BULIMIA: CYCLES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTAm I bulimic? Ask yourself these questions?the more positive answers you have, the more likely you are to have bulimia or another eating disorder. Are you worried about your body and weight? Is food and diet prevalent in your life? Are you afraid that when you start eating, you won't be able to stop? Do you ever eat until you feel sick? Do you feel guilty, ashamed, or down in the dumps after you eat? Do you purge or take laxatives to control your weight? The effects of bulimia on your body Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is described as a destructive pattern of eating and purging to control weight. Two of the most prominent behaviors in bulimia are binge eating (eating a lot of food) and purging (self-induced vomiting), but bulimia encompasses much more than that. It can also have a tremendous emotional cost and lead to serious, life-threatening conditions. When you think of bulimia, you are more likely to think of binge eating and purging. However, these are not the only symptoms of the disorder. Bulimia can occur through the following symptoms: In addition to mental stress, ongoing binge eating and purging puts a lot of pressure on the body. Unlike anorexia, another type of eating disorder, bulimia does not necessarily have symptoms of significant weight loss. But the effects are still very real. Central Nervous System (Mental and Emotional Health) While characterized as an eating disorder, bulimia is also a mental health disorder that causes a cycle of health problems. You may experience depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive behaviors . Moodiness and irritability may occur due to a lack of vitamins or behaviors that accompany bulimia. For example, constant monitoring of food and weight may become an obsession. Someone may also secretly binge and then hide evidence of food and laxatives. To reach their ideal weight, people may also become involved in substance abuse. Compulsive exercise or concern about appearance are also common symptoms. It is not unusual for a person with bulimia to spend a lot of time thinking about food and how to control it. In fact, people with bulimia may focus too much on eating, to the exclusion of other activities they used to enjoy. Having to keep secrets contributes to the cycle of stress and anxiety . Over time, guilt may accumulate from keeping secrets from friends and loved ones. This can also be accompanied by feelings of shame and embarrassment. Suicidal behavior can form as a culmination of stress and extreme body image.