Occasional Purging

Question:

Hi, I saw the subject "Do I Have an Eating Disorder?" in Online Psych and I was wondering do I have an eating disorder? Sometimes like once month or every two months after I eat a lot I go throw some of it up and other times I just eat very little for a day or two. I weigh average weight for someone my age and I'm healthy, but I was just wondering because I always thought an eating disorder was when you did those things on a regular basis.

Answer:

I hope you are not in the process of developing an eating disorder. Intentional vomiting is a bulimic behavior and restricting food intake is an anorexic behavior but doing these things once in awhile doesn't mean you have a diagnosable eating disorder right now. It is something to be concerned about though, because an eating disorder doesn't usually begin all at once. Occasional restricting, vomiting or other eating disorder symptoms don't always turn into an eating disorder, but sometimes they do.

To prevent these problems from growing, I suggest that you try to notice the feelings that trigger your throwing up or restricting. Ask yourself, "What was I experiencing before I threw up?", "What was going on in my life when I ate very little for a couple of days?" It may be helpful to explore these questions with a psychotherapist. A psychotherapist can guide and encourage you in discovering the meaning of these symptoms and alternate ways of expressing feelings or coping with stress. You don't need to be out of control before asking for help. You can use Online Psych Locator to find a therapist in your area.

Whether your throwing up and restricting is the beginning of an eating disorder or not, these are unhealthy behaviors and a signal that there is something wrong. With or without professional help, it is important to take this signal seriously. Do take care of yourself by trying to understand and deal with the issues related to your eating behaviors.