Eating Disorders in Adolescent Males - Coursework Example

Eating Disorders in Adolescent Males Inserts His /Her Inserts Grade Inserts 31 July Eating Disorders in Adolescent Males Eating disorders among the males must be acted upon to avoid continuing physical and mental damage to the patient. The research focused on the patients who see their physical appearance negatively compared to the normal person. The research focuses on the patient refusing to eat food thinking that such food will make one fat. The research centers on the person who is too depressed with one’s physical appearance. The research includes the study of the patient’s use of laxatives to force one’s vomiting. The research includes the use of Psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, family therapy, and other means to cure the patient. Psychological and medical help will metamorphose the patient to a normal thinking and acting person. Anorexia Nervosa Sari Shepphird (2009) emphasized males, aside from the females, have eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa is one type. Bulimia nervosa, and binge eating behavior. Studies have shown that 10 percent of those influenced by male eating disorders are all varsities. The psychological behavior known as Anorexia Nervosa, or just simply Anorexia, is an eating disorder that is characterized by the refusal to retain a healthy body weight in relation to one’s height. In addition, the person afflicted with the psychological behavior has a distorted image of what is the right food intake to retain a seemingly wrong interpretation of whether one has attained the right weight or physical appearance. The person afflicted with the psychological behavior has a wrong interpretation of what food is right for the body as well as right eating habit. The Anorexia Nervosa behavior often attacks women. There are more women afflicted with the behavior compared to the men. The behavior normally crops up during the adolescent years when the patient starts being conscious with one’s physical appearance. Physical appearance includes one’s weight in relation to one’s height. The person afflicted with the behavior has no appetite to eat for fear that one may grow fat. To the patient, fat is synonymous with ugly or unpopularity. The term Anorexia Nervosa is a Greek term that means lack of interest to eat. There are symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa. First, there is a speedy decline in the patient’s weight. Second, soft fine hair crops up on the patient’s face and other parts of the body. Third, there is a strong craving for calories as well as fatty foods. Fourth, the patient sticks to a rigid diet regimen even though they are thin in appearance. Fifth, the patient uses laxatives to induce vomiting; Vomiting removes the calories from food eaten by the patient. Sixth, often throws away food and refuses to eat with other people. Lastly, the patient spends time on strenuous exercises to reduce one’s weight. Psychological analysis Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders or DSM –IV, the American Psychiatric Association states that Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a strong fear of increasing one’s weight. The patient normally avoids retaining the minimum weight required in relation to one’s height or built. Likewise, the patient does not accept the criticisms, suggestions, or professional opinions that they should eat more food in order to increase one’s weight to the medically acceptable minimum weight prescribed. Treatment strategy Stephanie Watson (2007) reiterated treatment can help alleviate the effects of Anorexia Nervosa. The patient should take Zinc to help gain the proper weight required by medical science. Second, the psychologist or psychiatrist must persuade the patient to eat more food to increase one’s weight. The psychologist or psychiatrist should painstakingly explain to the patient that one’s current impression of one’s weight is wrong with the intention of helping the patient awaken from the patient’s misconception of what is the right weight. Third, the psychologist or psychiatrist must strive to medically correct the patient’s psychological disorder characterized as fear of being fat or gaining weight. The patient should be fed omega -3 accides docosahexaenoic acid or DHA as well as eicosapentaenoic acid to correct the psychological behavior of the patient. The psychologist or psychiatrist must persuade the patient to swallow much –needed nutritive foods. Such foods will help increase the body’s resistance to the encroachment of the uninvited Anorexia Nervosa statistics. The Maudsley family therapy is a good alternative. Also, to increase the healing process of the patient, the citizen engage in mind –based exercises; one such exercise is the popular and a well –proven Yoga exercise program. Lastly, medical nutrition therapy is a good procedure to reduce and eliminate the current priority to avoid eating food, despite one’s stomach grumbling due to need for food. Bulimia nervosa Molly Gill Willer (2007) proposed Bulimia Nervosa is characterized as an eating disorder among the males, as well as females. The patient generally purges and binges. The patient would eat lots of food. Consequently, the patient uses laxatives to vomit the contents of one’s stomach. The patient may also spend more time for exercises. The exercises are too strenuous for the patient. The strenuous exercises are targeting the reduction in the patient’s weight to abnormal levels. The patient is constantly focusing on one’s facial as well as complete body features in a disgusting attitude. The patient is normally in a depressive state. The patient is generally under a psychological imbalance. The failure to fully address the patient’s unhealthy lifestyle forces the teacher to increase their efforts to help relieve the patient of the malady. Some of the people with the illness successfully hide their ailment for many years. Different members of the group do not strictly comply with the minimum requirement authored by the students. Basically, people afflicted with the ailment are too ashamed of their condition. In fact, they may be too secretive of the patient’s illness that they do not seek medical or psychological help to reverse their psychological imbalance. The patient hides one’s condition for several years without anyone noticing any distinct mark that the person has the ailment. The medical doctor will check for physical signs like the presence of a tooth enamel that is too eroded or the enlargement of the glands of the mouth’s saliva. The medical doctor should also determine if there are symptoms of depression. The patient under the depression stance would not be able to think normally under their current psychological state. The medical doctor must use laboratory tests to determine if the patient is under the strong grip of the mentally incapacitating Bulimia nervosa. The patient repetitively engages on bingeing and purging activities. The psychologist or psychiatrist will perform a psychological exam of the patient to determine if the patient is under the spell of Bulimia nervosa. Lastly, the medical doctor will encourage the patient to eagerly contribute his part for the success of the patient’s desire for medical help. Treatment Myra Cooper (2008) stated the treatment of the patient includes family therapy. Likewise, the patient should undergo the many advantages of psychotherapy. The patient must comply with the medical doctor’s medication to hasten the one’s recovery process; the process is geared towards reducing the patient’s world of binge eating as well as purging. The medical doctor will interview the patient upon admission into the health care center about the patient’s present condition within the aim of fully helping the student’s recovery by implementing any or all of the business contacts. In addition, the focus of the medical doctor or psychiatrist is on prescribing medicines for the recovery of the patients. The medical doctor can prescribe Prozac, with its scientific name, Flouxetine. Flouxetine is an antidepressant. An anti-depressant drugs focus on turning the depression message into a positive one. The medical doctor can also use Zoloft with its medical name, Sertraline. In addition the medical doctor can also prescribe Paroxetine to relieve the patient’s depression. In terms of the children, the parents should keep a watchful eye on the children. The children may have an overdose of the anti- depressant drugs. This includes watching the adolescent as well as adult children for possible overdose of the drugs. Likewise, the parents or guardian should keep a continuous watch over the patients for fear the patients may have suicidal thoughts cropping up during some or several hours of being injected with the anti –depressant drugs. The medical professional as well as the psychologist must also prescribe potassium and iron supplements to refill the lack of such chemicals needed by the patient. The medical doctor as well as the psychologists should also prescribe the intake of other vitamins and minerals to replace the lack of other vitamins and minerals. The imagery therapy encourages the patient to reduce induced vomiting, binge eating. With the imagery therapy, many patients have successfully metamorphosed from the depression state to a more normal outlook of the community, people, and life itself. Further, the medical doctor and the psychologist must insist that the patient undergo psychotherapy. Likewise, the patient must be persuaded to take advantage of cognitive behavioral therapy. Both psychological responses will dislodge the negative thoughts currently being entertained by the patients. In addition, the patient needs physical exercises to replace the patient’s current depression state. The exercises would focus on meditation, yoga, or tai chi and other vigorous sports activities. Psychological therapy that includes imagery will surely replace the patient’s current unhealthy thoughts with more positive ones. It is also advisable to reduce intake of some items. Avoiding coffee would be helpful. The patient should stop smoking. The patient must drink an estimated six to eight glasses of water each day. The patient should also shy away from sweets like candies and soft drinks. In addition, the patient must eat protein products like eggs, meat, and vegetables to increase their muscle size. Based on the above discussion, eating disorders among the males should be acted upon to prevent further damage to the patient. The patients see themselves negatively compared to the normal person. The patient refuses to eat food thinking that such food will make one fat. The person is too depressed with one’s physical appearance. The patient refuses to eat with other people because there are times when one induces vomiting to extricate the food from the patient’s stomach. The patient would also use laxatives to force one’s vomiting. Medical help must include Psychotherapy. Likewise, help must include cognitive therapy. Family therapy is an additional curative process to bring the patient to reality. The patient must avoid coffee, sugar, and other foods. On the other hand, the patient should eat vegetables, meat, zinc, iron, and other vitamins and minerals to help the body recover its former healthy status. Indeed, psychological and medical intervention will metamorphose the patient to a normal thinking and acting individual. References Cooper, M. (2008). Cognitive Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa. New York: Psychology Press. Shepphird, S. (2009). 100 Questions & Answers about Anorexia Nervosa. New York: Jones Press. Watson, S. (2007). Anorexia. New York: Rosen Press. Willer, M. (2007). Bulimia Nervosa. Minnessota: Minessota. Read More