Three Different Methods for Treating Anorexia Nervosa - Example

Running Head: Anorexia Nervosa Student’s Name: Instructors Name: Course Code and Name: Institution: Date Assignment is due: Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is manifested by the refusal to maintain the required body weight. It is characterized by an obsessive fear of gaining weight and the distortion of self image. Patients of anorexia suffer hunger on a continuous basis, but they refuse to take food. They only allow themselves remarkably little quantities of food. It is a grave mental disease that has a high incidence of cormobidity.It is the psychiatric disorder with the highest mortality rate. It is highly prevalent among teenage girls, and young women. This condition is also increasingly afflicting men (Agras et al, 1994). Symptoms The illness has several complicated signs and symptoms. Some of the symptoms include the following. One of the signs of the disease is enlargement of the salivary glands. The patient also suffers rapid and dramatic weight loss. The patient has a growth of soft and fine hair on the body. This is referred to as laguno in medical terms. There is presence of depression on the patient. The victim lives in solitude, and is often sad. Intolerance to coldness is another sign of the disease. This is due to the loss of the insulating body fat. The patient will also experience abdominal distension. Cheeks may also become swollen. This is due to the swelling of the salivary glands (Agras et al, 1994). Prevalence Anorexia nervosa occurs in 5% to 10% of the entire population. Of those affected, most are women. The numbers show that 95% of the people who have the disease are women. Adolescents and young adults get the disease more than older women. The number of males getting the disease is rising. On the mortality rate, 5-15% of the victims die. Around a third of the deaths are due to suicide. Anorexia nervosa is the highest killer among the psychiatric disturbances. This is what makes it a subject investigation in this paper (Fairburn, Marcus & Wilson, 1993). Consequences of anorexia nervosa The restriction of calorie intake is quite harmful to the body. The failure of the body to get its body requirements makes it go on a starvation mode. The body turns on itself for essential body nutrients. The following consequences become evident. The patient loses her menstrual period. There is also lack of energy and general weakness. The skin of the patient becomes dry and yellowish. There is a feeling of coldness on the patient. The patient also experiences constipation, and abdominal pains. There is fainting, headaches and dizziness. Another consequence is restlessness and insomnia (Agras, Schneider, Arnow, Raeburn & Telchi, 1989). Treatment Three methods of treating the illness are going to be examined. These include medical treatment, nutritional therapy and psychotherapy. The reason for treating the diseases are three fold.The first reason is to restore the patient to health. The second is to address the psychological issues related to the eating abnormally. The third reason is to eliminate the thoughts that lead to Anorexia, and prevent a relapse (Behrman & Kliegman, 1998). Nutritional Therapy Nutritional therapy is one of the first methods for treating the disease. In this form of treatment, the patient is guided on the diet to take in order to regain her health. The patient is given vitamins and fatty acid supplements to boost her health. One of the supplements that are given is zinc supplementation. This is given to the patient even if the patient is not suffering from zinc deficiency. Fatty acids are also given in the treatment of this illness. The fatty acids that are mostly recommended are the omega -3 fatty acids. These are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and (EPA) –eicosapentaenoic acid (Karlsson, Engström &Nevonen, 2009)... Fatty acid supplementation has several benefits. Research has proved that these fatty acid supplementations check various comorbid disorders. One of the comorbidity disorders that are cured by fatty acid supplements is attention deficit commonly known as hyperactivity disorder. Autism is also treated by use of fatty acid supplementation. Major depressive disorder is also treated by use of fatty acid supplementation. These supplements are also known to check accelerated cognitive impairment, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Fatty acid supplements also improve cognitive function. The diseases that have been outlined above manifest in the case of Anorexia nervosa. Their cure is a cure for Anorexia. Zinc supplementation is remarkably beneficial to the body because it increases body weight. It also checks other conditions like restoration of menses (Karlsson, Engström &Nevonen, 2009)... There are several side effects that are mostly associated with the fatty acids supplements. Some of them are outlined below. One of the side effects is high blood sugar. This is especially with people with diabetes. The patient will have black, starry stool. There might be presence of blood in the stool. The patient will exhibit signs of hemorrhagic stroke. This kind of stroke leads to speech changes, vision changes, severe headaches and numbness in legs. Another side effect is that the patient will show signs of allergic reactions. These include hives, itching, wheezing, unexplained rashes, unexplained wheezing and difficulties in swallowing (Gowers & Bryant-Waugh, 2004). Medical treatment Medical treatment is usually the first priority in the treatment of Anorexia. This is done to stabilize medical conditions that accompany the disease. Hospitalization is often recommended for most patients. A number of medications are available that treat the conditions that come with Anorexia. It is important to note that the medications do not treat the disease directly. They treat the secondary diseases that occur as a result of the disease.The main medications are SSRI medicines.Flouxitine is one of the SSRI medications that are used check depression in Anorexic patients.Olanzapine is known to treat Anorexia (Sujit, Sansgiry, & Kavita,2006). The strength of using medication is that medication has several benefits. One of the benefits is that medications like Olanzapine increase the body index mass. This medication also reduces obsessional thoughts; especially thoughts about food. SSRI medications help to curb depression in the patients (Rome & Ammerman, 2003).Medication helps the anorexics to avoid starvation. Medication and hospitalization help the victim to avoid suicide. There are some several side effects that are associated with medications, especially the antidepressants. One of the side effects is confusion and mental changes. The patient will also start to engage in unusual activities. There is also extreme elation that may swing down to depression. Another side effect is restlessness, or the in ability to stay still. Suicidal thoughts may plague the Anorexic. The victim will also exhibit fever and sweating. The heart of the patients beats rapidly. There is also vomiting and nausea. There are blood pressure changes in the body of the patient. The patient will also have chest palpitations. Other side effects include sleeping difficulties, seizures, coma, agitation, shakiness and hallucinations (Bloomgarden &Colagero, 2008). Psychotherapy/Cognitive Remediation Psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy carries with it several classifications of similar thereapies.The approaches to cognitive behavioral therapies are many.CBT is based on evidence. It is remarkably effective with adolescents and adults. It is supposed to improve the mental abilities such as working memory, attention, cognitive flexibility, executive functioning and planning. The reason for the development of this treatment method is because patients of Anorexia have problems with cognitive flexibility. Several therapies are used in CBT.They include rational emotive, rational living and dialectical behavior among other therapies. Therapy involves the altering of dysfunctional eating thoughts in the patient. Dietary restraints are placed on the patient’s life.CBT also addresses the issue the negative issue of perfectionism, self-evaluation and dichotomous thinking (Wayne, Bowers& Andersen. 2007). CBT has many benefits. One of the benefits is that the practice of purging is reduced. Dietary restraints are also significantly reduced. The degree of the concerns about ones body shape and weight are attenuated and eventually normalized. The psychiatric symptoms are significantly reduced. There is improvement of self-esteem. Frequencies of restrained eating and purging are markedly reduced, dietary restraint is decreased, and the intensity of the concerns about shape and weight are attenuated if not normalized. Associated with these changes are a decrease in the level of general psychiatric symptoms, and an improvement in self-esteem and social functioning. Another benefit of this method of treatment is that the method produces durable effects. Through this method, theraupatic changes can be maintained over a period of 6-12 months. Around 75% of the patients do not relapse (Fairburn et al, 1995).The treatment is also brief, lasting only 19 sessions. It is the most effective form of treating the disease. It is notable that this form of treatment has no known side effects. Conclusion Anorexia nervosa occurs in about 5 – 10 % of the entire population. It mostly afflicts women although men are also at risk of the disease. It has a mortality rate of about 10 -15% .Of the psychiatric diseases, it is the highest killer. Nutritional therapy is quite beneficial in the treatment of this disease. This is because several secondary conditions like comorbidity disorders are cured. These include conditions like major depressive disorder, and mild cognitive impairment. Weight gain is also experienced (Wilson, Fairburn & Agras, 2010).The second form of treatment that has been examined is medication. It has several benefits. Most of the medical conditions are able to be healed. The body index mass is increased, and depression is checked. The last form of treatment that has been examined is CBT.It has several benefits. One of the benefits is that it reduces purging and checks many psychiatric conditions. It has no side effects. Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and the recommended form of treatment is Cognitive behavioral therapy (Ball& Mitchell.2004). . References . 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Cognitive-Behavior Therapy with Eating Disorders: The Role of Medications in Treatment Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly Volume 21, Number 1 • 2007 Wilson, G.T., Fairburn, C.G. & Agras, W.S. (2010). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia Nervosa In D.M. Garner & P.E. Garfunkel (Eds). Handbook of treatment for eating Disorders. New York: Guilford Press -02661532-530X Read More