Self-induced vomiting is a behavior characterized by intentional purging behavior where the person deliberately and consciously make him or herself vomit with the intent of removing the content of the stomach. There can be a number of reasons.
These can be categorized into two broad groups
- self-induced vomiting after ingesting something harmful,
- self-induced vomiting because of any psychological concern.
For many years, doctors have recommended people to induce vomit, either by medication like ipecac or physically using a finger or a toothbrush after ingesting something poisonous. It is however not at all advisable to induce vomit if you feel guilty over eating too much or out of anxiety. In a lot of cases, self-induced vomited is accompanies eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia.
Self-induced vomiting is possible through a range of methods which include shoving fingers down the throat, drinking lukewarm salt water, mustard-water solution, gargling with egg whites among others.
How to throw up during Pregnancy?
Self-induced vomiting has a number of reasons and often to the subject, it appears justified. For most the urge to vomit is uncontrollable.
Self-induced vomiting can sometimes be seen in pregnant women. This is often attributed to the fact that pregnancy is one of the most stressful and emotionally demanding times in a woman’s life.
Anxiety is known to increase the chances of self-inducing vomiting. Women who cannot handle the stress and anxiety often feel compelled to throw up and this makes them feel better.
It is often the case that women are urged to vomit because of the feeling of nausea typical of pregnancy and morning sickness. Feeling nauseous is something anyone would want to avoid and the belief that vomiting can reduce the feeling together with the additional stress of pregnancy often compels healthy pregnant women to start purging. Throwing up because of nausea is not a good idea and often does not help reduce it. Deep breathing is more advisable.
Making yourself throw up after too much Drinking
Alcohol is a toxin that can be poisonous and seriously harmful to the body if consumed in an excessive amount. If you happen to have had too much to drink while intoxicated, the most sensible decision appears to be self-induced vomiting in order to remove the toxins from your stomach. Other times, people who want to drink but do not want to be too intoxicated to return home or drive,
Throw up deliberately after having the alcohol. This makes them feel better, reduce nausea and helps them sober up. This sort of behavior is highly risky to the body and should not be made a habit.
Inducing Vomiting after Eating
Self-induced vomiting after eating is characteristic of many eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, binge-purge disorder, bulimia nervosa, and purging disorder. These disorders are typically characterized by an obsessive concern with one’s body shape and figure. Patients are overly-conscious of their weight and cannot hold down the food they have consumed.
In most cases, they are unable to tolerate the thought of having eaten and induce vomit to clear their stomach and avoid weight gain. It is often accompanied by self-esteem issues.
Bulimia nervosa, often simply referred to as bulimia, is an eating disorder which involves a repeated cycle of binging and purging. Binging includes excessive eating and is followed by purging behavior, i.e. self-induced vomiting. The vomiting is done with the intention of removing the excess calories for the fear that they will gain weight. Purging disorder on the other hand simply involves vomiting after eating, without any binging behavior.
Self-induced vomiting is more likely in certain people tan in others. Factors that make certain individuals more vulnerable to this behavior than others include:
- Dieting and restricting calorie intake
- History of an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa
- Isolating oneself from social life
- Psychiatric problems like anxiety, depression, family pressures or wider society pressures etc.
Throw up using a Toothbrush and Fingers
The typical and most commonly used method of inducing vomiting is to insert fingers into the mouth and push down to the throat. This automatically induces the gag reflexes and very soon the stomach will react by heaving its content. The use of fingers however makes some people queasy.
Another alternative method to similarly induce the gag reflexes is to use your toothbrush. To use this method, you need to first wet the bristles and then rub the hairs on the back of the tongue gently until you feel the gagging sensation. Remove the brush immediately and your stomach will heave out its contents. It is advised not to push the brush too deep into the throat or brush too harshly and this can damage the skin.
Is syrup of ipecac a good choice to make yourself Vomit?
Ipecac is a syrup that when taken in, induces vomiting. This has been used for many years by parents to induce vomiting in their children if they consume something harmful or poisonous and for decades, doctors recommended people to keep the syrup at home for emergency situations. It is however, not at all advisable today and it is also very hard to find it at the drug store.
It is not an advisable solution today because:
- Research has now proven that ipecac is no more affective in treating poison patients than not giving any treatment at all! This was because although ipecac does induce vomiting, there is no guarantee that the vomiting will completely empty the stomach and remove all the poison ingested.
- For people who have taken in chemicals that cause burns, it is very dangerous to induce vomiting by ipecac or any other method because when the chemical moves back up the esophagus, it can cause burns on the inside of the throat.
- Ipecac is used on a regular basis by eating disorder patients, it can cause a lot of damage in the long run.
- Evidence suggests many have died of heart problems because of regular use of ipecac. Therefore, there is sample evidence and argument against the use of ipecac and it is no longer advisable to keep it at home.
Emily Smith is a talented content writer, wielding words to create captivating stories and informative articles across a wide range of topics. With a passion for effective communication and a love for research, Emily consistently produces engaging and valuable content. She’s dedicated to conveying ideas clearly and compellingly, making her a sought-after voice in the digital sphere. When not writing, Emily enjoys immersing herself in art, nature, and culinary adventures for fresh bursts of creativity.
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