Anorexia
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INTRODUCTION
Is it a choice or is it a prison? Is it a passion or is it a curse? Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an often misunderstood, psychological disorder that destroys the lives of many. It is an internal battle that can have devastating physical and psychological effects on not only its victims, but the lives of those around them. Anorexia is often glamorized and viewed as a simplistic disease that just involves the restriction of food to stay thin, when in reality it is very complex. The symptoms include extreme weight loss, combined with an intense fear of gaining weight, while there are many different theories on the cause. Unfortunately, Anorexia Nervosa does not discriminate on who it attacks, therefore it is crucial that the signs and symptoms are recognized and a successful treatment is found for those already inflicted. There are two main types of Anorexia Nervosa, Restricting Anorexia and Binge/Purge Anorexia. This paper will focus more on Restricting. (mayoclinic.com).
SYMPTOMS / SIGNS
When researching Anorexia Nervosa, it was noticed that there are three different categories of symptoms. These included physical, psychological, and social symptoms. Unlike the psychological and social symptoms, which mostly vary among the victims, the physical symptoms are more consistent. However, it can sometimes be difficult to recognize among different ages, especially for adolescents whose bodies are already changing due to puberty.
The most common symptom is the refusal to maintain a “healthy” body weight. This is generally characterized by a “body weight of 85% or less than that which is considered typical for someone of similar build, age and height” (psychcentral.com).The weight loss can be viewed as dramatic or sudden, although not always the case, but it is not related to any other physical illness. In correlation to this, women who are past puberty prior to the disorder will often stop menstruating, due to the low body weight, and are considered Anorexic if three consecutive periods (or more) are missed (psychcentral.com).
In addition, the dramatically low body weight can cause notable changes in the skin and hair. Since there is no longer a substantial amount of fat to keep the body warm, a thin layer of hair grows on the extremities, face, and back, in an attempt to produce body heat. Malnutrition from starvation causes the skin to become thin and flaky and often discolored. Bones become brittle, which not only leads to accidents, but it can result in osteoporosis later on. The hair on their head often thins, and/or falls out, and their nails become weak. If the disorder leads to purging (throwing up), than the enamel on the teeth will deteriorate and eventually corrode (medicinenet.com).
Unfortunately, these are not the worst of the physical symptoms. “Few organs are spared in the progressive deterioration brought about by anorexia” (medicinenet.com). Starvation can cause several cardiovascular problems, such as slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, and abnormalities in the rhythm of the heart. Gastrointestinal problems are also very common due to the restriction of food or the use of laxatives. The bodys normal eliminating functions are thrown off and it can no longer function “normally” by itself. This can result in constipation and abdominal pain/discomfort. Overall, “The complex physical and chemical processes involved in the maintenance of life can be disrupted, with serious consequences” (medicinenet.com).
Psychological, or behavioral, symptoms are often characterized by the obsession of food intake and calories. No matter how thin someone with Anorexia Nervosa becomes, they are still overwhelmed with an intense fear of gaining weight and/or not being thin enough. They hold an unrealistic expectation for their body that often leads to feelings of inadequacy and depression. Someone suffering from this often “believes that their body weight, shape and size is directly related to how good they feel about themselves and their worth as a human being” (psychcentral.com).
These characteristics and symptoms have also been linked to those of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and perfectionism (Anred.com). A study was done in the International Journal of Eating Disorders to see if there was any correlation and it was concluded that “perfectionism has been reported as a specific risk factor for the development of Anorexia Nervosa “(Forbush 2007). In addition, it has been theorized that when someone feels that they have no control over their lives, especially victims of crimes, their weight becomes the one thing they feel they can control. Children have also been known to develop an eating disorder with hopes of taking control of their broken home (anred.com).
The third category of symptoms, social, is one that may be harder to detect.