Anorexia Nervosa
What is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is an illness
that usually occurs in teenage girls, but it can also occur in
teenage boys, and adult women and men. People with
anorexia are obsessed with being thin. They lose a lot of
weight and are terrified of gaining weight. They believe they
are fat even though they are very thin. Anorexia isn't just a
problem with food or weight. It's an attempt to use food and
weight to deal with emotional problems.
What is the difference between anorexia
and bulimia?
People with
anorexia starve themselves, avoid high-calorie foods and
exercise constantly. People with bulimia eat huge amounts of
food, but they throw up soon after eating, or take laxatives
or diuretics (water pills) to keep from gaining weight. People
with bulimia don't usually lose as much weight as people with
anorexia.
Why do people get anorexia?
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Warning signs of
anorexia
- Deliberate
self-starvation with weight loss
- Fear of gaining weight
- Refusal to eat
- Denial of hunger
- Constant exercising
- Greater amounts of hair
on the body or the face
- Sensitivity to cold
temperatures
- Absent or irregular
periods
- Loss of scalp hair
- A self-perception of
being fat when the person is really too thin
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The reason some people get
anorexia isn't known. People with anorexia may believe they
would be happier and more successful if they were thin. They
want everything in their lives to be perfect. People who have
this disorder are usually good students. They are involved in
many school and community activities. They blame themselves if
they don't get perfect grades, or if other things in life are
not perfect.
What are the problems caused by
anorexia?
Girls with anorexia usually stop
having menstrual periods. People with anorexia have dry skin
and thinning hair on the head. They may have a growth of fine
hair all over their body. They may feel cold all the time, and
they may get sick often. People with anorexia are often in a
bad mood. They have a hard time concentrating and are always
thinking about food. It is not true that anorexics are never
hungry. Actually, they are always hungry. Feeling hunger gives
them a feeling of control over their lives and their bodies.
It makes them feel like they are good at something--they are
good at losing weight. People with severe anorexia may be at
risk of death from starvation.
What is the treatment for
anorexia?
Treatment of anorexia is
difficult, because people with anorexia believe there is
nothing wrong with them. Patients in the early stages of
anorexia (less than 6 months or with just a small amount of
weight loss) may be successfully treated without having to be
admitted to the hospital. But for successful treatment,
patients must want to change and must have family and friends
to help them.
People with more serious anorexia
need care in the hospital, usually in a special unit for
people with anorexia and bulimia. Treatment involves more than
changing the person's eating habits. Anorexic patients often
need counseling for a year or more so they can work on
changing the feelings that are causing their eating problems.
These feelings may be about their weight, their family
problems or their problems with self-esteem. Some anorexic
patients are helped by taking medicine that makes them feel
less depressed. These medicines are prescribed by a doctor and
are used along with counseling.
How can family and friends
help?
The most important
thing that family and friends can do to help a person with
anorexia is to love them. People with anorexia feel safe,
secure and comfortable with their illness. Their biggest fear
is gaining weight, and gaining weight is seen as loss of
control. They may deny they have a problem. People with
anorexia will beg and lie to avoid eating and gaining weight,
which is like giving up the illness. Family and friends should
not give in to the pleading of the anorexic patient.
Other
Organizations
National Eating Disorders
Association
http://www.NationalEatingDisorders.org
603 Stewart Street, Suite
803
Seattle, WA 98101-1264
206-382-3587
800-931-2237
National Association of Anorexia
Nervosa and Associated Disorders
http://www.anad.org
P.O. Box 7
Highland Park, IL
60035
