Types of psychotherapy in treating people with bulimia

Medical intervention helps alleviate the immediate physical problems associated with bulimia. Medication can help the person with bulimia break the binge/purge cycle. 

However drug therapy alone rarely produces recovery. Psychotherapy plays a major role helping the individual with bulimia recover from the disorder. Several different types of psychotherapy are used depending on the individual’s situation. 

Generally, the goal of psychotherapy is help the individual change his or her behavior and develop a healthy attitude toward their body and food. 

Some types of psychotherapy that have been successful in treating people with bulimia are listed below.  

-Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is designed to confront and then change the individual’s thoughts and feelings about his or her body and behaviors toward food, but it does not address why those thoughts or feelings exist. Strategies to maintain self-control may be explored. This therapy is relatively short-term. CBT is often the therapy of choice for people with bulimia, and it is often successful at least in the short term.  

-Interpersonal therapy is short-term therapy that helps the individual identify specific issues and problems in relationships. The individual may be asked to look back at his or her family history to try to recognize problem areas and work toward resolving them. Interpersonal therapy has about the same rate of success in people with bulimia as CBT.  

-Family and/or couples therapy is helpful in dealing with conflict or disorder that may be a factor in triggering binge/purge behavior at home.  

-Supportive-expressive therapy or group therapy may be helpful in addition to other types of therapy.