This subject really hits home to me because the picture on the left is me in 1995.... At 5'6'' I weighed all of 89 lbs and was literally starving myself to death... Due to Anorexia Nervosa!!
Anorexia is an illness that occures teenage girls mainly but can also effect boys and adult men and women. People with Anorexia are obsessed with being thin. They are terrified of gaining weight so for this reason they lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. People who are anorexic believe they are fat even though they are very thin. Anorexia isn't just a problem with weight or food, it is an attempt to use food and weight as a way of dealing with emotional problems and have a feeling of control in the events that take place in ones life.
* Deliberate self starvation with weight loss
* A strong fear of gaining weight
* Refusal to eat
* Denial of hunger
* Constant Exercising
* Greater amounts of hair on face and body
* Loss of scalp hair
* Sensitivity to cold
* Absent or irregular periods in women
* A self perception of being fat when the person really is too thin.
The reason some people get Anorexia is not known...Low self esteem, depression, Lack of control over things in ones life, or maybe the thought that if one was thinner they would be happier could all contribute to this illness. People who are anorexic want everything in their lives to be perfect.
They are usually good students and are involved in many school or community activities. They blame themselves if they do not get perfect grades or if other things in their life are not perfect.
Treatment of Anorexia is difficult because the person with this disorder does not feel there is anything wrong with them.
Patients in the early stages of Anorexia (Less than 6 months or with just a small amount of weigh loss) may be successfully treated without being admitted into the hospital. But for the treatment to be successfull the patient the patient must want to change, and must have some type of a support system to help them.(Such as friends and family)
People with more serious Anorexia, need care in the hospital, usually on a special unit for people with eating disorders.
Treatment involves more then changing ones eating habits, These patients
often need counseling for a year or longer so that they can work on the feelings and problems that are causing their eating disorder. These problems can include issues about weight, family problems, personal problems, low self esteem and others. Some Anorexic patients are placed on medication to help them feel less depressed. These medications are perscribed by a doctor and are used along with Counseling.
The most important thing that family and friends can do to help a person with anorexia is to love them! People with anorexia feel safe and secure with their illness. Their biggest fear is gaining weight and when they do this is seen as a loss of control. They may deny that they have a problem.
People with Anorexia may beg and lie to avoid eating and gaining weight,
which is like giving up the illness. Family and friends should not give in to the pleading of the anorexic patient.
Females with Anorexia usually stop having menstral periods.
People with Anorexia have dry skin and thinning hair on their head. They may have a growth of fine hair all over their body. They may feel cold all of the time,and they may get sick often. Not eating can cause some of the bodies organs to stop functioning properly, such as the liver kidneys or digestive system to name a few. People with Anorexia have a hard time concentrating and are always thinking about food.(it is not true that an anorexic is never hungry actually, they are always hungry) Feeling hunger gives them a feeling of control over their bodies and their lives and Makes them feel they are good at something (Good at losing weight)
People with severe Anorexia may be at risk of death from starvation.
You can always go to your family doctor for more information and help with anorexia but below are some other places that can help you also....
The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and
Associated Disorders (ANAD)
P.O. Box 7
Highland Park, Il. 60035
847-831-3438
http://www.anad.org
Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention (EDAP)
603 Stewart Street, Suite 830
Seattle, WA. 98101
800-931-2237
http://www.edap.org
Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders Inc. (ANRED)
P.O. Box 5102
Eugene, OR. 97405
541-344-1144
http://www.anred.org
