Those suffering with Bulimia eat a large quantity of food in a short period of time followed by enormous guilt and then purge inducing vomiting, using laxatives, diuretics, and/or diet pills or over exercise.  Utilising this process they attempt to remove feelings of anger, depression, stress or anxiety.  This will often be about how they feel about themselves emotionally, or how they perceive a particular event or series of events in their lives, underpinned by a distorted and unrelenting obsession with their body image.

It is not uncommon for people suffering with Anorexia to waver through periods of Bulimia (binging and purging) as well.

There are many similarities in both illnesses, the most common being the underlying cause. Research is indicating a common occurrence of sexual and/or physical and emotional abuse being in direct relation to eating disorders (though not all people living with Eating Disorders are survivors of abuse). There also seems to be a direct connection in some people to Depression. The eating disorder sometimes causes the depression or the depression can lead to the eating disorder.