An introduction is presented.
Over a lifetime, eating disorders represent the largest health problem in society. Data from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders(ANAD) show that nearly twenty million people in America have an eating disorder. This is a condition that causes excessive food intake and weight gain.
Crow 440 says that the condition may also be caused by individuals who are unable to eat and restrict their intake of energy and nutrients. This can lead to a loss of appetite and a decrease in body mass and normal health. A patient may also feel fat and afraid of adding weight.
This means that anorexic individuals experience extreme body dissatisfaction. Anorexia Nervosa is also known for excessive exercise, such as self-induced vomiting and diuretics.
Anorexia nervosa affects more females than males (De la Rie 15012). In particular, anorexia nervosa is more prevalent in teenage girls than it is in the adult males.
People with an eating disorder will often try to lose weight until they become malnourished. The disorder is usually caused by malnutrition, which can be caused by self-imposed lack of nutrition. This causes various bodily snags to become severe.
Research has shown that patients with an eating disorder are more likely to have a variety of symptoms. These include the inability to maintain a standard body mass, irregular periods, and skin turning yellow.
Patients also have fine and soft hair. They are also preoccupied about the calories and fats of food. They also tend to eat less despite being very thin.
Patients with the disorder will experience depression and seclusion. The eating disorder is also known for its symptoms, which include fatigue, mood swings and bad breath.
The medical complications of an eating disorder include growth retardation, chronic malnutrition, weight loss, and pubertal delay.
Anorexia may lead to liver damage, heart disease, neurological disorders and even death. Crow 440 indicates that anorexia nervosa has a high rate of mortality in comparison to other mental disorders. This paper examines the psychological effects and causes of anorexia.
Anorexia Nervosa: Causes
Anorexia Nervosa can be caused by a variety of psychological conditions. The eating disorder is caused by psychological conditions such as anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, and/or depression. Anorexia nervosa can also be caused by perfectionism, impulsivity and low self-esteem.
Low self esteem
Childhood is the most important time in a person’s life to determine their worth and fulfill their dreams. The adolescence period is when self-esteem becomes more difficult and stronger. Consider the importance of puberty for self-esteem.
The adolescents seek individuality in this time. If the search for identity becomes too complicated, adolescents can develop low self-worth and negative feelings about their identity (De la Rie 1513).
According to this hypothesis, research has shown that low self-esteem can cause an array of psychological disorders, including anorexia. Multiple researches have proven the important role that low self-esteem plays in eating disorders.
Interviews and questionnaires revealed that patients suffering from eating disorders are often low in self-worth. It was found that disordered eating habits are often linked to anorexia.
Low self-esteem can be characterized by unrealistic high ambitions and insecurity. These traits are common in anorexic nervosa sufferers.
Coping With Emotions and Anxiety
Many people suffer from eating disorders due to the way they think and act when managing their external and internal needs. Emotional management is, in essence, a multidimensional model. It includes self-preoccupation and problem-solving.
Research suggests that anorexia patients often have many difficulties managing their unease. Individuals with eating disorders can be caused by poor stress management (Crow 440).
Study results show that people with eating disorders and those who eat normally have different anxiety management skills. Anorexia nervosa sufferers have a higher ability to manage emotions. Researchers also found that anorexia nervosa patients have active strategies for managing stress.
Hopelessness, inadequacy
Depression affects millions of people around the globe. A person’s outlook can be impacted by hopelessness. Individuals who suffer from depression or inadequacy are less likely to be able to get a job, study, and have a family (Haines & Neumark-Sztainer 779).
Additionally, people often feel guilty and become impatient with their work. Another sign of hopelessness is a lack of energy, inability to concentrate on sex, restlessness, and thoughts of suicide or death. Eating disorders are caused by depression, which causes people to lose their enthusiasm and appetite.
Perfectionism
Numerous studies have shown a strong link between perfectionionism and anorexia. Actually, the combination of precision eating disorders and anorexia nervosa is harmful to people’s health (Haines-Sztainer 781). Eating disorders are actually closely related to the pursuit of idealistic, high-achieving goals.
Perfectionists tend to be self-critical and rely on accomplishments to get pleasure. De la Rie 1522 says that perfectionists may identify unrealistic values in order to achieve physical beauty and charm.
Anorexia nervosa is a desire for a perfect body. Because people associate food consumption with failing to achieve unrealistic goals, they often develop anorexia.
There is strong evidence linking perfectionism to anorexia. In a first study, perfectionism was identified as a phenotypic attribute in eating disorder. This meant that women who are anorexic tend to hide emotions and cover up their imperfections.
Impulsive behavior
Anorexia nervosa sufferers are often prone to spontaneous behaviors, such as stealing, sexual promiscuity, and attempted suicide. People who steal are more likely to be disordered eaters. Practical studies also show that eating disorders are strongly linked to stealing (De la Rie, 1519).
Studies have shown that women who are impulsive tend to be more sexually aware and to experience eating disorders. Researchers have also found that people who experience anorexia nervesa are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse.
The study also showed that people who obsessively consume very low amounts calories have high rates of masturbation.
Faith and Religion
Studies show that anorexia and spirituality can coexist. Spirituality is, first and foremost, the unique, creative, collective and interdependent aspect of people’s lives that they perceive. Studies show that patients suffering from anorexia often display spiritual acts.
Patients with anorexia can show many spiritual signs. They may be ascetic, have difficulty maintaining close relationships with others, or even suffer from the disorder (Haines & Neumark-Sztainer 778).
Studies have shown that anorexics believe their religious beliefs should be considered when treating the eating disorder (Levine 80, Smolak 80). Psychotherapies such as cognitive-behavioral and family therapy can be used to counter these beliefs.
The literature on eating disorders traces them to holy anorexics, religious ascetics and those who self-deprive themselves of food. Self-denial was a response to greed being deemed a deadly sin. In order to purify their spirits, they were forced to fast.
Search power
Analyzing the causes of anorexia is crucial. Catherine of Siena, for example, was unable to eat because she disapproved of the marriage ceremony. These were the circumstances in which virgins gained power, freedom, respect, and authority among society members (Levine, Smolak 78).
Catherine could remain virgin while she pursued her dream to become a nun. Fasting was actually a method of controlling people’s power. It is very similar in nature to the many fundamental aspects of anorexia.
Anorexia Nervosa: The Effects
Eating disorders are responsible for the highest mortality and morbidity rates in psychiatric disorders. Anorexia is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for around eight percent. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders shows that anorexia nervosa prevalence is about 0.3% among women (Levine and Smolak 1980).
Individuals have suffered psychologically devastating effects from anorexia. Anorexia causes cognitive impairment (De la Ris, 1519). Studies have shown that anorexia sufferers are more likely to struggle with communication and learning in schools.
Deficiency in nutrients and calories as well as persistent, disproportionate or excessive training can all lead to excess sleep (Haines/Neumark-Sztainer 778). Additionally, anorexia can lead to social and cognitive impairments. This is because individuals are not able to attend school or social events with friends.
A common side effect of anorexia is a rise in mortality rates (Crow 449). Suicidal ideation can be common among those with eating disorders. Death can also result from arrhythmias and starvation.
The likelihood of recovering from extreme starvation is inversely related to the severity of the weight loss and psychiatric disorders such as depression.
Furthermore, anorexic teenage girls with anorexia nervesa are often fatigued and weak. This makes it difficult to manage the transition from puberty and adulthood. The vicious cycle of eating disorders contributes to starvation by requiring individuals to do extreme exercise in order to be accepted as unique and independent.
Anorexia can cause psychological complications, such as medical problems (Haines or Neumark Sztainer 782).
The victims of anorexia are often left with subcutaneous fat, hypotension, impaired menstrual functions, and lost hair.
Stress is common in patients who exercise excessively and limit their food intake to stay young.
Anorexia is a condition that causes individuals to feel low in their society. Anorexia Nervosa can also lead people to take self-destructive measures, such as self mutilation.
To put it another way, anorexics often burn themselves or inflict injuries to their body to control the intense feelings of hunger. Anorexics often withdraw from relationships and food situations.
Anorexic patients tend to be very cautious about how much food they eat and become frustrated when people ask them about their weight (Le Grange & Lock 77). Anorexics are known for their lackadaisical attitudes towards past activities.
In conclusion,
Millions of people around the world are still affected by anorexia nervosa. The effects can be very severe (Haines & Neumark-Sztainer, 781). This disorder causes excessive food restriction and weight loss. Anorexia is a psychological disorder that can be caused by anxiety, low self-esteem or perfectionism. 80).
Eating disorders can cause cognitive changes and withdrawals from relationships and food.
Professional treatment, which includes medical and mental care, is essential to treat the disorder’s effects.
Public policies must also be implemented to combat the threat of anorexia. In order to combat the menace of anorexia, it is important to improve the screening and treatment methods for eating disorders. Also, support should be given to preventive and intervention initiatives that help schools and communities provide facilities for those with eating disorders.
The most important thing for doctors is to be able understand the problems faced by anorexics. Anorexia nervosa must be managed using all possible methods.
Anorexia nervosa treatment should be psychological in nature. Before offering anorexic treatments, doctors should be able to understand the patient’s social and dietary history.