If psychotherapy alone is not effective, some patients also receive medication. Doctors have found that antidepressant medications may be useful. Some studies have shown that antidepressants can be effective even in patients with bulimia who are not clinically depressed. One possible explanation for this effect is that in patients with bulimia, the binge behavior acts as a mood lifter or stress management tool. Medication is thought to suppress the need to binge.
Individual counseling can last many months.
Support groups for people with eating disorders and for their families are another valuable resource that helps deal with issues that trigger problem behavior. It was approved for the treatment of depression in 1987. Now it is also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. Serotonin is very important in the regulation of hunger and appetite as well as mood. Studies have shown that people with bulimia may have an abnormality in their brains' handling of serotonin.