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Eating disorders of various types appear to be the disease of the 21st century. Occasionally, the severity and the negative impact on an organism of these illnesses is underestimated, though people may suffer from ordeals and agonizing thoughts and require support. One of the types of eating disorders is anorexia nervosa, which is widely spread nowadays, especially among young girls and women. The current prevalence rate is the result of the promotion of thinness as an ideal body shape for girls in fashion magazines and social networks. This fact affects women significantly, so a considerable number of them are or have ever been obsessed with their weight, determining to become slimmer without any stops. In the current situation, exploring and treating anorexia nervosa present a pressing concern. It is a matter of extreme importance to identify the signs of the illness and provide the patient with comprehensive treatment, which is the topic intended to be addressed in the paper.
Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa
The major characteristic of this eating disorder is a distorted body image. For this reason, the patient starts to stick to extreme diets, consuming significantly less food than the organism requires, frequently refusing to eat at all. Although this behavior is followed by unhealthy and severe weight losses and extreme thinness, the patient is convinced in his or her body nonideality and afraid of gaining more kilograms and becoming fat. Moreover, young girls and women are more suspectable to this disease as compared to men. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
The condition and behavior of the patient may have a different degree of severity. According to the American Psychiatric Association, the aforementioned criteria has several changes that need to be taken into consideration (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The criterion A implies behavioral manifestations of anorexia nervosa, namely restricting the size of consuming meals and calorie intake. The criterion D includes amenorrhea, however, this symptom cannot be characteristic for males, pre-menarchal females, females taking oral contraceptives and post-menopausal females (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 1). In addition, there is a possibility that this symptom will not develop, though the patient exhibits other signs of the disease.
All the sings mentioned above may lead to serious consequences over some time. Osteoporosis, anemia, weakness, trichorrheris, and low blood pressure are among them. Moreover, anorexia nervosa makes a person subjected to structural and functional damage of heart, multiorgan failure, internal body temperature drops, lethargy, and brain damage ( Eating disorders, n.d.; Westmoreland, Krantz, & Mehler, 2015). For this reason, it is crucial to notice the symptoms of the disease in advance and start the proper treatment.
Anorexia Nervosa Treatment
As anorexia nervosa testifies some psychological problems and is also connected to particular mental deteriorations, the treatment should be comprehensive and involve the biopsychosocial approach. Moreover, people with eating disorders are highly likely to commit suicide and have medical complications ( Eating disorders, n.d.; Westmoreland et al., 2015). The biopsychosocial approach treatment plan should be adjusted to an individual in accordance with his or her physical and mental condition and needs. It should imply psychotherapy, medical and nutritional care and taking specific medicine (Tomba & Tecuta, 2016).
Psychotherapy appears to be the central part of the eating disorder treatment. As for adolescents, family-based therapy, when parents of the patient with anorexia nervosa supervise the dietary regime, may be extremely effective ( Eating disorders, n.d.). This approach is called Maudsleys and is beneficial for recovery. Moreover, the essential part of psychological care is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Such a measure allows to differentiate distorted mindsets and thoughts. Furthermore, new approaches are advanced, such as well-being therapy (WBT), which implies a specific short-term psychotherapy focused on the promotion of psychological well-being (Tomba & Tecuta, 2016, p. 1). The method is based on the conceptualization of positive mental health (Tomba & Tecuta, 2016, p. 1). This way, WBT can be applied both combined with CBT and independently.
Another essential part of the treatment is taking medications, which should be obligatorily prescribed by a doctor. The medicines can be antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, as they are useful for overcoming depressions, anxieties and, subsequently, eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa ( Eating disorders, n.d.). In summary, the biopsychological approach appears to be beneficial for treating various types of eating disorders, namely anorexia nervosa. The treatment should include psychotherapy, such as CBT and WBT, and taking medications. This way, the favorable outcome is possible to be achieved.
Conclusion
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by the obsession with body shape and weight, refusal to stick to a whole food diet, and eat. This behavior threatens health in general, as sufficient nutrition is essential for an organisms function, the fatal outcome is possible too. That is why anorexia nervosa has a negative impact on hair, nails, muscles, heart, brain, and others. The signs and symptoms of the disease are worth mentioning at the proper time, and it is obligatory to start treating a person with the eating disorder correctly and comprehensively. Conducting psychotherapy and taking medications are essential steps for recovery. Although anorexia nervosa is dangerous for a person and his or her life and well-being, it may be treated sufficiently.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Feeding and eating disorders. Order DSM-5 and DSM5 Collection.
Eating disorders. (n.d.)
Tomba, E., & Tecuta, L. (2016). Well-being therapy in a patient with anorexia nervosa. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 85(6), 369-370. Web.
Westmoreland, P., Krantz, M. J., & Mehler, P. S. (2015). Medical complications of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. The American Journal of Medicine, 129(1), 30-37.
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