How many parents fear the word "diet" if brought up in a subject by their child? How many parents who see their child dieting when already in a perfectly healthy condition becomes greatly concerned because they know where it can lead. Anorexia is not a rare condition therefore making it all the more frightening because it proves "many" people suffer from the disease. This is a good thing in a way because doctors are familiar with the disease which enables them to diagnose severity along with prescribing appropriate medication.
If you believe your child has an eating disorder, then they most probably have. As a parent you know your child best, and if eating behaviors change then you will be the first to notice. Understanding anorexia nervosa will always be difficult for a non sufferer and vise a versa, where the patient finds it hard to understand why those close to them is not agreeable to what they do..
For the person with anorexia they can never be too thin despite being dangerously below their natural weight. Sadly neither do they see the physical and emotional damage that they impose upon them self. Anorexia is a serious and potentially deadly eating disorder. With support from the right source it is curable. Unfortunately it is not a condition remedied overnight. The healing process is long but comes with great rewards when the fat person you believe you are disappears. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by an illogical fear of becoming fat.
Anorexics go to great lengths to reach a dangerously low body weight. It is a continuous turbulent battle to lose more weight for the ailing. Evidence of protruding ribs is not enough to have them see sense.
Are you worried over your child's eating habits, if so seek medical help as soon as. Sooner is always better than later. Nipping an illness or disease in the bud will up the odds in curing the health issue
There are two types of anorexia. 1. Weight loss is attained by restricting calories. Anorexics religiously follow radical diets and exercise exertion to an unhealthy level. 2. Weight loss is attained from ridding calories by vomiting or using laxatives and diuretics. Both of which are dangerous ways to shed excess pounds.
Anorexia is typically recognized in teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 20. Nonetheless it is also suffered by men and children. About one in 250 women and one in 2,000 men get anorexia at some time. Scarily anorexia can rise from just dieting. Once the scales show weight loss it then becomes a desire to lose more. Each individual aside from the overweight issue will have their own reasons why they allow the condition to continue. Some folk feel powerless. Some abstain from eating because they find it helps them cope with different emotions, i.e. anger, shame and self-loathing. Anorexics are a class act in hiding their eating disorder; nevertheless it comes to light when the bones begin rattling regardless of the baggy cardigan and pants.
To clear up the confusion between losing your appetite and the disease, anorexia nervosa is when a person denies them self food. With the eating disorder bulimia nervosa; the person goes through times when they binge eat only to purge it back up again. Some anorexics may also do the same
Symptoms of anorexia can include:
- Feeling cold
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Constipation and stomach pain
- Face and ankle puffiness
- Dizziness
- Fatigue - aching muscles
- Hard to control concentration
- Nervousness and mood swings
- Missing three consecutive periods
- Hair loss
Anorexia nervosa can cause osteoporosis, infertility and damage the heart. Death has been the outcome for some untreated anorexics. Starvation, dehydration, infections and heart failure were the designated causes. It is said if you suffer from type 1Diabetes you are likely to develop anorexia. Also a past weight problem increases the risk of anorexia. Emotional upsets such as family breakups or abusive relationships can also give cause.
If you can openly address you have the problem then you are on the road to recovery.
Contact your GP. The doctor will ask questions to determine severity of the condition and to how far into the disease you have fallen. A referral to see a psychiatrist or psychologist may be suggested .This does not mean you are mad, in fact it means your sensibility has come to the fore and you now have the people at your side that can help. Now you have faced up to having anorexia - treatment sessions are easier. Therapy is to re-establish a healthy attitude towards food and a consistent pattern of eating. Talking to fellow sufferers can be a huge help.
Although there is no specific medication to heal anorexia, there is for the causes. Psychotherapy is ideally therapeutic. Psychotherapy helps identify the reason that may have caused anorexia. Hospital admittance may be imminent mainly because anorexia has reached a stage where it is life threatening. In an attempt to get the patient back to a healthy state treatment will entail giving the body back vital fluids and nutrients that the body lost.
If you are looking for help or looking to help someone then you will find the resources below helpful. With your own determination and patience and support from them closest to you will make the road to recovery one with no bends.
Beating Eating Disorders (beat)
0845 634 1414 (adult helpline)
0845 634 7650 (youth line)
Mental Health Foundation
020 7803 1101
Eating disorders - NHS Library for Health - Clinical Knowledge Summaries. www.cks.library.nhs.uk
