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Anorexia Nervosa
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Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental health condition with symptoms that vary based on the length and severity of the condition. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition, the following symptoms are present in all diagnosed cases.
- Restriction of energy intake, resulting in significantly low body weight
- Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat (despite having a significantly low body weight)
- Disturbance in the experience of body weight or shape
- Undue influence of weigh or shape on self-evaluation
- Denial of the seriousness of low body weight
The symptoms of anorexia nervosa can be severe and, in some cases, deadly. Without treatment, between 5-20% of individuals with anorexia nervosa will die. With eating disorder treatment, this number decreases to 2-3%. Typically, anorexia nervosa appears in early to mid-adolescence, and it also disproportionately affects women.
Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia
- Weight loss (significant or sudden)
- Preoccupation with weight, body, food, calories, fat grams, exercise, and/or dieting
- Refusal to eat certain foods or food group
- Complaints of constipation, abdominal pain, cold intolerance, lethargy, and/or excess energy
- Distorted self-image
- Expressed anxiety about gaining weight or being “fat”
- Denial of hunger
- Development of food rituals
- Avoidance of meals as well as other situations involving food
- Participation in an excessive, rigid exercise regimen
- Withdrawal from friends, family, and/or activities
- Increased irritability
- Concerned about eating in public
- Limited insight into and/or denial of the above mentioned unhealthy behavioral or cognitive patterns
- Post-puberty loss of menstrual period
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness
- Dental issues, such as enamel erosion, cavities, and tooth sensitivity
Health Consequences of Anorexia
As the condition worsens, the symptoms of anorexia nervosa eventually become more severe, including:
- Slow heart rate and low blood pressure – the risk for heart failure increases as the heart rate and blood pressure decrease
- Reduction of bone density (dry, brittle bones) – the risk for osteoporosis/osteopenia increases as bone density decreases
- Muscle loss and weakness
- Dehydration which can result in kidney failure
- Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness
- Dry hair and skin, hair loss
- Growth of a downy layer of hair (lanugo) all over the body, including the face, to keep the body warm
How We Treat
Our evidence-based clinical treatment modalities for treating anorexia include the following :