Beat Bulimia Homepage

In this section:

• About Judith Asner
• Intervention to Help Someone with Bulimia Nervosa
• You Are Not Alone
• Loss and Bulimia
• Reworking the Myth of Personal Incompetence: Group Psychotherapy for Bulimia Nervosa

When food is the enemy... reach out for a friend^TM

Welcome to the Beat Bulimia website. I'm Judith Asner, M.S.W. I specialize in treating people suffering from eating disorders, especially bulimia nervosa.

Bulimia (bulimia nervosa) is defined as periods of uncontrolled eating. The person eats anywhere up to 10,000 calories in a sitting. The binge eating is followed by purging behaviors, i.e., vomiting, laxatives, excessive exercise or sleep.

Bulimia is not a pretty disease. It does not bring the admiration of peers, as starving does. Writer's have spoken about "the moral superiority" of anorexia nervosa. Being able to starve is an "art" because it involves self-control. One feels so morally superior! Society admires starving women.

Not so with purging out-of-control women! There is no moral superiority in throwing up your food after stuffing yourself. But all-in-all, it is a way of avoiding feelings by focusing on food and thinness. Therefore, many people with this illness hide in shame.

On the Beat Bulimia site, we'll be talking about the causes of bulimia, what you need to do to recover from bulimia, and how your family and friends can help. Our goal here is to bring bulimics out of hiding and form a virtual community where we can help each other.

I know that some of you may feel as if you will never recover from this affliction. Well, believe me, you can.

Thank you for coming by and I hope you get something positive from your visit here.

Judith Asner, M.S.W.

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