A According to the international classification of diseases, bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by alternating sudden attacks of severe hunger with excessive concern about one’s weight. In connection with this, the patient consumes an uncontrollable amount of food, and then tries to cleanse himself of it, causing vomiting immediately after eating, taking laxatives or various means for weight loss. The disease most often develops in people suffering from diseases of the nervous, endocrine system and metabolic disorders. Typically, bulimia affects young women who tend to be overly concerned with their appearance. It is diagnosed in 10–15% of the fair sex. Diagnosis Bulimia was known to the ancient Egyptians. But at that time this was the name for a condition in which a person loves to eat so much that he cannot control himself. Explanations from a psychological point of view first appeared in the 19th century, when experts began to view bulimia as an eating disorder that occurs due to increased anxiety and nervousness of the patient. Since the 40s of the 20th century, bulimia began to be defined in the psychological literature as an eating disorder syndrome. It was viewed in this context until the English psychiatrist Gerald Russell identified the main diagnostic characteristics of this nervous disorder in 1979. In 1980, bulimia was first classified as a specific eating disorder. In 1992, bulimia nervosa appeared on the list of mental disorders in the International Classification of Diseases. To diagnose bulimia in a patient, the EAT-26 test, which demonstrates attitudes towards food intake, is usually used. Of course, this is only the initial stage of diagnosis. You should not self-diagnose your disease and try to cure it. Only specialists deal with such problems. Causes of bulimia Since bulimia is a mental illness, psychological trauma is often the cause of its occurrence, leading to disruptions in the functioning of the food center. The most common reasons include:1. Childhood psychological trauma received under the following circumstances: • the infant was often hungry; • the patient grew up with a lack of love and attention from parents, especially the mother. Psychologists find a close connection between a negative mother complex and bulimia. The image of a mother in a baby is inextricably linked with food: if the mother is nearby, then soon there will be food. If the mother showed unloving behavior, the child may have an unhealthy relationship with food for the rest of his life. He will absorb it in large quantities, but immediately expel it from himself; • in adolescence, relationships with peers did not develop. The child was teased and did not want to be friends with him; • parents rewarded him with food for exemplary behavior and good studies. In this case, the child develops a stereotype that food is the main path to pleasure. It’s easy to get, and there’s a lot of pleasant stuff. The child does not understand that he needs to eat only when he is hungry.2. An underestimate due to dissatisfaction with one's appearance: • parents constantly told the child that he is fat, slow, clumsy, etc.; • ridicule from peers, a coach or teachers about being overweight; • passion for fashion magazines, on the covers of which over-representation thin models. Many girls are sure that only slim people can have a happy personal life and a successful career. Therefore, they are ready to do anything to achieve the desired figure parameters. In addition, bulimia can easily develop in suspicious people who strive to keep everything under control.3. Stress and increased anxiety. With the help of a large amount of food, a person tries to get rid of stress, calm down, and give himself at least some pleasure. After all, it is during eating that glucose enters the brain, increasing the concentration of “happiness hormones.” A person can reward himself with food as during tragic events (loss of loved ones, divorce, illness,...