The Case Of Laur Final Case Study Analysis

In 1981, a researcher named Fairburn conducted the first study applying cognitive-behavioral therapy to the treatment of bulimia nervosa. In a recently published report by D. L. Spangler (1999), CBT is touted as “a well-developed, theoretically grounded treatment for bulimia nervosa with the strongest empirical support for its efficacy of any form of treatment for bulimia nervosa.” Today cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy commonly used to treat patients with bulimia nervosa (BN).

An equally disruptive eating disorder that has been seen in increasing numbers in recent years is Bulimia. About two percent of American women are affected by this disorder. Bulimia is characterized by a distinctive binging and purging cycle. Individuals with this disorder will often times consume large amounts of food, and the immediate throw it back up. These binging and purging actions have substantial medical risks. Additionally, some individuals consume large amounts of food and then proceed to exercise for exorbitant amounts of time. This can also be a risk to ones wellbeing. Other characteristics associated with Bulimia include the abuse of laxatives and diuretics. Individuals with this disease often times completely lose control over their dietary habits. The massive highs and lows cause emotional instability. The mood swings that

The two most common eating disorders are bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Both disorders, primarily affect young women, therefore the majority of the research on eating disorders has been done with women subjects. The onset of bulimia is between adolescence and early adulthood while the onset of anorexia is between early and late adolescence. Not only is the onset different but the disorders are unique. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by loss of control over eating which leads to food binges. These episodes are interspersed with episodes of purging, such as vomiting or laxative abuse, to keep weight down. The goal of anorexia is also to keep weight down , but to a

Eating disorders affect millions of men and women every day. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are three main types of eating disorders that can have detrimental consequences on the human body. These eating disorders not only deteriorate one’s body, but also eradicate the mind. “Inherent to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are a plethora of medical complications which correlate with the severity of weight loss or the frequency and mode of purging” (Mehler, 2015).

Eating disorder is a term used to describe several psychological disorders characterized by abnormal eating habits. Some of the most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is probably the most well-known of these. A person suffering from anorexia nervosa will obsess over weight gain and show unusual anxiety related to weight gain. Depending upon the type (binge-eating/purging type or restricting type) a person will either consume food and then attempt to “purge”, a term used to describe a method of forced removal of food from the body such as self-induced vomiting, or they will restrict the amount of food consumed. In most cases the person will be under healthy weight and often see themselves as average weight or even overweight. In bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders the affected person will eat excessive amounts of food. People suffering from these diseases report feeling out of control during their binge eating episodes. In bulimia nervosa binge eating episodes are followed by some method of purging whereas in binge eating disorder they are not, although the person normally expresses feelings of guilt or embarrassment afterwards. People suffering from bulimia nervosa are usually average weight which can make detection difficult. Those with binge eating disorder are normally

According to the Mayo Clinic (2016), eating disorders are “conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions, and your ability to function in important areas of life.” One such eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. Not to be confused with anorexia, which is simply a general loss of appetite that can be attributed to many medical ailments, anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and mental illness (Nordqvist, 2015). Anorexia nervosa is estimated to affect about .9% of women and .3% of men in their lifetime (“Eating Disorder Statistics & Research,” n.d.). In general, the disorder is commonly characterized by a distorted body image or self-concept, critically low weight (with respect to the patient’s height and age), and an irrational fear of becoming fat or an intense desire to be thin. There are two subtypes to this eating disorder: restrictive and binge/purge. In the restrictive type, the individual limits caloric intake and may compulsively over-exercise. In the binge/purge type, the individual consumes a considerable amount of food in a short period of time (binging) and then deliberately vomits (purging), takes laxatives, or fasts intensely in order to compensate for the food eaten (“General Information: Anorexia Nervosa,” n.d.). In either case, anorexia nervosa is undoubtedly a dangerous and alarming illness.

Bulimia has cost the lives of many around the world, but it still does not seem to stop spreading its influence. This type of eating disorder shares similar emotional triggers found in those suffering from anorexia and excess fasting. “This illness is associated with premorbid perfectionism, introversion, poor peer relations, and low self-esteem.” (Garfinkel) Of course, these characteristics are a direct result of the person’s environment. As stated by Pigott once she got back home from her trip to Africa, “ I reverted to my natural state: one of yearning to be slimmer and more fit than I was. My freedom had been temporary. I was home, where fat is feared and despised.” (Pigott, C., pg.93) Bulimia, unlike anorexia, is characterized by a person binge-eating, or consuming a large amount of food in a short time lapse, but then “purging” themselves by either “self-inducing vomiting, taking enemas, or abusing laxatives or other medications.” (“The Eating Disorder Foundation”) This eating disorder is known to cause depression, kidney damage, dental damage, and anxiety disorders if left untreated. (“The Eating Disorder Foundation”) Despite its devastating effects, bulimia cases worldwide are increasing rapidly, showing the public’s ignorance in choosing to conform with the norm rather than taking care of themselves.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating as well as by self-induced vomiting and/or laxative abuse (Mitchell, 1986). Episodes of overeating typically alternate with attempts to diet, although the eating habits of bulimics and their methods of weight control vary (Fairburn et al., 1986). The majority of bulimics have a body weight within the normal range for their height, build, and age, and yet possess intense and prominent concerns about their shape and weight (Fairburn et al., 1986). Individuals with bulimia nervosa are aware that they have an eating problem, and therefore are often eager to receive help. The most common approach to

Bulimia Nervosa refers to when an individual over-eats excessively and then takes action to purge the body of the intake. There are five criteria for Bulimia Nervosa in the DSM-IV, which include: recurring episodes of binge eating, recurring actions of purging, the patterns must continue at least twice a week for three months or more, a huge emphasis on body weight in self-evaluation, and the actions must occur apart

Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-eating disorder both involve episodes of binge eating, which is eating an abnormally large amount of food, in comparison to what most individuals would eat in a similar amount of time. Binging episodes are often associated with a sense of lack of control and can continue until the individual is painfully full, remorseful of behaviors, and are commonly done while the person is alone. Individuals with Bulimia or binge-eating disorder will both experience these episodes of binging; however, Bulimia Nervosa involves inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as purging, self-medication, or excessive exercise in response to binges. Someone suffering from binge-eating disorder would not engage in these compensatory behaviors.

It is now defined as “Recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes marked by feelings of lack of control.… The person may have feelings of guilt, embarrassment, or disgust and may binge eat alone to hide the behavior”. It is important to note that there is a difference between over-eating and binge-eating, while over-eating is a recognizable problem for many people, “binge-eating is much less common, far more severe, and associated with significant physiological and psychological problems” (DSM 5). Binge Eating Disorder is similar to Bulimia Nervosa in that we see episodes of eating large amounts of food, the difference being that there is no purging after the binging episode. It is seen highly among obese patients, but, perhaps due to a reluctance to relate obesity with an eating disorder, it was not recognized as distinct from Bulimia Nervosa until the early 1990s (Gordon, 2000).

Bulimia, on the other hand, is characterized by the refusal of the patient to maintain a body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for their age or height. This stems from an intense fear of weight gain. Although the exact cause of bulimia is unknown, there are many possible factors that could play a role in bulimia’s development such as biology, societal expectations, and emotional health. Just as anorexia can be divided into two categories, bulimia can be classified as either purging or non-purging. Purging incorporates regularly self-inducing vomit while a non-purging patent will use other methods to rid themselves of calories such as fasting (Mayo Clinic). In contrast to anorexia, a person suffering from bulimia is usually not underweight. In fact, many people with bulimia are overweight or obese

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a “severe, life-threatening and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress, or guilt afterwards; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (purging) to counter the binge eating” (NEDA 1). This disorder effects people of all genders, races, and ages. This disorder also happens to be the most common eating disorder among the people of the United States. Often times people get this disorder mixed up with another eating disorder called Bulimia. The difference is that with bulimia people purge after every meal they eat (by means of vomiting, excessive exercising or with the use of laxatives). But people with BED usually do not do unhealthy things, such as purging. Instead they feel guilty about the amount of food they ate and will not eat for an extended period of time, which can cause more binges to occur.

Bulimia Nervosa is the diet-binge-purge cycle. It is an illness that is mostly found in young females. This cycle involves a strict diet, uncontrollable eating and then unhealthy strategies to get rid of the food and therefore the guilt. This addictive eating disorder is based on guilt. The individual tends to under-consume and thereby becoming very hungry. Once the individual gives in and allows one’s self to eat, the person begins to over-eat. After finishing the large quantities of food, the individual begins to feel immense

“Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by massive food binges followed by self-induced vomiting or use of diuretics and laxatives to avoid weight gain.” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia)