What is Bulimia Nervosa?

Bulimia Nervosa is a serious eating disorder, prevalent in South Africa, characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating followed by extreme efforts to avoid gaining weight, often by vomiting or exercising to excess. This repetitious binge-and-purge cycle can cause damage to your digestive system and create chemical imbalances in the body that harm the functioning of major organs, including the heart. It can even be fatal.

While it is most common among young women, bulimia can affect women and men of all ages. When you’re struggling with bulimia nervosa, life is a constant battle between the desire to lose weight and the overwhelming compulsion to binge eat. You don’t want to binge—you know you’ll feel guilty and ashamed afterwards—but time and again you give in. After the binge ends, panic sets in and you turn to drastic measures to “undo” you’re overeating, such as taking laxatives, vomiting, or going for an intense run. No matter how trapped in this vicious cycle you feel, though, there is hope. With treatment and support, you can break the cycle, learn to manage unpleasant emotions in a healthier way, and regain your sense of control.

How can Imani help your bulimia treatment?

Imani Recovery Centre for Eating Disorders is one of the most extensive programs in South Africa providing comprehensive care for those struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and co-occurring disorders. We are a team of psychiatrists, doctors, therapists, dieticians and nursing staff who take pride in supporting all our clients in their journey of recovery from eating disorders. Led by eating-disorder experts, Imani is chosen by clients for its superior medical and psychiatric treatment, innovative therapies, individualized aftercare, alumni support, and family involvement.

Every person who enters our doors is unique and has their own challenges so we provide specifically tailored treatment programmes to meet each of our client’s individual needs. With specialised treatment and support, Imani strives to empower each of our clients to overcome their eating disorders and build radical acceptance of their bodies, of their minds and of their lives.

The specialised inpatient programme offers a range of therapeutic opportunities and interventions designed to interrupt maladaptive behaviour patterns and promote behavioural and emotional growth and change. Treatment is comprehensive and individually tailored, with an emphasis on treating all aspects of the individual. Our aim is to foster a greater understanding and acceptance in our clients, in order for change to transpire.

Treatment at Imani emphasizes redirecting our clients away from an obsessive and solitary concern with the world of food and weight towards the arena of human connection and interaction. Through empathic confrontation, and learning new and healthier ways to satisfy unmet needs, we have seen unhealthy behaviours lessen, and our clients build meaning, trust, motivation, compassion and stability in their recovery.

If you, a family member or friend are suffering from Bulimia Nervosa and want to know more about Bulimia Nervosa Treatment in South Africa contact us today!