A cognitive-behavioral model for the treatment of chronic vomiting.

The treatment approaches for chronic vomiting have primarily utilized behavior conditioning models and have largely focused on hospitalized infants, retarded patients, or trauma patients. A substantial number of patients who exhibit the symptoms of vomiting could be diagnosed as neurotic vomiters or "bulimics," and there is a dearth of information on the treatment of these patients. This paper presents a case study of a 26-year-old woman diagnosed as suffering from bulimia of 10 years' duration. The treatment program involved three basic components: self-monitoring, stimulus control, and cognitive restructuring. The treatment components were instituted sequentially. The treatment program was successful, and a 1-year follow-up found that the patient has maintained her progress and not vomited in over 5 months. The discussion focuses on the advantages of this treatment model in dealing with bulimia, which is conceptualized as a habit-type behavior disorder.