Bulimia Tips

I was a food addict for 20 years and have been in recovery since 2005. Any recovered addict will tell you that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. The second of the bulimia tips that I suggest is actually to take the all-important first step towards recovery.

For some people their breakthrough and road out of addiction comes after a massive breakdown. Of the bulimia tips that I suggest, the first is for you to decide that you can't go on living with this addiction in your life. At some point you realize that enough is enough and it's finally time to make a change.

It is possible that you are in denial of your eating disorder right now. It is possible that you think that the obsessive control over food, the binging and purging is a voluntary choice you're making. You probably do not regard your bulimia as an addiction that you are powerless against.

If you think this then you cannot see, or are being willfully blind to the impact that bulimia is having on your life.

Take that first step

Admitting you have a serious problem and that your life is out of control is confronting for a bulimic. Generally speaking we're perfectionists and the idea that something has control over our lives can take many, many years to come to terms with.

The first step is to admit the problem and recognize you need to make a change. The next of my bulimia tips is then to share this with someone in your life. Be it a friend, family member, social worker, therapist. Reinforcing your commitment to get help by telling someone about it and your commitment to make a change is so powerful. You'll be surprised at the sense of relief you'll feel. As scary as it sounds telling people about your problem will actually give you strength to get through it.

When you articulate in words what you're going through, the true enormity of your problem will become evident to you. It will also help you identify and acknowledge the feelings that you weren't even aware of.

Telling someone is an important one of my bulimia tips, because we sometimes lack the objectivity to see what is going on in our own lives. The telltale symptoms of bulimia are there, but you may not be able to see them. A friend will not only help you see the effects of bulimia on your life, but can be a stand for you as you walk your road to recovery.

When I told my first friend about my bulimia I was amazed to hear she had suffered from an eating disorder earlier in life, too. The scary part was when I was thinking of what to say and the fear I had about how she would react. I can honestly say I've never told someone I had bulimia and had them react in a less than supportive way. Most are shocked and surprised, but compassionate because they understand how hard it must be to live that way.

It may seem really difficult, even humiliating, to admit you have a problem but if you're going to reap the benefit of these bulimia tips then you have to take that all important first step. Admit your addiction and then tell someone who cares for you so you can start your recovery process right away.