The nurse told me I was lucky that I wasn't sicker. She knew one girl whose esophagus had ruptured from all the acid from throwing up. Purging can result in stomachaches, nausea, weakness, sore muscles, and rotting teeth. Even more serious is dehydration, which can cause a loss of potassium and trigger a heart attack. Experts say bulimics are easier to treat than anorexics because they more often want to be helped.
Antidepressants help, and so does education about nutrition.
So does learning what situations trigger the binges. I couldn't deal with anyone being mad at me. I'd go right for the cookies. It's important to put food into the proper perspective. Vivian Meehan of ANAD says young people shouldn't think in terms of dieting but of eating healthy foods that taste good.