Anorexia is both a psychological disorder and an eating disorder. Most people describe this condition as dieting that has gone out of control. However, in reality it is much more than that. This impression is basically due to the fact that a person who has anorexia will usually lose weight, which is one of its symptoms.
More than Just an Intense Weight Loss Drive
Anorexia is more than just having an out of control desire to lose weight. Of course, there is an underlying reason why anorexic people are so obsessed with weight loss. That intense desire to lose weight is only secondary to their fear regarding their own body. More often than not, it usually tends to become a vicious cycle of restrictive eating.
Other Visible Symptoms
Dieting and weight loss are not the only visible signs of anorexia. The other visible symptoms of this disorder include excessive use of diet pills and diuretics. Those with anorexia will usually exercise excessively. They often turn to enemas and laxatives just to lose body weight. This obsessive cycle is quite similar and akin to an addiction. Those who suffer from the disorder often find starvation and weight loss techniques as a way to control one’s body.
A Look at the Figures
A huge percentage of the people affected by this disease are women, which is about 95% of all anorexic people. However, that does not discount the fact that men can also develop this eating disorder. This disorder initially manifests during a patient’s adolescence. But even adults and young children may also suffer from this disorder as well.
It is estimated that out a hundred adolescent women one of them would have this disorder in the United States. Of all the racial backgrounds, Caucasians tend to be more affected by anorexia. The disorder is more common among the middleclass and upper socioeconomic groups. Occupation-wise, actors, dancers, models, and athletes tend to be at risk from this disorder than those of any other profession.
Causes of Anorexia
As you might expect, anorexic people didn’t get the disorder overnight. However, it is admitted by experts that they haven’t found a definite cause for the disorder. Nevertheless, studies have shown that the disorder has a genetic factor. Researchers are on the hunt for a possible gene that can affect one’s susceptibility to anorexia.
There is also evidence that that a person with anorexia may have a hypothalamus dysfunction. However, this is seen as a contributor to the disorder and not exactly its cause. Other studies also suggest a certain imbalance in the levels of neurotransmitters.
But if you ask the patients themselves, it appears that they began their road to anorexia when they were met by social pressures to appear attractive and thin. Thus some are convinced that there are depressive symptoms in this disorder as well. It is also believed that anorexic people are more likely victims of child abuse or some form of abuse when they were yet children.
Diagnosing the Disease
It can be quite a difficult task to diagnose anorexic people. Those who suffer from anorexia have this uncanny ability to hide the symptoms of the disorder. Denial and secrecy are a bit characteristic of those who suffer from the disorder. It is unfortunate that an actual diagnosis is actually made only after medical complications.
However, there are four characteristic criteria that can help with diagnosis. First is that people with anorexia have a grossly distorted sense of self-perception. They often overly emphasize an excess in body weight. Next, they are characteristically fearful of weight gain even if they are indeed really underweight.
Alongside these two criteria, anorexic people will refuse to maintain their body weight at normal levels. They often desire to maintain their weight around 85% of the expected body weight or even less. Women who have the disorder also have amenorrhea or only have their menstrual periods after the administration of hormones.
These individuals may have trouble interacting with other people. They can easily become upset and irritable. They can also undergo social withdrawal and depression. Their concentration and attention spans decrease and would usually experience fatigue. It is common for these folks to have housework, sex, exercise, and shopping compulsions.
Treating Anorexic People
Treatment for the disorder can be done in a hospital or in an outpatient setting. Hospital treatment is recommended for those who are already suffering from severe weight loss and impairment in organ functions. A major part of the treatment, of course, is to help the patient gain weight. This includes increasing social activity, decreasing the patient’s amount of physical activity, and scheduled eating.
Other than medical intervention, a psychological treatment is also part of anorexia treatment. Family therapy, group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and individual therapy have been successful parts of the treatment process. Though there aren’t any medications that address the compulsion to starve one’s self mood stabilizing medication, such as olanzapine, is found to be quite useful in the treatment of anorexic people.