Different Types of Bulimia Nervosa

1. Describe the behaviors that a purging-type bulimic and a bingeing-type bulimic would display.

When answering this question we first need to understand what the terms mean. Purging-type bulimic is an individual who engages in repeated episodes of uncontrollably over eating or binges. The individual binges over a limited period like two hours in which they eat way to much food than most would consume in that time span. After the binge the individual forces their self to vomit, misuse laxatives, diuretics or enemas, fasting or exercising excessively (Comer, 2013, pp. 320). Whereas bingeing- type bulimic is a type of disorder where the individual tries to carry out the binges in secret usually between 1 and 30 binges per week. The individual consumes large amounts of food very rapidly with minimal chewing. They usually consume sweets, high calorie foods with soft textures like ice cream, cookies, doughnuts, and sandwiches. These binges are usually preceded by feelings of great tension. The individual feels irritable and powerless to control the overwhelming need to eat even though the binge is a pleasurable experience and relieves the tension the individual was feeling. It is followed by feelings of self blame, shame, guilt, and depression and fear of gaining weight and being discovered (Comer, 2013, pp. 321,322). Both terms are a type of Bulimia nervosa which is a disorder marked by frequent eating binges that are followed by forced vomiting or other extreme compensatory behaviors to avoid gaining weight.

Now that we know what the terms mean and that they are both a type of Bulimia nervosa we can see that they both show behaviors of eating excessively but in different ways one hides it while the other one just consumes as much a...

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...ividual to know you are there for them no matter what and will be beside them through thick and thin times. I would acknowledged that I knew they were suffering with something and make subtly hints till they figured out I knew and asked for help. Then I would tell them what I learned and ask them which eating disorder seem to be the best fit out of the ones I described. After we figured that out I would go with them to the doctors with them. If the individual still didn’t acknowledge I knew then I would go to a close family member of theirs and tell them and work with the individual to help my friend. If that means helping regulate their meals and going to doctors appointments with them I would. I would also make sure they knew they were perfect the way they are.

References

Comer, R. J. (2013) Abnormal Psychology, 8th Ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.