5 dangers of bulimia that could kill you

I suffered from bulimia for almost 10 years. I experienced many of its terrible side effects and was lucky to escape with my life. Many people never seek help for their bulimia and live with this illness for years, even many decades…

Too often, bulimia kills.

People don’t understand the true dangers of bulimia. They think that because bulimics are often a healthy weight, that it’s an eating disorder for sure… The truth couldn’t be more different.

Below I have listed the 5 scariest dangers of bulimia

1) Electrolyte imbalance

We need the correct balance of electrolytes in our body to ensure that our muscles, organs, and nerves function well. Bulimics often suffer from severe electrolyte imbalances caused by extreme vomiting or laxative abuse.

Electrolyte imbalances put massive stress on your organs and can cause sudden cardiac arrest and death.

This is what happened to Terri Schiavo. She didn’t quite kill her, but she was brain dead and remained in a vegetative state for 15 years…Eventually, her husband won a court case to remove her feeding tube and allow her to starve.

Terri Schiavo’s story terrifies me because when I was bulimic my electrolyte levels were so low. She had irregular heartbeats and severe chest pains. I feel so grateful to have escaped with my life.

2) Gastric rupture

A gastric rupture occurs when a bulimic person eats a large amount of food during a binge. The volume of food you have eaten is so great that it bursts your gastrointestinal tract.

Gastric ruptures are one of the scariest of all the complications of bulimia… It will most likely kill you and it will be so unexpected.

I remember numerous times when I ate so much that I was sure something had to go bad! Thank God it never did… Again, thank my lucky star!

3) Ketoacidosis

Ketoacidosis is when high levels of acids build up in the bloodstream. These acids are also known as ketones. They occur when your body burns stored fat, instead of food sources, for energy.

It is caused by starvation, binging and purging, extreme dehydration, diabetes, alcoholism, and hyperglycemia.

If ketoacidosis is not treated, it could lead to a sudden coma and even death.

4) Cancer!

Many bulimics suffer from constant and severe acid reflux. This is because they have damaged their ‘check valve’ which helps to retain food.

1 in 10 people who suffer from terrible acid reflux will develop a condition called Barrett’s esophagus.

Barrett’s esophagus can lead to esophageal cancer. This is extremely dangerous as it is often discovered at a late stage, once treatment is difficult and ineffective.

If a person with Barrett’s esophagus is found to have severe cancer, removal of most of the esophagus is recommended. Nasty things!

It’s scary to know that bulimia can lead to cancer!

5) suicide

Bulimia and depression are two intertwined diseases. It can be hard to pinpoint which started first…and which caused the other.

In my case, depression definitely triggered my bulimia… Leaving Zimbabwe (home) in my teens made my life spiral out of control. I got depressed and that depression manifested as bulimia.

Once I developed bulimia, it was desperately hard to break the habit… The cycle of bulimia and depression ran its course for 10 long years.

Bulimia can cause severe depression. It makes you feel disgusted with yourself, alone, and helpless. You feel like a freak. Most of all you feel ashamed. Due to this severe depression, suicide becomes a real concern.

Bulimics are so disgusted and ashamed of themselves that they don’t seek help. They suffer in silence until they can no longer.

How to PREVENT and AVOID these terrifying complications of bulimia

These dangers of bulimia are what prompted me to seek help. I didn’t want bulimia to win the battle.

I have now been bulimia free for over 4 years. I am healthy and happy. I’ve managed to avoid any of the serious complications of bulimia…although I do suffer from bulimia teeth, but that’s nothing a dentist can’t fix (at a price!) I’m alive and bulimia is a part of my past… It’s not part of my future.

To help reduce your chances of these complications, you should try to eat plenty of fresh, healthy foods…and you should try to keep them low. Your body needs the nutrients to function properly and heal any damage you’ve already done.

The best way to prevent and avoid the side effects of bulimia is to recover.

And you CAN recover! If I did – anyone can. I really believe that.