Bulimia Help

i have the same problem! i dont go through 3 packs a day, but i go through at least one! i dont know what to do about it either!

I chew gum allllll the time, myself.
I mean I chew it because I know my teeth are not that great anymore. =-( A LOT OF gums have stuff in it that's good for you teeth. Then I also do it because I don't want my breath smelling like vomit =-(

I also am all about fruity gums! lol.

I think it's psychological. I need to chew gum...and its not even if i am or am not thinking about food! just habit!

I buy gum in bulk- it helps tame the oral fixation of chewing. I figure its better than eating and purging. However, if it is giving you canker sores, you might want to cut down- or chew more thoughtfully. For a while, I had to go to sleep with gum in my mouth- yes- very weird, but if turned in bed, I would chew and fall right back to sleep. I love gum!

Sugar free popsicles are good- but unfortunately don't last as long.

when I was in the worst stages of my anorexia I would go through a pack of gum during a single college lecture. I must have looked like such a freak to my professors and classmates. Anyway, I am not doing that anymore, because I am eating more (not my preferred trade-off). I still chew gum, but I think I do it at an appropriate rate now. When I see other women who have gum obsessions, it is a pretty clear sign to me that they have EDs.
On a somewhat related note, I currently consume massive amounts of crystal light and diet soda. I never drink just plain water... I think I am definitely addicted to the artificial sweeteners. It makes me sad that I have such an addictive personality. My fiance can drop habits like they are nothing. Gambling, drinking, video games... nothing phases him. He just quits cold-turkey and that is that. He also gets on these healthy eating kicks that are sometimes triggering for me. I feel so badly about myself for not having that same self-control.

i definately chew a lot of gum to keep the appetite down or to keep something in my mouth so i think twice about eating, also if it's minty some foods taste gross with it.

Yeah, I definitely chew gum, but have been trying to stop as much, because I'm noticing that it might not be helping the problem! I'm trying to just get my mind off of food, but it's so difficult...

Yes yes yes!!!
And I don't even settle for putting one piece in my mouth at a time, has to be two or three pieces!

I think it does bloat me incredibly.
Its the oral fixation. Gum, coffee, ciggarettes...its not good. But you kind of know you have an issue when you specifically think to yourself "I really need to cut down on GUM"

Yet I cant!

I have a serious tea obsession... my favourite is Black Adder licorice tea. Can't be too bad though it is just water after all

The amount of gum I go through is ridiculous. I've been tryinig to stop because I feel like it triggers binges. The chewing satisfies the urge for a little bit but I always end up turning to food. I think I read somewhere that the artificial sweetener makes you hungry. But yeah, I used to go through a pack in one class. Awful. At the end of the week my trash can was filled with wrappers.

I also have suspected that gum and other artificial sweeteners trigger some of my binges. I used to be a major Splenda-holic. I would use like 20 packets in my 32 oz. coffee. I would also pour tons of it on my cereal and fruit, etc. NOT OKAY!!!

I too chew gum all the time! Not three packs but up to about 1 and a half packs a day. I think its like this oral fixation and kind of destressor. My jaw now is pretty strong but does pop and get stuck a lot from the prolonged chewing. But yes, I do enjoy chewing gum, its the best. I figure chewing packs of gum a day is okay if it can in anyway reduce the number of times the binge and purge cycle occur.

I have this addiction to gum as well lol. But I decided it could be a good thing if you use it for the right reasons...like after I eat I pop in a 2 pieces[I can't just chew 1 anymore]and it prevents me from binging if I feel like I want to. And since my family gets angry when I don't eat dinner with them, I put in a couple pieces until dinnertime comes.

i'm never without gum! and i always have two pieces...after everything i eat, keeps urges at bay.

gum and tea! just something in my mouth for my oral fixation. it has prevented me from so many binges! at least a pack a day. i swear ill probably overdose on aspartame. i always wonder if bulimia has anything to do with psychosocial development as a toddler. you know like the oral stage with pacificiers, breastfeeding, and non-nutritive sucking etc...

I have/had the same addiction! Last weeks it is getting a little better. I now drink lots and lots of tea (which is at least way less harmfull) It makes me feel warm inside, it tastes good (try really yummy flavours as chocolate and stawberry cream) it has no calories (sorry ED talking) and it takes some time to get it down as it is so hot.

hopes this helps you at least a bit.... For me stopping this addiction was hard but I was getting soo bloated, it hurt sooo much I felt terrible, so that was/is my motivation to not buy any gum anymore..

I have TMJ which is really sore... but I still have to have gum. I have like 3 flavours and I buy in bulk every week. I fear if I don't have gum I will totally eat something I shouldn't.

what's TMJ?

my therapist told me that chewing excessive amounts of gum is normal for ED people. But, like all obsessions, it has it's faults.. she asked me to cut back. I chew it now mostly after i eat so that i'm not tempted to mini vomit in my mouth.

Is what the doctor says I have. Its a long word.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD or TMD), or TMJ syndrome, is an acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, which connects the lower jaw to the skull. (info from dailystrength.org)

It's not real painful all the time, but it is annoying. I think it was made worse by purging. Chewing gum does make it worse too, as well as when I'm tense and anxious. I need a better alternative to gum I think.

I have to admit when I saw this page, it brought a little smile to my face... I would go through about a packet of gum in an hour, sometimes even less than that. I went through about 4-5 packets a day, because I was the same it stopped me from eating and I couldn't get enough of it. I don't know how to kick the habit, for me I travelled to india and when I was there I couldn't get sugar free gum (let alone a gum that didn't taste awful) and because I would freak out about the idea of chewing sugar I had to stop having it. once I got back I started into it again and whenever I have a backslide I find I go crazy on the stuff. BUT I made a deal with myself that I would only buy a 3 pack a week and now I'm down to about a pack a day or less.... how funny does that sound I'm a pack a day chewer (have never been a smoker so it just sounds hysterical to me). I think if it's causing you problems go and talk to a dentist, they are fantastic!!! I admitted to my dentist that I was bulimic before I admitted it to my father and he was really supportive and I didn't feel in the slightest bit judged. He understood and helped me out and didn't tell me to stop chewing gum he just helped me look after my teeth and mouth. So if you're getting sores etc I would really suggest going to see your dentist

me too =/

are there any notable side effects? Other than a sore jaw and a complaining wallet?

I also chew a lot of gum. I am trying structured eating now, and gum keeps me from eating outside of the scheduled times.

Wow, we all sound like smokers... talking about how many "packs" we go through a day!

hahaha you are all awesome :)

This is so funny as I am a chronic gum chewer myslelf. I am glad to know I am not the only one, WOW! I am around 1-2 packs a day. I chew sugar free and the kind that are supposed to be "good" for your teeth.

Haha.. And there was me thinking I just liked the taste of chewing gum.. Turns out it is all down to this bloody bulimia thing!! Well, at least it all makes sense now - Think I do it sub concsiously to be honest - I don't think it is making me stop craving foods but I just feel the need to have something in my mouth.

Seriously though.. I think I spend half my wages on chewing gum - the amount i get through is ridiculous. I am going to attempt cutting down after reading this.. but seeing as I am already trying as hard as I can to stop binging and purging, I won't beat myself up too much if I can't resist my chewing gum fix for the day!! :-) xx

My mouth and jaw are so sore from the constant chewing and at first i thought gum was a great alternative, but it really is still just another unhealthy way to cope with my emotions/eating disorder. Ive tried brushing my teeth more when i want gum and that seems to have helped definately while im at home at least

i've stopped chewing so much gum and think i'm not so hungry because of it.

I think if you really want to 'quit' bulimia, you have to quit even the small little things that only we all know are bulimic things! The things that aren't written in the books!

Like- gum chewing, cooking for others, looking at food porn, holding onto our stomachs..

It's one thing to quit purging, another to quit bingeing... but try quitting all the subtle behaviours and I think you'll find you've nipped half the illness in the bud!

I only just realised this recently and was quite embarrassed to think that all my colleagues probably could have guessed my problem because I was infamous for always sucking on nicabate lozenges and drinking coffee, and always turned down afternoon meetings to go to the gym. Mmm... So goodbye lozenges and eventually coffee! Having NOTHING in your mouth outside of meal times actually makes it easier to stick to structured eatings. Just imagine a zipper shutting after your last bite, and then not re-opening until your next meal in 3 hours (count it down if you have to)

I feel like a lot of bulimia has to do with compulsions such as the need to be chewing on something.

I wish there were some way to nip those strange behaviors too. I always chew gum or drink diet drinks until my bladder is going to burst, and I also have to sleep with a piece of candy in my mouth-weird, huh?

But I read somewhere that chewing gum can make you hungry because it activates your salivary glands, so I'm trying to stop it.

I have also taken to chewing gum. I have a piece after every meal, it helps me to stop eating after I have had what my nutritionist and I believe is enough. Part of the problem can be that you are unable to stop yourself from eating which then leads to purging. Gum puts a new fresh taste in my mouth and seems to get my mind off wanting any more food, I then don't feel as though I have eaten too much, don't have that full feeling that makes me want to get rid of the food and I keep the food down. So maybe it's not such a bad thing to have a piece after every meal...

OMG!!! I LOVE this site!!! It is SUCH a relief to see that others are going through the same things as me :) I also have a gum addiction! I find that when I'm bingeing, I don't chew gum AT ALL, because I always want to be able to eat, and because I'm usually full. But when I'm dieting, I use gum as a substitute for food and a way to keep my mind off food or keep the hunger at bay until I can eat again. I chew at least 5-7 pieces a day. My main concern is the aspartame content, which hasn't even been proven to be bad, but other than that, I think the only bad thing about chewing so much gum is that it stresses your jaw, which isn't major. I have TMJ and I can handle it.

My only advice would be to drink more water, eat more, and maybe chew minty gum as opposed to the fruity kind, because the minty ones last longer and the after taste also lasts longer, which keeps your mind off food. But ideally learning to be able to eat normally is probably the best option (i.e., no more dieting). I think that psychologically knowing that you can eat what you want when you want will automatically discourage the urge to chew gum.

XOXO Carrie

PS (after reading some responses :)) Chewing gum can trigger hunger, but it can also make you feel full because you're swallowing so much air.

PPS I drink a lot of diet drinks too!!! I always need to be drinking or chewing something!

PPPS To those of you who go to sleep with candy/gum in your mouths, aren't you concerned about choking?? :S

I also heard it called Lock-Jaw Miss H. My sister in law has it, and causes her serious pain at times.

I chew a ton of gum! I go through a pack a day and I have about 3 or 4 differant flavors at once in my purse. I probably look crazy in my classes because everyone around me sees me pop gum at least 6 times in one class period. I switch flavors out so it feels like Im tasting something differant. My jaw hurts after so much chewing as well. I wish I knew of alternatives to gum chewing but its the only thing that helps bring down the cravings when Im out.

Actually I don't like it at all!
I just realized it, but during the day (when I don't b/p) I'm mostly eating soft foods, even prefer my fruit boiled or blended. Interesting..:)

I chew gum ALL OF THE TIME! I NEED it and I usually go through 2 or 3 packs of gum a day! Splenda also, tons and tons of splenda in my coffee.

My worst offense is the diet drinks. I usually go through around 15 cans of diet coke a day. I feel like it will surpress my hunger or something :S

Just went through two packs, and a whole picture of crystle light. Hah.

I also chew a lot of gum daily. I always have at least 5 different flavors to change it up. I think it just helps by giving my mouth something to do. I haven't had any problems with chewing so much gum though. I also drink a lot of tea, but that's more because i actually like the taste. the plus is that green tea is healthy and good for metabolism. :)

Haha, I actually have a smoking problem. I can go through a pack everyday when I feel like a relapse could potentially happen. At least I'm not throwing up every day.....the smoking I can take care of later. Right now, the only thing I need to do is make a full recovery from bulimia.

Oooooooooooo....

so my gum, and tea , and splenda habits feed into my bulimia.

Bummer...

This site is teaching me alot about myself.

I chew gum non-stop. I even sleep with gum in the side of my mouth. It helps me to chew cinnamon or peppermint gum. When I chew the fruity flavors they just make me want to eat. I find gum to be very helpful in stopping eating after a meal. It lets me know that my meal is over. I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing.

I LOVE gum and I love to chew it all the time. It helps keep from eating, even though you want to chew. When I was really bad I chewed two packs of gum a day. My favorite is Stride.

recently i have actually tried to stop chewing gum and have found that i get less hungry. i also use sugar now instead of sweetners. i felt a bit anxious about it at first but it turns out it's made me feel better...

I can't believe how many people commented... I wrote this and went away from the site for awhile... I feel very relieved that I'm not the only one and can't wait to show my bf since I know he thinks I'm crazy. I really can't help it. I go through so much...I think I'll cut back but then I get scared my b/p will get out of control because when I'm alone in the house I need to chew all night long!

I chew gum too and drink a lot of coffee and tea and eat sugar free sweets :)

Sometimes I still have a gum in my mouth when Iam sleeping lol,.. I can also chew more than 60 pices of gum a day

Wow! I always thought I was kinda weird... I chew at ton of gum and drink a ton of tea. The only down fall of chewing so much gum is the gas/bloating which really sucks! Sometimes at work I would chew 2-3 packs a day! Gut rot! I have the worst oral fixation!

I too have this gum problem and tea. The tea isnt that much of a problem but the gum is. I am sure I look strange placing stick after stick of gum into my mouth. It is good to know that I am not the only one. I would like to stop the gum because it gives me bad gas and hurts my stomach.

wow. i bet the gum industry relies on girls with eds..

anyway. my therapist recently told me to consider gum a binge food.... i almost started crying.. but she thinks that if i want to recover 100% then i need to ditch my daily four packs of trident pink.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodness I chew SO MUCH GUM. Stride winterblue only hahaha. I do a strip (3 packs) a day. My friends call it my cigarettes. It's actually quite expensive! But I can't stop. I love that other people have this issue too.