Anorexia Nervosa - Research Paper Example

? Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia Nervosa Introduction Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder portrayed by food restriction, rational fearof gaining body weight, and body self-perception distortion. Anorexia Nervosa typically involves loss of excess body weight and is mainly common in females than in males (Garrett, 2008). Because of fear of gaining more body weight, people with Anorexia Nervosa disorder restrict the type and amount of food they eat. This food intake restriction cause hormonal and metabolic disorders. Outside medical literature, people frequently use the term Anorexia and Nervosa interchangeably; nevertheless, Anorexia is a medical term that simply means lack of appetite, although, patient with such disorder do not, actually, lose their appetite (Fonagy, 2005). Patients with this disorder may experience headache, lack of energy, drowsiness, and dizziness. Anorexia Nervosa associates with inappropriate eating habits, losing body weight, obsession to have a slender body figure, and fear of increasing body weight mostly with females. Anorexia Nervosa often couples with self-image distortion, which is maintained by a range of cognitive biases that change how the patient evaluates and thinks about his or her body, food, and eating (Hoek, 2008). People suffering from Anorexia Nervosa often term themselves as “too fat” even when they are extremely underweight. They may perform repetitive measuring, weighing, mirror gazing, and other obsessive practices to be sure that they remain thin. This practice commonly refers to “body checking” (First & Tasman, 2011). Anorexia Nervosa commonly has its onset with teenagers and more often among adolescent females than males. However, most studies show how Anorexia Nervosa onset age decreases from individuals with thirteen to seventeen years of age to nineteen to twelve years (American Psychiatric Association, 2006). Although Anorexia Nervosa can affect both males and females of any age, socioeconomic, cultural background, and race, the disorder occurs ten times less males than females. Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa go on feeling hungry, but avoid eating too much food in fear of gaining more body weight (Warrell, 2003). The average intake of caloric of an individual with Anorexia Nervosa is approximately 800 on a daily basis, but excessive cases of self-starvation is highly known (Rumney, 2009). Anorexia Nervosa is a serious mental disorder with a high Co morbidity incidence and higher mortality rates of psychiatric disorders. Individuals suffering from Anorexia Nervosa have tremendously high ghrelin levels (hunger hormone that signals the physiological need for food). This ghrelin high level proposes that such individuals’ bodies are desperately trying to cause hunger to them; however, these individuals suppress, ignore, or override that hunger call (Neinstein & Neinstein, 2008). Nevertheless, a certain research found that ghrelin intravenous administration to the patients’ bodies’ increases intake of food by 12% to 36% during the trial period. Signs and symptoms Anorexia Nervosa Most individuals keep on struggling with how their body shape should be at a time, and it is generally for people to discuss about exercise and dieting. Anorexia Nervosa disorders are dangerous since they are not gym exercise attempts to lose weight (Lock & Le, 2013). Such disorders are serious, and therefore, it is crucial to identify the symptoms for one to be able to support the affected ones to get the necessary help that they require. Discussed below are some of the signs and symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa (Sadock, Sadock & Sadock, 2008). Recent body weight changes- Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa disorder are normally underweight but may as well be overweight. Rapid and significant change in body weight can be an Anorexia Nervosa warning symptom. It is vital to understand that some individuals with this disorder also have normal weight (Petit & Adamec, 2005). Fear of body weight gain/ body image problems- People with Anorexia Nervosa disorder have an intense fear of gaining body weight even if they actually underweight. They may actually believe that they are gaining weight when in real sense they are extremely underweight. The body image problem may hinder individuals from participating in certain activities they would generally enjoy (Sadock, Kaplan & Sadock, 2007). Secretive behaviors- Shame and guilt can make someone eat in secret places or even hide large quantities of food. For instance, loved ones may note someone leaving the dining table instantly after meals or find some hidden food. Sometimes individuals with this disorder will also try to hide their body weight by putting on baggy or large clothes (Swain, 2006). Low self-esteem-An individual's self-esteem or self-image may depend on the body’s outward appearance, including body weight and shape. They may overly be dangerous by themselves in other areas too. Making oneself sick- Self-persuaded vomiting or any other type of purging immediately after meals, may be a symptom of Anorexia Nervosa disorder. Relatives may note that an individual always goes to the bathroom immediately after meals or find evidence of extreme consumption of diuretic or laxative like packaging pills (Swain, 2006). Excessive exercise- Although exercise can be a crucial thing, sometimes individuals with Anorexia Nervosa disorders may be so fanatical with exercise to an extend that this becomes a challenge in their life. Example of this is an insistence upon doing exercises at times when they are actually inappropriate. This includes going for a run during inclement weather, or being unable to participate in daily activities while the individual is going exercises (Swain, 2006). Preoccupation with food-Assumptions about nutrition and food may take up most individual’s time and thoughts when they have Anorexia Nervosa disorder. These thoughts include counting fat grams or calories, or diving different types of food, in either “good” or “bad” classes. Some patients may completely abstain from eating, while some may eat more than what an average person eats in one meal (Swain, 2006). Health problems- Anorexia Nervosa disorders result in many health complications among the patients. These disorders may include bruising, amenorrhea (in females, their monthly period may stop), hair loss, electrolyte imbalances, low blood pressure, osteoporosis, dehydration, cardiac problems, and esophageal tears. Eventually, these physical problems related to Anorexia Nervosa disorder can lead to loss of life. If you know of anyone with the above symptoms, it is fine to advise or encourage them to seek medical guidance (Swain, 2006). Treatment of the Anorexia Nervosa Although Anorexia Nervosa disorders are dangerous life-threatening diseases, they are curable by competent professionals. It is vital to look for treatment immediately after recognition of the disorder since early treatment can enhance better treatment outcomes. Ideally, this disorder treatment bases for an individual, family, and the experienced symptoms (Lock & Le, 2013). Building an outpatient treatment team Most patients can receive treatment on an outpatient-based approach. Typically, these individuals have numerous professionals helping them towards their recovery. Each professional does his or her own role and together comprise a treatment group team. All the professional working in aid of healing an individual should communicate with one another to ensure the best possible treatment (Rumney, 2009). Individual, group, and family therapy Psychotherapy is a foundation to all Anorexia Nervosa treatment and may be offered by diverse medical professionals such as nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and family therapists (Gremillion, 2003). Depending on the personal requirements of the patient, people with Anorexia Nervosa disorder typically involve in family or individual therapy. A single or two separate therapists depending on the treatment philosophy or training of the therapist can do this. The mostly used philosophies include family-based treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and group therapy (Gremillion, 2003). Nutrition counseling Dieticians typically offer nutrition counseling for patients. This includes educating the patient about the type of nutrients their bodies require, how their bodies use them, as well as weight monitoring, and meal planning (Abraham, 2008). Learning about why the body requires certain food can assist in fighting food and weight distortion brought by Anorexia Nervosa disorder. Nutrition counseling is an essential tool to help patients start responding to their body’s hunger through provision of essential guidelines (Abraham, 2008). Physician Ordinary monitoring by a care physician is extremely essential outpatient component of Anorexia Nervosa disorder treatment. Physicians doesn't only focus on body weight, but also monitor blood pressure, lab values, and other possible physical health complications of Anorexia Nervosa disorders. The physician may be the individual regular family pediatrician or a doctor, or may even be a physician who specializes in Anorexia Nervosa disorders. Psychiatrist These are medical doctors, such as a family physician, although they are specialized in mental illness treatment. Occasionally, psychiatrist offer psychotherapy. However, they typically offer medication management for individuals with eating disorders. Other treatment for eating disorder includes intensive outpatient programs, day patient, impatient programs, and residential programs (Treasure, Schmidt & Van, 2003). Conclusion According to the content of this paper, one can conclude that Anorexia Nervosa is a common disorder currently affecting many adolescents especially females. Most females restrict their food consumption to avoid gaining more body weight without understanding that can be harmful to their health. People must understand that restricting food consumption not only helps one maintain body weight and shape but also unfortunately poses severe illness, which cause death. Instead of deciding to restrict food consumption as a method of maintaining body weight and shape, people should use appropriate measures such as attending gyms or doing physical exercises. References Abraham, S. (2008). The facts. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 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