Anorexia and Bulimia Therapies Many of us are totally unaware how crippling and devastating Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa are. The only people who know are the ones whose children have gone through it and were healed, and those who have experienced it themselves. I always think to myself, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." A number of years ago I was putting some weight on and thought that it would be much simpler to purge than to refrain from eating all the delicacies being served at the many dinner meetings and luncheons that I was attending at the time. Thank God it didn't take long for me to come to my senses...a couple of months at most. It became more difficult to vomit and the ache in my throat was unbearable. It does become more and more difficult to complete the purge after eating, and that is when the idea of eating nothing becomes more desirable; but by then the die has been cast and the vitamins and nutrients are flowing out of the body instead of nourishing the organs and the mind. I I have a young friend (well, actually the daughter of a friend) who recently returned from an Anorexia treatment clinic in a nearby city. She spent four months battling this disease (from the time she was unexpectedly discovered purging in a restaurant washroom.) Her battle is just beginning. Apparently it had been going on for some time, and this young woman was blissfully unaware that she could die from what she was doing. In fact, she was upset at having been found out and was not planning on stopping. It seems very innocent to think that one simply has to throw up a little bit after eating too much in order to stay slim. Really simple, right? Wrong! If young girls thought about what they were doing and did a bit of research on the after-effects of bingeing and purging, they would definitely think twice about the hard-to-break habit. One comment by a significant other along the lines of "Hmm, you seem to be putting on some weight...or "You're butt is getting big." can tip the scales of a suceptible young woman or man. This is where helping hands come in. The support groups are of utmost importance and the clinics teach Anorexics and Bulimics to learn to live and function all over again. The patients, which is what they become, must find out what happens in their bodies and why bingeing and purging are so dangerous. The most obvious effect of purging is acidic gastric juices coming in contact with teeth...the corrosion from the hyrdrochloric stomach acid eats away the enamel leaving the teeth weakened and soft. We don't pay much attention to digestion as a rule, but it is very strong acids that break down the many forms of food that we put into our mouths. That's why many Bulimics travel with a toothbrush always within easy reach in the car or in the purse. It doesn't work well, though...witness the poor condition of ultra thin bulimic girls' teeth. Little do young girls know that saliva is necessary for healthy teeth and Anorexia and Bulimia deplete the salivary glands and the amount of saliva available to constantly wash the teeth. Then there is bone health and the necessary nutrients such as the Omega3 Fatty Acids) that keep bones dense and strong. When the diet is skewed and the proper nutrients for all-over health are not present, the teeth are the first to become noticeably deficient. Nutritional absorption is one of the most crucial components of body and brain health, and when proper diet goes by the wayside, mental health will also go down the tubes. It is one thing to be svelte and attractive for the opposite sex (very few young men are afflicted with these two diseases, but the incidence is rising with identical symptoms save the cessation of menses.) This is probably because most boys don't labour under the misguided perception that they have to be thin to be liked, and are not obsessed with their bodies...a product of cultural and social ways. A careless comment about obesity can set a sensitive young boy off in the same direction. In girls, because of the fashion industry's portrayal of ultra thin models, the desire to be thin becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and thin becomes thinner and thinner. The matter of self-esteem is small potatoes next to the malfunctioning of the brain, though. Most people think that young girls with Anorexia have a poor self image, but that is a secondary consequence of the depletion of minerals and essential cell salts that are flushed out of the body. The most important aspect of binge-and-purge is the depletion of brain nutrients which makes the person unable to make the decision to stop. Suddenly the brain stops functioning at normal capacity, and the body becomes the loser. The brain spirals into a vortex of denial and cannot rise above the condition. Essential nutrients must be replaced or death is inevitable. Although most young people with this syndrome suffer from throat problems, constipation, hypothermia, hormone imbalance, loss of saliva due to dehydration, low blood pressure and slow heart rate as well as the various other symptoms noted above, they don't think there is anything wrong with them other than the perception of being fat. Excessive exercising and intense hunger when not eating are telltale signs that something is wrong. As soon as they realize their lives are spinning out of control and the only thing they can do is control their weight they MUST seek a doctor's help. With modern psychotherapy, and the brain nutrients now available to alleviate the accompanying depression, the disease can be stopped in its tracks. It seems that shy, obsessive, socially inept people are more prone to Anorexia and Bulimia, but this may just be the mental condition that is already there just waiting to be triggered by an event or perceived slight. So what comes first, the shyness or the Bulimia? Nobody knows, but there is definitely a correlation. Today, mega doses of vitamins and minerals are crucial to a cure along with natural beta-carotene, Vitamin A, B12, C, B Complex, calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc and copper in special doses administered by a naturopath or health care professional. Also important is Acidophilus to replace the friendly bacteria lost in the purging action and use of laxatives. BioStrath from Bioforce and Floradix Iron are good tonics as well as Kelp, Brewers Yeast and Digestive Enzymes needed to rebuild damaged tissue. Herbal remedies include dandelion, milk thistle, red clover and wild yam. Excellent appetite enhancers would be ginger root, ginseng, gotu kola, and peppermint. Sugar and white flour must be avoided, and it goes without saying that fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and foods high in fiber content are of paramount importance. Nutritional counseling is very important to find a new balance between food, absorption and mental output. It may seem like a huge hurdle, but is well worth the effort. The medical practitioner you choose may be the person who literally saves your life or the life of someone you love. The good news is that my young friend is determined to help others and is setting up a support group for people in the same situation. I'm confident that she is on the road to recovery. Back to the Writing Index