Nurse Tim is caring for a client diagnosed with bulimia.. identify anxiety-causing situations

Nurse Tim is caring for a client diagnosed with bulimia.

The most appropriate initial goal for a client diagnosed with bulimia is to:

• a. avoid shopping for large amounts of food
• b. control eating impulses
• c. identify anxiety-causing situations
• d. eat only three meals per day

Answer C.

Bulimic behavior is generally a maladaptive coping response to stress and underlying issues. The client must identify anxiety-causing situations that stimulate the bulimic behavior and then learn new ways of coping with the anxiety. Controlling shopping for large amounts of food isn’t a goal early in treatment. Managing eating impulses and replacing them with adaptive coping mechanisms can be integrated into the plan of care after initially addressing stress and underlying issues. Eating three meals per day isn’t a realistic goal.

The most appropriate initial goal for a client diagnosed with bulimia is to (c) identify anxiety-causing situations.

Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that is characterized by binge eating followed by purging. People with bulimia often have a distorted body image and they are very critical of their weight. They may also have low self-esteem and they may feel depressed or anxious.

Identifying anxiety-causing situations is an important step in the treatment of bulimia because these situations can trigger binge eating episodes. Once the client is able to identify these situations, they can develop strategies for coping with them in a healthier way.

The other answer choices are incorrect because:

• (a) Avoid shopping for large amounts of food may be a helpful strategy for some clients, but it is not the most appropriate initial goal.
• (b) Control eating impulses is a long-term goal of treatment for bulimia. It is not the most appropriate initial goal.
• (d) Eat only three meals per day may be a helpful strategy for some clients, but it is not the most appropriate initial goal.

Therefore, the most appropriate initial goal for a client diagnosed with bulimia is to identify anxiety-causing situations.