Anorexia Nervosa

People with Anorexia Nervosa tend to have very low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. They may also be perfectionists which makes them very effective at losing weight. Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest death rates of all mental disorders due to either to the effects of starvation - for example, through heart failure or through suicide.

The essential features of Anorexia Nervosa

• Refusal to maintain a minimal normal weight. Someone suffering from an eating disorder during childhood may not gain their expected weight they are growing and this will affect their height.
• Deliberate weight loss with avoidance of fattening foods. Sufferers are often preoccupied believe that at five stone they fat and they have an intense fear of fatness or gaining weight.
• Loss of menstrual periods or failure to start periods. This can lead to the long-term risk of suffering from osteoporosis, stunted growth and infertility in adulthood.

Anorexia Nervosa Treatment

Most people can be helped as outpatients and they are only admitted to hospital if their weight falls to a dangerously low level. As Anorexia Nervosa can have a damaging physical effects on the sufferer all treatments must be initially focus on weight gain as the main goal. Many patients find this emphasis too constricting and so treatment should always include -

• psychological treatments to find out how ready the person is to change and help them move along in thinking about what stops and what helps change, this is termed as motivational enhancement therapy.
• cognitive behaviors therapy for help with social difficulties
• education with information about the Anorexia Nervosa illness.
• dietary information and practice at buying, preparing and eating regular meals.
• family work in which carer are able to express their concerns about being with the sufferer and gain help with the day to day difficulties of living with the disorder
• medical investigations into bone density, brain function and hormonal status as well as checks on body functioning.

Among the team of professionals treating someone with Anorexia Nervosa , an in depth knowledge of eating disorders is very important.

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