though to be a stage of anorexia nervosa. In 1979 the disorder was given its name by Gerald Russell an English psychiatrist. Occasional binges have been reported in up to 40 percent of college women, and this disorder typically strikes more women than men (http://ndmda.org/eating.htm). Some of the warning signs and symptoms of the disorder are secretive eating or missing food, frequent bathroom visits after eating, fasting and rapid weight fluctuation. As with anorexia nervosa, the person also suffers from depression, fatigue, and muscle weaknesses. Binge eating, vomiting, diet pill and laxative abuse are other of the symptoms that signal the disorder. Swollen glands, broken blood vessels, and an irregular heartbeat are signs that the person is suffering from bulimia nervosa. Tooth decay and a sore throat could result of the frequent vomiting (http://www.mirror-mirror.org/def.htm). Probable causes of the disorder are being linked to biological causes, such as the absence of serotonin and norepinephrine, both neurotransmitters. Antidepressant drugs often benefit these patients so they are prescribed. As for social factors, there seems to be that bulimic patients tend to have more outward conflicts with parents. These patients also seem to be suffering from depression. Psychological factors also play a role here, with patients usually not adjusting well to adolescence. Bulimic patients tend to be more outgoing, angry and impulsive, so self-destructive behavior is also indicative of the disorder. Treatment for bulimia nervosa is quite similar to that of the treatment for anorexia nervosa. Since patients feel less secretive about their disorder, they respond better to treatment than patients with anorexia. Psychotherapy, group therapy, and family therapy are all used to treat this disorder. Bulimia patients usually do not have to be hospitalized, since their condition does not warrant it. However, in extreme cases where th...
