[ilikecats]

So I threw up tonight, and it's the first time I've done it for probably a couple of months. Before this, I had been doing it for a few weeks, but then I stopped until tonight. I'm worried that this could be the beginning of bulimia. It's not like I throw up after each meal, or that I binge and then throw up. It's just once in a while when I feel like it. How did you start becoming bulimic? When does a person become officially bulimic rather than just being a person who throws up sometimes? Like would I have to throw up multiple times a day to have bulimia, or is the fact that I did it once mean I have it?

Bulimia is characterized by binge eating and then compensating (throwing up, excessive exercizing, abusing laxatives). If you don't binge eat, you don't have bulimia. However you might have anorexia - purging type, or eating disorder NOS.

[VermiciousKnid]

Hi ilikecats,

First of all, props to you for posting and asking. It's important for us to take care of and educate ourselves. I fought bulimia in high school, and it began small and grew into a monster. At first it was occasional (if I happened to overeat at a buffet, etc) and eventually I found myself overeating by myself at home and purging. Once again, this process grew relatively slowly over a period of months. Eventually, I found myself unable to control it and feared for my life. Even though I was scared, I wasn't ready to reach out for help, but my parents took the initiative to send me to a treatment center, where I was able to overcome it.

So, in my opinion, any deliberate binging and purging is cause for concern, because I understand how the occasional binge and purge can grow into a nightmare. When we force ourselves to vomit, we are harming ourselves, physically and mentally. It is a form of self-harm.

Once again, good for you for coming here and posting. That's more than I would have been able to do back then. I hope you find the support you need to avoid this harmful practice. hugs if ok