12. Bulimia and the binge/purge cycle with The Eating Disorder Therapist aka Harriet Frew

Welcome to another episode of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. Today we sit down with Harriet Frew, who I met as a mutual podcaster. She is the host of the Eating Disorder Therapist podcast, and is a really experienced counselor in the UK. Besides offering individual therapy and her podcast, Harriet has online courses, trainings, and break through days, which we'll talk a little bit about in our conversation. Harriet specializes in the treatment of bulimia binge eating disorder, and OSFED (other specified category), and she really focuses on the psychology of disordered eating or eating disorders. Harriet is a BACP accredited counselor and eating disorder practitioner and has worked on adult eating disorders since 2003.    In this episode, Harriet brings a ton of experience and knowledge and I'm really excited to share our conversation. Let's dive right in!  [00:01 - 05:31] Opening Segment I introduce our guest for this episode Harriet talks about specializing in bulimia  Experiencing bulimia firsthand  Triggered by different stresses  Importance of having support  [05:32 - 23:55]  Let’s Talk About Bulimia  What is bulimia? Symptoms are usually not obvious Binge eating, losing control, keeping it a secret, being ashamed  Binge cycles, restrictive cycles, and the purge  Relationship of exercise and the binge Feels like a compulsive thing after the binge  “Compensating” for the eating episode  No longer a joyful experience  Simple dieting vs. Eating disorder Treatment and recovery process Breaking the cycle of binging and purging  Understanding the triggers and why it was developed Part of a larger picture  Examples of somebody with these underlying issues  Having a lot of inner conflict A small part is genetics [23:56 - 32:23] Closing Segment  What is a breakthrough day Giving people more time for reflection Not a quick fix How body image plays into eating disorders Connect with Harriet through the links below Final words Tweetable Quotes:   “Every sort of struggle, no matter how small or large or whatever it looks like, should all be taken seriously.” - Rachelle Heinemann Connect with Harriet through her Instagram and checkout her website  at www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk!    LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who may need this podcast by sharing this episode.   You can connect with me, Rachelle Heinemann on Instagram, through my website www.rachelleheinemann.com, or email me directly at [email protected].