Is it possible to have a disorder similar to bulimia that applies to other things besides food?

Question

I think I have a disorder that is like bulimia but doesn't involve eating.

The same habits are present, binging and purging, feeling out of control.

For example, I will spend lots of money one week and then when I feel out of control I will be extremely frugal and then when i feel back in control I do things to lose that feeling.

This also applies to organization. I will obsessively clean and become very organized, only to gradually become more and more messy and out of control with clutter until I feel completely out of control and then I will continue the cycle.

What does this sound like? Bipolar? I'm planning on seeing a doctor but I wanted to see if anyone could take a guess on what this might be.

Answer 1

OCD, I think, is a bit more consistent -- people are obsessive and do not experience a cycle of getting "messy" such as you do, they are constantly fastidious and have trouble functioning because of their obsessive focus on keeping things organized and under control.

The sort of obsession you are describing is more like what we commonly call "addictive" behaviors -- where someone basically has a tight rein of a particular behavior, but eventually control slips, the person splurges (whether it's food, or money, or sex, or the substance in question, or TV/Movies/Videogames, or whatever), and afterwards they feel so guilty that they become immediately obsessive again and try very hard not to "do it again."

They will purge themselves sometimes, in order to reduce temptation, but eventually they'll get tired or the urge will build up, and then they'll continue the binge-purge-binge-purge cycle.

Sometimes this can be a medical condition; sometimes it can be the product of one's past experiences and involves feelings of guilt that one cannot overcome or perhaps denial of one's actual desires.

Basically, all the attempts to control the behavior is what results in such a relapse later; you're trying so hard to NOT do it that eventually you will. A healthy person acknowledges the temptation but does not obsess about it or try so hard to avoid it.

I think, if you describe your experience to a therapist, they will be equipped to work through it with you and decide on the best course of action; what you experience is not a rare or odd thing.

I know it's frustrating to feel trapped in such a terrible cycle, and I encourage you to get the opinion and help of someone who has been trained to help, so that you can feel in control of your life again and enjoy it without having to worry so much about losing control of things.

Answer 2

Your own self diagnoses is quite accurate, it is also accompanied quite frequently with obsessive compulsive disorder resulting in the combative emotional state-one day happy as can be and the following day display erratic behavior as that of a depressive state. The symptoms are that of mania (excessive spending and almost a high sensation equaling euphoria followed by depressive bouts) Please note that the issues you have described do indeed take on a cycling pattern that can take weeks being euphoric followed by weeks of depressive bouts. You should also know that the cycling effect can be leveled out through medication and understanding. I do suggest that you see a doctor and express your true concerns without hiding any information no matter how embarrassing it may be.

Answer 3

Orthorexia (obsession with ingesting the 'appropriate' ingredients; no longer called an ingesting sickness yet) %. (obsession with ingesting something, even if if it is no longer nutrients (like ash in ashtrays) Rumination syndrome (reminiscent of bulimia, although the regurgitation of nutrients is automatic, no longer compelled) and then there are the subtypes of anorexia and bulimia, like diabulimia and workout bulimia.

Answer 4

Sounds like OCD. You do need to consult your doctor about this.