Written by:

Medically Reviewed by:

Dr Mateen Durrani – MBBS, DPM, MSc, BCPsych

This Page was last reviewed and changed on January 10th, 2023

Treatment for bulimia nervosa

Every day more and more people are receiving treatment for bulimia nervosa. Bulimia is one of the most common eating disorders in the country, with almost half a million Britons suffering from food-related disorders. Bulimia enslaves people in a distressing cycle of eating and purging. Fortunately, the bulimia treatment success rate is high, and we at Primrose Lodge are confident that we have the facilities, compassion, and expertise to help clients receive beneficial bulimia nervosa treatment. Our sole purpose is to restore clients’ physical and mental health, as well as equip them with the tools they need to make a life-long recovery.

bulimia-rehab-treatment-therapy-group

What is bulimia rehab?

Attending rehab for bulimia is essential for anyone battling this disorder as it takes a holistic approach to recovery, incorporating physical healing via diet and nutrition, psychological talking therapies and various additional treatments. These range of treatments allow you gain all-around physical, mental, and emotional healing. Upon admission to rehab for bulimia, you will be medically assessed and given a personalised recovery plan tailored to your specific requirements. This will ensure you have the best possible chance of long-term recovery.

Do I need treatment for bulimia?

It’s not easy to put your trust in others, but bulimia is very difficult to battle alone. Our therapists can support you through the process using first-hand experience of recovery; the quicker we can give you treatment for bulimia, the less likely you are to gain long-term health consequences.

If you relate to any of the statements below, it’s a good sign that you may want to consider bulimia rehab.

I feel like I have no control over my eating habits; sometimes, I binge eat, and I am unable to stop despite feeling full.
I purge immediately after eating or bingeing. This can induce vomiting, abusing laxatives or participating in an extreme exercise to burn calories.
I make excuses after eating with others so I can purge
I hoard food in secret so others can’t see
I hide my bingeing, food wrappers and containers so others can’t see
I am unhappy with my weight or body shape. I constantly weigh myself or look in the mirror.
I am worried that I will gain weight.
I feel guilt and shame after eating.

Our treatment for bulimia

First, we treat the physical bulimia symptoms by providing you with a nutrition plan, and then we help you choose the best therapies and treatment options. Therapy is highly important as 95% of people with bulimia suffer from a co-occurring psychiatric disorder, counselling can help address the underlying reasons which lead you to your behavioural patterns.
Whilst staying at bulimia rehab, you will be invited to partake in several treatment programmes, some of which will resonate with you more than others. Our advice is to try everything and embrace what is available. We know from experience that something always resonates with each client, which gives them a spark of hope, which only glows stronger and brighter as they progress. So, keep an open mind and allow yourself to be open to all that is suggested, as you may be pleasantly surprised at what you wish to continue once you leave rehab.

Below is a list of some of the therapies and treatments we offer as a treatment for bulimia:

One-on-one therapy sessions
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Creative expressive therapy
Group sessions that aid behaviour modification and emotion management
Family therapy
12-step facilitation and meetings
Nutrition counselling
Psychotherapy
Mediation
Gong baths
Yoga

bulimia-rehab-treatment-meditation-therapy

Whilst staying at rehab for bulimia, you’ll be invited to attend holistic treatments such as meditation, yoga, and creative therapies such as art and music therapy. These can help you express yourself and access a place of inner peace. This has wonderful benefits for your nervous system; the sense of calm can rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. These treatments are a great accompaniment to counselling and talking therapies.

By following a holistic approach that incorporates proven bulimic treatment methodology, we can achieve the following:

Restore you to a healthy body weight
Address distorted thinking
Treat emotional problems such as low self-esteem
Help you make behavioural changes that contribute to long-lasting recovery

Talking Therapies

Talking therapies are particularly effective in treating bulimia. Treatments in this category are referred to as talking therapies because of the key role communication plays in their efficiency. Some of the talking therapies we use to help our patients include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT involves communicating with a therapist whose aim is to understand the root cause of your disorder and develop a personalised treatment plan to care for it. By going through CBT, you will learn to make healthy food choices, cope with your feelings, and understand nutrition and the effects of starvation.

Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)

CAT is a type of psychological therapy form of a collaborative programme. It operates by understanding how you think about food and how your thoughts influence your feelings and actions. It will also look into past experiences that may have contributed to bulimia.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)

IPT is attachment-focused psychotherapy that focuses on symptomatic recovery and resolving interpersonal problems. It helps by looking into relationships and past life events that may impact your perception of food, body image, and mood. This form of therapy works best when combined with medications and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Nutrition and diet management

Your nutrition and diet are also vital to fully recovering from bulimia. By carefully managing your nutrition and diet, our clinical team will put you through a personalised programme that stabilises your weight and provides you with optimal nutrition. The nutrition programme will be amended as necessary as your condition improves.

Family support

Family support will require you and your family to speak with a therapist to explore how your eating disorder has affected not just you but also your family. It will also teach your family how to support you through the trying period of recovery to good health.

Therapists, during family support, will also educate you on how to manage feelings or circumstances that may cause you to relapse into unhealthy eating habits. Sessions can be held with your family,

Bulimia rehab treatment benefits

Our sister centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire, is our primary centre for treating Bulimia. Staying in our private rehab for bulimia treatment comes with various benefits, including therapists with firs-hand experience of eating disorders and a supportive network of peers.

We understand how debilitating living with bulimia can be. We hope to give you the best possible chance at recovery by providing you with you thorough treatment that will repair and restore you physical and mental health. If have any more questions about bulimia rehab, give us a call today and one of our helpful advisors will go through them with you.

Frequently asked questions

How can I prevent bulimia nervosa relapse?

There are many steps you can take after completing bulimia nervosa treatment which can reduce the risk of relapse. These include participating fully in aftercare (Primrose Lodge provides free aftercare for one year for all clients), eating regular meals and snacks, developing healthy coping skills (such as mindfulness or exercise), avoiding triggers that can cause relapse (e.g. social media comparison, restrictive dieting) and seeking extra support from loved ones or a therapist when needed.

How long does bulimia nervosa treatment take?

Everybody is different with their own unique needs and so effective bulimia treatment can vary from person to person. At Primrose Lodge, we recognise that everyone has their own set of circumstances and may not be able to commit an extended period of time to treatment. To suit as many people as possible, we offer a range of bulimia treatment programmes from one week to three months to ensure that as many people as possible can get the help they need.