An interpretative phenomenological analysis exploring lived experiences of bulimia nervosa

Bishop, Geraldine

Abstract

Background
Bulimia nervosa is defined as a clinically recognised disorder, the key diagnostic features of which are eating an ‘abnormally’ large amount of food within a short space of time and compensatory behaviours such as abusing laxatives, vomiting and excessive exercising. Research within the area of eating disorders has been mostly concerned with anorexia nervosa and studies have been primarily conducted with the female population. Predominant aims of this study were centred on understanding participants lived experiences of bulimia, drawing attention to the stigma associated with bulimia, exploring how this may impact on the process of seeking support, and highlighting the challenges found in the pathologizing of bulimia.
Method
This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of seven female participants aged between 21-34 years old who identified with bulimia nervosa. The research utilised semi – structured interviews to facilitate participants to talk about their experiences and understandings of bingeing and purging processes, recovery from bulimia and the emotional impact of bulimia. The study also explored participants’ relationships with food, body image and the role of bulimia specifically in relation to identity. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse to data.
Findings
The findings of this study provides a rich source of material which details the participants’ experiences and understandings of bulimia nervosa. Whilst participants’ experiences varied, there were a number of commonalities evident throughout the analysis relating to the concept of control, the experience of feeling caught in a cycle, inner conflict and experiences of recovery. The analysis suggested that participants’ experiences of bulimia introduced difficulties in emotion regulation, experiences of shame, and fears of being misunderstood. The concept of control was frequently highlighted throughout the analysis and was associated with experiences of feeling caught within a repeated cycle of bulimia. All participants spoke about the feeling of being caught in a cycle, emphasising the impact of secrecy in bulimia. Both fears of being misunderstood and secrecy in bulimia were seen as being partly a result of stigma and highlighted a need to move away from the pathologizing of bulimia. Bingeing and purging were both presented as behavioural attempts to cope with distress. The findings of this study contribute towards the existing literature in the area of eating disorders and to the field of Counselling Psychology by offering insights into how participants understand and experience bulimia nervosa. This understanding has the potential to inform practitioners when working therapeutically with clients experiencing eating disorders.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 12, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 23, 2022
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8544752
• Award Date: Jun 23, 2022