Death from bulimia-anorexia

What’s your take on this article?

http://www.nytimes.com/news/health/bulimia-anorexia-death-report...66146.jl

Is it actually plausible that a young woman could die from bulimia? It seems impossible... you can't really die from something like that, surely?...

mellowgull46 said:What’s everyone’s take on this article?

http://www.nytimes.com/news/health/bulimia-anorexia_article_link

Do you guys actually think a girl could die from bulimia? It seems impossible that it would kill someone directly, right?

It isn't necessarily bulimia itself that kills you, but rather the physical damage caused by things like the constant strain of purging. You can absolutely wreck your heart muscle that way.
But honestly, who knows what really happened here? I suspect this is more about media sensationalism—since she struggled with bulimia, the news outlets find it much easier and more "clickable" to pin the death on the eating disorder. Plenty of young people today drop dead out of nowhere, only for an autopsy to reveal some underlying congenital heart defect or other hidden condition they never knew they had.

Look, if her parents mentioned she spent three years being treated for bulimia-anorexia while on medication, then it’s entirely plausible those drugs can't be mixed with alcohol—and apparently, she was drinking Red Bull vodka. Honestly, I can barely stomach that stuff myself when I'm feeling 100%, let alone someone dealing with health issues—physical or mental—while also taking prescription meds. Either way, we have to be careful and make sure young people understand the real dangers behind disordered eating.

Angela Wright said:But honestly, who actually knows what happened there. It feels more like a media circus because the girl struggled with bulimia-anorexia, so it’s just easier and flashier to pin everything on that. So many young people drop dead out of nowhere these days, only for the autopsy to reveal some undiagnosed congenital heart defect or something else entirely...

I thought the same thing. But why were those reporters so desperate to make sure everyone knew she died from bulimia-anorexia?
In my opinion, they wouldn't even need to mention the eating disorder to get clicks. A headline like: GIRL DIES AFTER DRINKING RED BULL VODKA would provide more than enough sensationalism...

Why do you think young people are collapsing and dying like this?

If someone collapsed and died right in front of me, I would absolutely lose my mind...

You don't just drop dead from bulimia-anorexia overnight—it’s more about the slow-motion wreckage it leaves behind. It tears up your stomach and starts messing with other organs too... though you usually have to be battling it for years before things get that critical.

I once read about this woman who had been struggling with bulimia-anorexia for ages. On the outside, she looked perfectly healthy—not a single clue. Then one day, she just collapsed, and it wasn't until the autopsy that they realized the sheer amount of damage she'd done to her body. I can't remember exactly which organ finally gave out... I forget the details.

It’s truly devastating when someone so young is taken from us. My suspicion is that this was a perfect storm of circumstances: bulimia-anorexia, which relentlessly drains the body and collapses the immune system; medication—likely psychiatric in nature, since there isn't a magic pill to fix the physical manifestations of bulimia itself; and alcohol. Now, I’m certainly not suggesting that a single Red Bull mixed with vodka is a death sentence, but when you stack all those factors together, they might have just become too much for her system to handle. Of course, it’s also possible there was an entirely different underlying cause.
It reminds me of how journalists tend to sensationalize everything with headlines claiming someone "died of bulimia." Personally, I find that kind of reporting rather distasteful, even if we set the eating disorder aside for a moment.
Bulimia is a disease that hollows out both the body and the mind. It’s similar to how people often focus solely on the physical complications of obesity, when in reality, treating obesity requires addressing the psychological roots first—people need to understand why they struggle with weight in order to heal. In the same vein, individuals struggling with bulimia-anorexia need to be guided toward help and shown that they are dealing with a genuine illness, so they can reach that realization themselves and actually seek treatment.
Ultimately, it is just incredibly tragic that such a young woman is no longer with us.😢

mellowgull46 said:I felt the same way, but it makes me wonder why the press was so hesitant to just state plainly that the girl died from bulimia-anorexia.
To me, you wouldn't even need to mention eating disorders to get a headline; "GIRL DIES AFTER DRINKING RED BULL VODKA" provides more than enough sensationalism on its own.

Why do you think young people are collapsing and dying like this?

I would absolutely lose my mind if someone just dropped dead right in front of me.

In the last year alone, I’ve personally known of two cases. There was this 27-year-old guy—he sat down for a perfectly normal lunch and just collapsed right over his empty plate. His family actually started laughing at first, thinking he was just being dramatic. By the time they realized he was actually in trouble and tried to resuscitate him, it was already too late. The autopsy revealed a congenital heart defect he'd had since childhood, but nobody ever caught it. He was in the military, stayed active, seemed totally fine... then just suddenly gone.
Then there was another guy, but he actually knew about his condition and was managing it. Doctors told him he could live a full life as long as he ate healthy and didn't stress too much... yet the result was identical. He finished lunch, slumped over, and never got back up.
Life is unpredictable, plain and simple. People die, whether they're old or young, one way or another. It's just a harsh reality. All we can really do is try to live as healthily as possible and stay on top of our medical checkups so we can hopefully make it to old age before death catches up with us.

I know a girl who’s going through this, and honestly, what happened is just a total disaster...

It’s all quite depressing...

redfox96, I'm sorry...

What's your take on what actually went down?

Since she was struggling with bulimia-anorexia, that could definitely be a factor. Her body was basically running on empty—completely worn out and pushed to the limit... it was just a matter of time. And if she mixed a Red Bull with whatever meds she was on? That might have played a role too... anything is possible...

redfox96 said:Given her history with bulimia-anorexia, she could easily be the cause. Her body was likely pushed to the absolute brink—completely exhausted and broken... it was just a matter of time. Perhaps mixing Red Bull with whatever medication she was on played a role too... anything is possible...

That’s all highly probable... everything is possible...

But something feels off to me. I realize bulimia-anorexia is a brutal, dangerous illness, but she wasn't struggling with it long enough for her system to be that completely wrecked. You see people battling this for ten, twenty years...

redfox96, did you know she was dealing with bulimia-anorexia? And how does one even begin to help people suffering from this...

She’s been in treatment for quite a while now... and honestly, you're right—there are people who struggle for five years or more without anything serious happening. It all comes down to timing and how your body handles it—some people are just more resilient than others. Plus, you have those who go days without eating a single thing. I haven't seen her in ages, but when we ran into each other last week, the weight loss was impossible to miss. I had no idea she was dealing with bulimia-anorexia.

People who go out of their way to avoid eating, force themselves to throw up, and obsess over being thin—they’re dealing with bulimia-anorexia, not just anorexia!

driftingcyclist303 said:People who skip meals, force themselves to vomit, and starve themselves thin are suffering from anorexia, not bulimia!

That’s just wrong. They're dealing with bulimia, which then spirals into that dangerously emaciated state we call anorexia. You don't necessarily have to be a bulimic to develop anorexia, though in most cases, it's a "perfect storm" of both disorders hitting at once.

Angela Wright said:That’s not quite right. People suffering from bulimia-anorexia are driven to that dangerously thin state known as bulimia-anorexia. You don't necessarily have to deal with bulimia to develop bulimia-anorexia, though in most instances, they tend to go hand in hand.

Precisely. It’s a distinction worth making: those who simply refuse to eat or severely restrict their intake fall into the category of bulimia-anorexia, whereas those who engage in purging behaviors are dealing with bulimia. Frequently, these two struggles overlap, resulting in individuals who struggle with both restriction and purging. On the flip side, you also have people struggling with bulimia who may be significantly overweight.

Recovering from this requires professional intervention at specialized clinics. No one can truly conquer this illness through sheer willpower alone, nor can they do it without the dedicated support of doctors and loved ones.

If you or someone you know needs assistance, resources can be found here:

crimsonbear23 said:People dealing with this need professional help at specialized clinics. They can't beat this disease on their own... they need support from family or friends too.

You can find resources here: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

It’s true that recovery requires professional intervention, but the clinic you mentioned isn't the right answer.

That’s a private facility where I’ve heard nothing but horror stories. They charge a fortune without providing actual care.

It seems much more logical to start with a primary care physician... they can then refer you to a psychiatrist or other appropriate specialists.

It’s incredibly common for people struggling with bulimia-anorexia to deal with major electrolyte imbalances, specifically involving potassium and sodium. When your potassium levels drop too low, it can lead to serious heart issues or even trigger a heart attack...

I'm just so heartbroken over what happened to this girl...

🙏 Look, I need some insight here—someone very, very close to me is struggling with bulimia-anorexia. What are the actual clinical signs I should be looking for? Here is the reality of the situation: she’s down to a skeletal 95 pounds at 5'7"! She’s also purging—purposely inducing vomiting twice a day after eating. It’s a constant cycle where she either lives in fear of what she might eat, or she overindulges just to throw it all back up because she's terrified of gaining any weight. My understanding is that, conversely, people dealing with bulimia tend to find their outlet in food and often struggle with being overweight rather than underweight. Just to be clear, this isn't my amateur opinion—a licensed psychiatrist has already officially diagnosed her with bulimia-anorexia.

You're totally mixing up your terms here... anorexia is when someone intentionally refuses to eat, while bulimia involves eating and then purging right after. Just do a quick Google search—you'll see we're actually spot on about this.