How do I stop falling into the binge purge cycle?

Mental health
1

I have recently been falling into the cycle of binging and purging, and although i do go through phases where I stop doing it, i still keep on coming back to it. 

About 18 months ago was the first time I did it with great consistansy (although i had gone through phases of doing it once or twice, or a few times a week, or once a week for a month for a while, but never enough to really raise it as a problem in my mind).

But then after starting a post christmas diet, I became overly obsessed with weighing myself, and loosing weight, but was unable to stick to such a strict diet and very soon after starting it i started to binge on all the foods that i was restricting myself, and then purging them. I started doing this daily, and sometime more than once a day, and this lasted for about 3 month, before I got so fed up and gradually reduced it, and then stopped. 

For a couple of months I didn’t do it, and then since then I have been doing it in phases on and off…for a while it was a week or two (at times every week for a month) and then not at all for one, two or maybe three weeks. Then in february I started doing it a lot more, at times it was every day, and at the least it was once a week. Since then, bar a week or two i have been doing it most weeks….and the times I have gone maybe a week without doing it, I’ve felt so relieved, and then its all started over again.

I am aware I’m not the sort of person who is good at strictly restricting my diet, as I just end up binging, I have started doing more exercise, and have been focusing on trying to eat healthy and still treat myself so Im not so tempted, but I still end up binging. I have been better in the past month or two at trying not to do it too many days in a row, as when i get into doing it like that I find it so hard to even cut back, and I get so bloated and feel horrible, but I just can’t seem to stop, and I’m getting fed up. 

I feel like the cycle I’m in is not that bad, and that it hasn’t been going on for long at all, but I just want to be able to loose some weight in a healthy way, and stop reverting back to this habit! How can I do this?

Sorry the post is so long, thanks in advance for any replies smile

2

hi

i think that it is already a very positive step towards getting out of the cycle that you have the courage to talk about it. have you ever tried CBT? it might help? 

3

thanks for your reply, no i havent tried it...any advice on how to go about it/finding out more?

 

4

I was referred by my GP

failing that, you could look up 'cognitive behaviour therapy' online and see if there are any courses going locally to you.

i was sent for a course lasting 5 weeks, of 4 hours per week.

it was a group session, but people learned from sharing experiences and developing conversations.

5

I agree with what's been said CBT is supposed to be very helpful.

I've been doing mindfulness with my dietician.

You can find mindfulness groups or download apps.

It's really hard work though.

The most important thing is that you focus on getting the food right.

You need to have breakfast (with carbohydrates). Breakfast actually helps keep your weight down.

And you need to have meals throughout the day.

The above suggestions will help you with the food, because it's really hard to do the food without it.

I would start off managing small amounts of each.

Apparently 60% of people with bulimia recover just by re-introducing carbohydrates into their diet.

It's tough and I've been lucky to build up a good (love/hate) relationship with both my therapist and dietician (both sadly expensive private, and it doesn't happen over night.

good luck. Message me if I can help further.