failure of the patient to respond to the initial treatments.

Cognitive behavioral therapeutic methods are the most widely used of all treatments for bulimia. This is often the preferred first treatment as studies have shown that this treatment is successful in more than half of the cases. For learning coping skills and relapse prevention, nutrition counseling is included in cognitive behavioral therapy. You can also try interpersonal therapy treatment. This type of therapy deals with the emotional aspects like depression that influenced the eating disorder. If the patient’s bulimia is in the early stages, and their health has not been severely compromised, it is helpful for support group therapy. Another psychological treatment that might be used is family therapy. Positive results have been reported when this method was used, as opposed to interpersonal therapy, since the family, a vital support factor, is supported and utilized also.

Treatment of bulimia with drugs is given to patients who have exhibited signs of depression. But, professionals recommend that medications be administered along with a type of psychological treatment like CBT. The antidepressants prescribed are a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Other drugs are also given to patients such as those that prevent vomiting. Occasional anti-epileptic drugs are prescribed since tests have reflected that they can help with periods of binging and purging. Originally prescribed to treat bipolar disorder and depression, B vitamin medications have been found to be helpful for bulimic patients too.

There are other treatments for bulimia as well that have been explored. But more studies must be done and it has not yet been proven that these treatments are effective in the majority of cases. Hypnosis, light therapy, guided imagery, and acupuncture are some of these new treatments.

Hypnosis has been proven to work with patients who have bulimia, however patients that have anorexia do not respond as well to this therapy. When a patient’s bulimia is related to seasonal affective disorder then light therapy is used. But, the desired results are due to the decrease in depression and not the elimination of binge-purge behavior in bulimic patients. In contrast, research has shown that guided imagery causes a nearly 75% reduction in binging and purging. This technique involves the patient listening to tapes with imagery that is conducive to accomplishing the objectives of treatment. In acupuncture, points in the stomach are selected so that the qi is balanced and proper circulation of oxygen and blood is maintained. This treatment is based on the idea that eating disorders are due to energy imbalances in the body. The treatment claims to release endorphins, aid in reducing stress, and strengthen the body’s endocrine and digestive systems.