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Anorexia Nervosa

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Becki Shetterly
Intro To Psychology
Psych Disorder Paper
February 10, 2015

Anorexia Nervosa
What is Anorexia Nervosa? Anorexia Nervosa is an Eating Disorder where the sufferer has a fear of any weight gain. Anorexia in extreme cases can be deadly due to the sufferer losing too much weight and not getting the right Vitamins and Nutrients. Anorexia if left untreated can most certainly result in death or irreversible health issues such as osteoporosis. This potentially deadly eating disorder is characterized by self starvation and excessive weight loss. Individuals are diagnosed when they are at least 15% or lower their normal healthy body weight (Goldberg 2014).
The term Anorexia literally means "loss of appetite". This definition is very misleading. It's not that Anorexics lose their appetite it's that they may be hungry but refuse food. Persons with Anorexia may eat in secret or have strict rituals that pertain to eating and or food preparation. Individuals often times perceive themselves as fat even when they are extremely underweight. They have intense fears of becoming fat even if they are quite skinny. The sufferers see themselves as fat and see this as a "flaw" they try to correct it by cutting way down on their food intake and excessively exercising sometimes even in secret (WebMD).
Anorexia is recognizable by the plain view of bones underneath the skin almost as if the bones are trying to break out of the individuals skin. Other common symptoms of Anorexia include; social withdrawal, rapid weight loss over weeks or months, distorted body image, frequent illness such as colds, always being cold, wearing lose fitting clothing to hide weight loss, brittle nails, dry skin, thin hair, hair loss, Depression, Anxiety, irritability, feelings of worthlessness, strange eating habits such as hiding food, use of laxatives and diuretics, low self esteem, desire to be perfect and tooth decay (WebMD 2014). While these are not all of the symptoms associated with Anorexia Nervosa these are some that can be easily noticed by the individuals family, friends, or loved ones.
Anorexia was first described in 1684 but it wasn’t until 1870 that it was identified and described with its own diagnoses. In 1866 "Miss A" was one of the earliest cases of Anorexia Nervosa. She was aged 17 and weigh only 5 stone 12 pounds or 82 pounds. Miss A was 5 foot five inches tall. She was referred to Sir William Gull by her doctor a Mr. Kelson Wright, of Clapham, London on the 17 of January 1866. Miss A's total weight loss was 33 pounds. Miss A suffered from loss of her period and had a pulse of between 56 and 60. Gull noted in his documentation that at age 17 Miss A looked to be in her 30's (Dawn Center for Treating Eating Disorders).
Contrary to popular belief males and females both can suffer from Anorexia but it's more common in females than it is males. It is more likely for a female to develop and eating disorder because of the magazines and super models. The risk is increased for actors, models, dances, and athletes in sports where appearance and or weight is important like boxing, wrestling, gymnastics, and figure skating. People with Anorexia tend to be high achievers, preforming very well in school, sports, work, and other activities. They tend to be perfectionists with obsessive, anxious, and depressive symptoms. Anorexia usually begins around the time pf puberty but it can develop at any time (WebMD 2014). As the years pass younger and younger persons are developing Anorexia. Some girls who develop this disorder are only 7 years old.
The cause of Anorexia is still not fully understood. It is though to develop from a mix of psychical, emotional, and social triggers. For some teens Anorexia can be a way of dealing with the stress and the challenges of the teen age years. Events such as moving or loss of a loved one can trigger Anorexia. Genetics plays a large part in Anorexia. A person who has Anorexia is likely to have a family history of eating disorders, obesity, anxiety or depression.
Extreme dieting changes how the brain and metabolism work and stresses the body. These changes can make a person more likely to develop Anorexia. A combination of certain personality traits like low self esteem and cultural and social pressures can play a part in a person developing Anorexia. (WebMD). The most common race to develop Anorexia is the Caucasian race because in America there is much emphasis put on looking "perfect" and the American standards of beauty for women are distorted and unreasonable.
Some popular celebs have even dealt with the horror that is Anorexia. Mary-Kate Olsen is one of the many celebrates who has battled Anorexia. Even the stars aren't safe from the pressure to have the perfect body. Some other famous faces that have battled this deadly disorder are; Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson, Stephanie Pratt, Bethenny Frankel, Portia De Rossi, Lily Allen, Sharon Osborne, Snooki, Wynona Judd, Geri Halliwell, Candace Cameron Bure, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Thandie Newton, and Justine Bateman (Us Weekly).
There is many Anorexic behaviors, the most common being have food rituals. Different food rituals an Anorexic may have are; obsessively cutting the food on their plate, arranging the food just so, only eating off specials plates, using only certain utensils, hiding food, and hoarding it (WebMD). Other Anorexic behaviors include obsessive weighing, either spending an extended amount of time in front of a mirror or avoiding mirrors all together, and counting and logging every calorie they eat and every calorie they burn off via exercise.
In some cases persons with Anorexia can develop Suicidal thoughts and may even act on them. Warning signs of possible suicide in children and teens can include; making suicidal threats, being preoccupied with death or suicide, giving away belongings, being withdrawn, being angry, and having failing grades. In adults the suicide warnings signs or triggers can include; suicide threats, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, depression, giving away belongings, a recent job loss, or a divorce (WebMD).
There are many physical signs of Anorexia. These signs are; a low body weight, constipation, slow emptying of the stomach, thinning hair, dry skin, brittle nails, shrunken breasts, stopping or never getting a Menstrual Period, constantly feeling cold, lower than normal body temperature, and low blood pressure (WebMD). Persons with Anorexia often feel cold all the time due to not having enough body fat to keep their normal body heat in. Sometimes Anorexics grow a thin layer of hair all over their body to try and help them keep warm.
Sadly for some Anorexics the outcome is death, either from the disease or by suicide. For others if they get treatment in time can work to recover and live health lives. Depending on how long the Anorexic waits to get help the more permanent damage they have done to their body. Some permanent damage can include osteoporosis, never getting a period, loss of fertility, tissues damage, organ damage, and joint damage.
Like any Psych disorder there are many different treatment options for Anorexics. The main one being therapy. Other forms of treatment include, working with a nutritionist. medical care, and occasionally medication. The prognosis for treatment is that it usually successful, however like any medical treatment it does not work over night (WebMD). Recovery from Anorexia takes time and hard work. A person can not just snap their fingers and no longer have Anorexia. There are times that a person relapses and goes back to Anorexic behaviors and undoes the treatment but if the person works hard enough they can rebuild the treatment and fully recover. The treatment team for an Anorexic should include; a mental health professional and a primary care doctor (WebMD).
Doctors should pay attention to any bone loss, electrolyte functions, and heart levels. Mental health care professionals can help them reduce the self destructive behavior.
In conclusion today we know more about Anorexia than we did years ago. There are more treatment options and ways to get help. We know different ways to help individuals with this disorder and no better on how to help them. As time goes on we will hopefully be able to prevent Anorexia and help cure it before it gets too serious, thus prevent Anorexia related deaths as best as possible.

"Anorexia Nervosa." WebMD. WebMD, 8 July 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
"Dawn Center." Dawn Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. "Stars Who Battled Eating Disorders." Latest News. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.

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