When To Call A Professional

Contact a health care professional (physician, counselor, psychiatrist) if you think you have, or are at risk of, bulimia. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, talk to a trusted friend or family member about your concerns and ask them to contact someone for you.

If someone you know shows signs of bulimia, encourage him or her to contact a physician or mental health professional. Confronting someone with bulimia can be difficult. He or she may deny the problem or become defensive. For more information on how to talk to someone you suspect is bulimic, see the Additional Information section below.

Prognosis

Many people with eating disorders recover, especially if their condition is recognized early. Estimates vary, but between one-third and two-thirds of individuals continue to have symptoms. Treatment improves the chances of reducing problems and improving functioning. When the illness begins in adolescence, the prognosis is probably better. Prognosis is worse if the person has other psychiatric problems, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, a mood problem or a personality disorder.

Additional Info

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders P.O. Box 7 Highland Park, IL 60035 Phone: (847) 831-3438 Fax: (847) 433-4632 E-Mail: anad20@aol.com http://www.anad.org/

American Psychiatric Association 1400 K St., NW Washington, DC 20005 Toll-Free: (888) 357-7924 Fax: (202) 682-6850 E-Mail: apa@psych.org http://www.psych.org/

American Psychological Association 750 First St., NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 Phone: (202) 336-5510 Toll-Free: (800) 374-2721 TTY: (202) 336-6123 Fax: (202) 336-5500 http://www.apa.org/