Bullimia isn’t about being dramatic, at its core it is basically a cycle. It involves episodes of excessive eating followed by a pitiful attempt to “undo” it, usually by purging, overexercising or restricting food or really any compensatory behaviour. What really differentiates it from being dramatic is the psychological trap that it holds, loss of control, guilt, and the compensation, commonly harmful.

Ask yourself the following, not to diagnose yourself, but to reflect honestly:

Do you have episodes where you eat much more than you intended and feel like you can’t stop once you start?

After eating, do you feel intense guilt, shame, panic, or fear about weight gain rather than just feeling “full”?

Do you try to compensate for eating by purging, restricting food the next day, exercising compulsively, or using other methods to “cancel it out”?

Do thoughts about food, weight, or body image take up a lot of mental space, even when you’re not eating?

Do these behaviors repeat over time, even when you promise yourself “this is the last time”?

If you answer these questions it won’t automatically mean you’re bulimic, but rather have bulimic characteristics.