Bulimia: Modern man challenge

Abstract

The fact, that man has always been focused on external beauty is never surprising. The base of our identity is our body. However, it is worrying to know that whether they are obese, thin, or normally fed, people of both sexes and all age groups have never been as dissatisfied with their bodies as they are today. Many do not perceive eating disorders as serious diseases, but as someone's whim, the desire to be thin, and some even go so far as to accept a disturbed diet as healthy. We notice that healthy people talk about eating disorders in an affirmative tone - they don't understand that it is a disease. Avoiding a normal diet is considered "normal" and even desirable. Unfortunately, eating disorders are culturally normalized. The most commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Unlike anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa is much more difficult to detect. It can remain unrecognized for a long time even from the immediate environment, because a person suffering from bulimia is usually of normal body weight, and bulimic crises usually take place in secret. And then, even when the disease is discovered, its meaning and severity are often unrecognized. Unfortunately, bulimia nervosa is often experienced as a whim of a spoiled child from a rich society. In etiological terms, bulimia nervosa is a multifactorial disease. In its origin and development, the role is played by various factors that interact with each other: genetic, neurobiological, psychological and socio-cultural. There are many interpretations of the psychodynamics of bulimia nervosa, the significance and symbolism of symptoms. The most common comorbidities are depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and substance abuse. The consequences of the disease are in the sphere of mental and physical health. Recognition and treatment of bulimia nervosa is extremely important, and psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are used in the treatment of patients.