Ottawa Bulimia Nervosa

At The Balanced Practice, we are committed to eradicating eating disorders and proving the power of healing. We support folks of all genders and ages who are ready to recover from their eating disorder. Recovering from bulimia is not easy, however, it is possible, and you deserve recovery.

Bulimia Nervosa, commonly referred to as bulimia, is a serious and complex eating disorder that is characterized by cycles of restrictive intake leading to episodes of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, or laxative use. Folks with bulimia will also often experience a pervasive preoccupation with body weight, shape, and food.

Bulimia impacts more than just the relationship between food and the body. When struggling with bulimia, the person will often experience negative impacts on their physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.

There is not one factor that leads to the development of bulimia. In fact, the onset is often impacted by various factors, such as:

• Biological: Genetic predisposition, energy imbalance (such as dieting)
• Psychological: Personality traits (such as perfectionism, impulsivity, competitiveness), low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.
• Sociocultural: Thin ideal, weight stigma
• Environmental: Childhood trauma, family dynamics, influence of peers

One thing is clear though, it is not your fault, and you did not choose this.

• Folks of all body sizes can develop bulimia.
• Folks of all genders can develop bulimia.
• Bulimia is the eating disorder with the highest rate of death by suicide
• Bulimia is the most common eating disorder amongst the military
• A multidisciplinary approach to treatment is required to recover from bulimia

Recovery from bulimia nervosa is possible with the right treatment and support. Your experience with bulimia is unique, and your treatment needs to reflect your uniqueness. There is no one-size-fits-all to recovery.

The initial stages of the treatment of bulimia will often include nutrition rehabilitation, body safety, eating disorder symptom reduction (distress tolerance), and medical stability.
As you progress in treatment, your team will support you with building confidence with food and your body, breaking the restrict-binge-purge cycle while addressing any maintaining factors and any underlying issues.

At The Balanced Practice, we are committed to helping individuals overcome bulimia and live a recovered life. Our approach is weight-inclusive, anti-carceral, evidence-based, lived experience-informed, and collaborative. You are at the center of care, always. We aim to create a space where you can feel seen, heard, understood, and empowered to achieve your recovery goals.

At The Balanced Practice, we offer comprehensive treatment for bulimia which includes individualized care (with a registered dietitian and therapist who specialize in the treatment of bulimia), group therapy, meal support, family support and all care coordination. You don’t have to recover alone we are here to help you and be your support system along the way.