Purging Disorder: Symptoms & Treatment
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Purging Disorder: Symptoms & Treatment
Not all eating disorders look like what you’ve been shown in after-school documentaries or dramatic TV specials. Some are quieter, sneakier, and much less talked about. One of them is purging disorder.
You see, when we talk about eating disorders, we often think of binge eating, followed by purging behaviours like vomiting, using laxatives, or excessive exercise. That’s typically how bulimia nervosa is defined. But what happens when the binge doesn’t come first?
That’s where purging disorder sits right at the edge of visibility.
What Is Purging Disorder?
Purging disorder is a lesser-known, but severe, eating disorder where individuals engage in purging behaviours without engaging in binge eating. They may eat a regular or even small amount of food, then feel an overwhelming compulsion to “get rid of it. This can be through vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, fasting, or excessive exercise.
The difference? It’s not about loss of control through binging it’s about power, period. Many people with purging eating disorders appear to be fully in control. That’s what makes it so dangerous. It hides in plain sight.
Recognising the Symptoms
Spotting symptoms of purging requires more than just watching someone’s food intake. Here are some subtle and not-so-subtle signs:
- Disappearing after meals (especially to the bathroom)
- Swollen cheeks or jawline from frequent vomiting
- Eating disorder symptoms like strict food rules or calorie counting
- Use of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics
- Eroded tooth enamel, bad breath, sore throat
- Irregular heartbeat or dizziness (from electrolyte imbalances)
- Excessive exercise
- Guilt or anxiety after meals
- Obsession with body image and weight
Sometimes, individuals may also have overlapping symptoms of anorexia nervosa, especially a fear of gaining weight or body dysmorphia. But purging disorder is its own diagnosis; it deserves specific attention.
Why Do People Purge Without Binging?
Let’s talk about the “why.” People develop purging behaviour for various reasons — trauma, body image issues, societal pressure, perfectionism, or feeling emotionally unsafe in their own bodies.
For some, it becomes a misguided coping mechanism for emotional pain. For others, it’s an attempt to “erase” the shame associated with eating.
And unlike those struggling with overeating, purging disorder often comes from eating very little, but still feeling like it was “too much.” In a world obsessed with thinness and control, purging can feel like a twisted form of safety.
How to Stop the Cycle
How to stop overeating is a question that gets asked a lot but what about stopping the urge to purge?
Treatment for purging eating disorder is complex but possible. It requires addressing the underlying emotional distress, reprogramming how one relates to food, and rebuilding body trust.
Some key approaches include:
You can’t “just stop.” Recovery is not about willpower. It’s about rewiring the brain, healing shame, and learning new ways to cope.
What Recovery Looks Like
Healing from purging disorder doesn’t happen overnight. There may be relapses. There will be fear. But there is also hope.
Recovery involves eating without fear, finding joy in nourishment, and developing a more compassionate relationship with your body. It also consists in facing what led to the purging in the first place, whether that’s trauma, social conditioning, or emotional suppression.
Many recovery centres now offer specialised programs for purging disorder, recognising it as distinct from bulimia nervosa or binge eating. If you or someone you know is struggling, seeking professional help is the first and bravest step.
FAQs
What is a purging behavior?
Any behavior meant to eliminate calories after eating. This includes vomiting, using laxatives, diuretics, fasting, or exercising excessively.
How do I know if someone is purging?
Look for signs like disappearing after meals, swollen cheeks, worn-down teeth, compulsive exercise, and secrecy around food.
What is purging in eating disorders?
It’s a form of compensatory behaviour used in disorders like bulimia nervosa and purging disorder, often driven by fear, guilt, or a desire for control.
What is the cause of purging?
Causes can include perfectionism, trauma, low self-worth, anxiety, or societal body standards. It’s rarely about vanity, it’s about pain.
How Can Samarpan Help?
At Samarpan Health Centre, Asia’s most trusted name in eating disorder treatment, we provide expert care for individuals struggling with purging disorder, binge eating, and related conditions such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Often hidden behind secrecy and shame, purging behaviours—such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, or excessive exercise are serious signs of distress, not just habits. These symptoms of purging can cause long-term damage to both physical and mental health, and are frequently accompanied by other eating disorder symptoms such as body image issues, emotional dysregulation, and cycles of overeating and restriction. At Samarpan, our trauma-informed team of specialists helps clients understand what purging is, where it stems from, and how to stop overeating or purging through holistic and evidence-based therapies. Whether you’re facing a purging eating disorder rooted in trauma or battling disordered patterns linked to bulimia nervosa, our compassionate approach addresses both the behavioural symptoms and the emotional pain underneath. With medical monitoring, psychotherapy, nutritional rehabilitation, and body image therapy, Samarpan offers one of the most comprehensive programs for purging and related disorders in the region, empowering each individual to reclaim their health, their body, and their self-worth.