Here at Empowerment Treatment & Counseling near Phoenix, Arizona, it always tugs at our heartstrings when we get to experience our clients’ recoveries from eating disorders, such as bulimia. We’d like to share one with you today.
I can remember the exact moment my eating disorder began. At the time, I had no idea I was toying with becoming bulimic, but to be honest, I really didn’t care. I’d look at myself in the mirror in the morning and I’d hate what I’d see. People would complement me on my outfit, and I’d be sure they were lying to me just to try and make me feel better about myself. I dreaded getting up in the morning because I knew I’d have to face that mirror and the horror of what I saw there.
It was a terrible place to be.
One day, I made a decision. I was going to take charge of that image in the mirror, and I was going to change it. I had heard of people eating a lot of food, and then taking diet pills or laxatives. Some people even forced themselves to vomit. That seemed like the quickest way to get what I wanted, so I gave it a try. The first time was hard, but after that, it got a lot easier. Soon, bulimia nervosa became a way of life for me.
CONTEMPLATING BULIMIA THERAPY NEAR PHOENIX, AZ: BULIMIA SIDE EFFECTS
It wasn’t long before I started experiencing some physical changes, but they weren’t the ones I was expecting. The image in the mirror really didn’t change much, but my health did. My teeth started to get a lot of cavities, which I found out later is one of the most common bulimia symptoms. A few months in, I developed stomach ulcers. I went to the doctor to get treated for them, but still continued on in my bulimia nervosa behaviors.
About six months later, I developed pancreatitis. I started having pain in my stomach, and I was admitted to the hospital so they could stabilize me and give me the treatment I needed. It was then that I decided I should find out more about bulimia symptoms and what else could potentially happen to my body.
I learned that one of the other bulimia side effects was developing heart problems, and that it could even cause heart failure. I had reached the point where I was scared of continuing in the behaviors, but I really didn’t know how to stop doing them. That was when I reached out for help.
BULIMIA COUNSELING NEAR PHOENIX, ARIZONA: CHANGING THE COURSE OF MY LIFE
To be completely honest, I was ashamed of what I had done. I had put myself through so much physical stress, and I was afraid to admit that I had bulimia nervosa. It was hard for me to open up about my behaviors to the staff at Empowerment Treatment & Counseling, but once I did, I couldn’t believe how much better I felt. They didn’t judge me at all. Instead they focused on helping me overcome bulimia nervosa in a way that was focused on my body, and on true healing.
Today, those urges to binge and purge are gone. Now that I have the support I need from
bulimia counseling, I’m confident that my healing will continue.
Are you in need of bulimia therapy near Phoenix, Arizona? This story is just one of many, and we’d love to give you the chance to share your success story. Please contact us to get the help you need.
Quiz: 5 Signs You have an Eating Disorder