In modern times, the continued growth of technology-based communication has resulted in an ever-present force of social habituation. The constant need for communication with the world has become an obsession for many of us. The use of these technologies results in a continual expression of social “norms” and expectations. Especially impacting adolescents, negative pressures can be achieved through self-disapproval upon an encounter with these social expressions. One resulting impact from theses instances is that t has become increasingly more common for individuals to develop eating disorders. Bulimia nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder that impacts about 1.5 % of the population. BN seems to target the female population in their adolescent years. Contrary to popular belief, bulimia disorder is a severe mental disorder.
BN is characterized by repetitive episodes of binge eating and compensatory behaviors. These compensatory behaviors can include excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, or diuretic/laxative abuse. Individuals with BN exhibit dysregulation of estrogen and the serotonergic system within their brains. Serotonin effects are widespread throughout the brain and contribute to particular behaviors such as eating and sex. In BN, serotonergic dysregulation is correlated with brain arousal and brain arousal is associated with redundancy. The core behavior of BN is the binge/purge cycle and the associated award when performing these behaviors. Repetitive behaviors further implicate the positive reward associated with these activities in people with BN.
Estrogen is also associated with BN. Although it is not completely understood, a correlation between estrogen and regulation has been correlated with BN. Disruption of menstrual cycles and developmental cues associated with estrogen are supportive evidence of this claim. As for as drugs used to alleviate BN symptoms, estrogen based treatments have been looked into, but all-in-all are there other treatments that could be more effective in dealing with the issue of BN in modern-day society.
Often times, BN onset is highly influenced by societal pressures. These pressures are hard to address due to the nature they present themselves. As stated earlier, a continual bombardment of negative social influences on individuals with BN results in disapproval. It seems that the most relevant treatment for BN is positive education. Recognizing that BN has a neurological implication and encouraging an environment that promotes self-acceptance is key to address the issue of body image.
Bulimia Nervosa: Neurological Implication
