They may weigh themselves several times a day or spend a great deal of time looking at their figure in the mirror. Even though they are very thin, people who suffer from this disorder actually think they are overweight.

When they look in the mirror, they do not see themselves as others do. All they are concerned about is losing more weight or the never ending fear of weight gain. Although doctors do not know what causes anorexia nervosa, patients who are afflicted with this disorder often have similar personality and behavioral traits.

Many times they are perfectionists who are very critical of themselves. A person who suffers from anorexia may feel an overwhelming need to be in control of everything around them. Some patients are even under the illusion that if they lose weight they will be happier and life in general will be better. Exercising several times a day or for long periods of time is not uncommon for people with anorexia. They will do anything to achieve what they feel is the perfect body.

A few or several of the following symptoms may be present in people who suffer from anorexia: weight loss, loss of appetite or refusal to eat, over exercising, hair loss or change in appearance of the hair, overwhelming fear of weight gain, unusual eating habits such as refusing to eat around others or chewing food excessively, and constant dieting or the use of weight loss supplements.

Treating anorexia is somewhat similar to treating a person who suffers from alcoholism. In order for the person to receive treatment and recover, they have to actually want to change.

If the person does not admit they have a problem or does not believe that there is anything wrong with them, often they will not respond well to any type of medical treatment or counseling therapy.

This is especially a problem in people with anorexia since they do not see themselves as being too thin. Many times they will resist treatment or help. People who have suffered from anorexia for a long period of time will need extensive treatment and follow up counseling.

While getting the person back to a healthy weight is the ultimate goal, doctors must also treat the underlying cause. They need to try and understand what feelings or problems caused the disorder to occur in the first place.

Changing a person’s way of thinking is essential in preventing a reoccurrence of the disorder. Prompt treatment is especially important for a person suffering from anorexia. The longer the disorder persists, the harder it is for the person to physically recover.

Although only a small percentage of the population suffers from anorexia, it has a fairly high fatality rate when left untreated. Patients who refuse to eat are usually kept under hospital care and receive feedings through a tube until they are able to eat on their own again.

The sufferer will also have a greatly distorted vision of there own body, they will always see themselves as being overweight even when they are no more than barely skin and bones.

Both types of anorexia may also include depression as a symptom and as a result of there denial of the problem it is often friends and relatives who are the first to notice and bring up the fact that they do indeed have an illness.

Anorexia is thought be a “women’s problem” but while it is true that it does affect more women than men; men do suffer from anorexia too. The disease most commonly occurs in young women between the age of 15 and 18 and often the onset usually occurs during adolescence, it can also occur in later life but this is rare.

Binge/purging Anorexia

The anorexic suffering from bingeing anorexia will have the tendency to induce vomiting once they have eaten. The sufferer will eat and once digested they will immediately be overcome with a sense of guilt for the actions and will force themselves to be sick to rid themselves of the food.

This can lead to serious problems with the digestive system and in particular the oesophagus which due to the acid could burst or rupture. Another form of purging is with the use of laxatives many anorexics think that the use of laxatives can actually help lose weight but they are wrong as laxatives only work at the lower end of the bowel.

Restrictive Anorexia

The second type of anorexia is called restrictive, as the name suggests the sufferer will restrict the amount of food taken into the body, with this type of anorexia the sufferer won’t eat binge on food and then vomit, they just don’t eat.

The will have the same overall thoughts and feelings about how there body looks and will have the same fear that they are overweight, the same sense of worthlessness and they can be affected greatly by depression which goes hand in hand with anorexia.

The sufferer may also exercise sometimes to the extreme in the attempt to rid them selves of the fat they see themselves as having.

The next step in treating anorexia is to make an appointment to see our doctor, he or she will ask a series of questions about your lifestyle, your eating habits and any problems that you may be faced with.

Your Doctor will also question you about your family and any other important relationships you might have such as boyfriends, it is important that you are open and honest in your answers as these help your doctor decide which course of action is the best for you.

The doctor may also suggest Family therapy if it’s a young person who is the sufferer, he or she may also feel the need to speak with your family. Your doctor will give you a through examination and will want to check your height and weight of course; he or she will be looking at the average weight for a person of your height and comparing the two. If the anorexic is a young woman the doctor may also ask about your menstrual cycle, for often in young women anorexia causes women to stop having there period. Your doctor will also check for signs or symptoms of dehydration for you may not be drinking as much as your body needs, you will become dehydrated when your body sweats.

The doctor may also want to run a series of blood tests to test for illnesses such as anaemia or diabetes. If you have been suffering from anorexia for a long period of time you may be severely underweight, in which case your doctor may want to run a series of tests to see how strong your bones are.

This test is done by measuring the solidity and strength of your bones. Anyone having had anorexia for any long period of time stands the chance of getting another disease called osteoporosis; this is when your body stops producing the hormone, oestrogen.

This substance is needed within the body to help keep bones strong and supple. Your doctor will ask simple questions such as “do you make yourself sick?” and he will want to know just how much weight you have lost, again it is important that you answer honestly.

The most important thing to remember your doctor is there to help you recover and he can only do this with your help.

If you think that a loved one is suffering from this disorder, there are a couple of signs that may be able to confirm your suspicions. There are many distinct signs that go along with this disease, and if you see a couple of them present in a loved one, there is a good chance that they may be suffering from this disorder.

The most obvious sign of anorexia is low body weight. To go along with this, you should keep a close eye on your loved ones eating habits. It is not enough to simply think that a low body weight means that they are anorexic. But if you have also noticed that they have stopped eating a lot of their normal meals, and that they are constantly making excuses about why they can’t eat, then you need to start getting concerned.

Also, there are a few signs that you should be looking for because they are based simply on appearance. Keep a close eye out for thinning hair and dry skin. Both of these are common signs of somebody that is suffering from anorexia.

To go along with this, decrease in breast size in females is also an appearance sign that you can easily take notice of. Outside of the above appearance signs, there are also some other factors that can alert you to anorexia; even though these are a bit more difficult to notice.

These include feeling cold, low blood pressure, and a slow heartbeat. These are important signs, but can sometimes be hard to notice and diagnose unless you can get your loved one to see a doctor.

Dry itchy skin due to lack of essential fatty acids, and vitamins A, B and E, and slow wound healing and cracked skin due to lack of vitamin C may appear.

Recognizing the signs of anorexia in a loved one is one of the best things you can do to get them help. By not seeing these signs, or simply ignoring them, you are not doing them any good. If you can find these signs and then discuss them with your loved one, you will be able to assist them with getting back on track.

Overall, there are many signs that you can look for that point to anorexia. If you think that a loved one is having a problem, do not delay. The quicker you deal with the problem, the quicker they will recover.

Boyfriends arise on the scene at this age as does every teenager’s nightmare, acne, falling out with friends; school work and exams all play a significant part in this stage of a teenager’s life. It has happened to us all and will continue happening throughout time.

Gradually though the changes have gotten worse, your child isn’t the happy smiling young lady blossoming into womanhood you expected her to be. The changes happening to her body aren’t the ones you thought you would see, along with the terrible teenage years you now have a much more serious problem to contend with. Your budding teenage daughter is losing weight rapidly; the jeans that once hugged her hips are now falling way below them. Her cheeks which were always fresh and rosy red have now begun taking on a sallow look, her skin perhaps a little ashen or clammy.

It’s not the fact that she’s “going through a stage” for the underlying reasons for her spending more time in her room or that she’ll eat while doing homework up there, the plain fact is that she has a more sinister reason for not wanting to eat with the rest of the family.

She doesn’t eat or if she does then it’s very little. Something that maybe started out as noticing she was a few pounds heavier than most of her friends has quickly turned into a deep seated phobia, she doesn’t particularly want to lie and deceive her parents that alone is probably adding to the problems she now has.

Your child has developed anorexia, she has now actually gone beyond just losing a few pounds and is convinced she is still overweight. She is herself totally different from the person you see.

There will be many more underlying symptoms and if not caught and dealt with very serious consequences for her painfully thin body. Anorexia will begin to have an affect on the heartbeat and blood flow, the body becomes dehydrated from lack of fluid and the sufferer may become dizzy or faint.

If not caught and help sought eventually the disease will damage kidneys, bones, muscles and ovaries. This is the worst case scenario of course and if recognised and dealt with in the early stages a full recovery with no lasting damage is made.

It is therefore important not to quickly strike off those mood swings as “teenage troubles”, however difficult times can be bringing up a teenager there may actually be a much more serious underlying cause.

It is a psychological disorder which once taken a serious hold on the person that person will actually convince themselves they are fat, no matter how much weight they lose, they will still see themselves as being overweight.

About every 4 in 10 people who have deep seated anorexia and suffer from this illness will actually make a full recovery and others do improve, 3 out of 10 will however continue to suffer from major long term illness.

If not recognised and help sought 15 percent of anorexia suffers will die from the disease within 20 years of its appearance.

The Cause

Anorexia can arise from several different factors, young girls mimicking there idols brings increasing pressure to gain the ideal weight, a less than perfect family life often abuse within the family is thought to play a part in the onset of Anorexia. Genetic factors also seem to play a role with some documentation of anorexia being hereditary to some extent. Another reason thought to be a cause is depression, exam results as we all know can be daunting and at some time or other we have all lost our appetite a little when under pressure or worried.

Symptoms

The person suffering from anorexia will eat very little, they may sit at the table pushing the food around there plate more than they actually eat it, often excuses will be made for taking the food to there room and eating in private where in actual fact they will dispose of it.

The person suffering from anorexia may be tired and listless due to lack of protein and nutrients and the amount of exercise they do. The anorexic may have trouble concentrating and can be very forgetful; they may become depressed and withdraw into themselves.

Treatment

The first and most important step in the successful treatment of anorexia is admitting you do have a problem and self help is very important towards the eventual cure of the illness.

If the anorexic has lost a vast amount of weight to the extent they are seriously underweight then hospital admission might be necessary.

Psychological help will also be given and plays an important role in the recovery, helping the sufferer to understand why the illness came about makes sure it won’t reoccur.

Outlook

For the majority of anorexia sufferers the outlook is a positive one, if help is sought and the disease realised for what it is and accepted as a serious problem by the sufferer then a full recovery can be made, family members and friends will also play a crucial role in the recovery process.

The majority of anorexia sufferers can and will make a complete recovery and go on to lead a full normal lifestyle.

First of all anorexia is not limited to teenage girls. Although it is more common among them than any other age group, anorexia can affect both men and women regardless of their age. Young girls in their teenage years may be more susceptible to the disease simply because of all of the changes they are undergoing both physically and mentally.

Many women suffer from a lack of self esteem and anorexia may help them feel like they are more in control of their lives. In today’s very appearance conscious society, women are often very aware of their weight. In people with anorexia, their concern about their weight is overwhelming. Secondly, men who suffer from anorexia or any other eating disorder are not always gay. A person’s sexual orientation does not cause anorexia.

However, homosexual men may be more likely to suffer from this disorder than other men simply because they are more conscious of their appearance or they may use anorexia as a way of dealing with their sexual preference.

Since they cannot control their sexuality, they may feel more in control of their lives by taking control of their weight. Another common misconception about anorexia is that patients can never fully recover from the disorder.

This simply is not true. Although successful treatment often depends on the extent and length of time the condition has been present, many patients recover fully and do not suffer from frequent relapses.

One of the most important parts of treatment after successfully regaining lost weight is to deal with the emotional aspects of the disorder. Anorexia sufferers need to have counseling and support for a long period of time after they have recovered physically.

Those who recognize and understand the possible causes of this affliction are less likely to suffer from any type of eating disorder in the future. Both the body and the mind must recover from anorexia. Lastly, you cannot always tell by looking at a person if they suffer from anorexia.

Some people may be thin for other reasons not related to anorexia. Also, although patients with anorexia often are about 15 percent below the average body weight for a person their size and height, this is not always the case.

Even a person who is just ten pounds underweight can be suffering from anorexia. The illness may be in the early stages and not as easily recognizable by others. It is important for parents and family members to become involved if they feel a loved one may suffer from this disorder.

Although anorexia should be properly diagnosed by your physician, many times friends and family members are the first to notice the warning signs. Early treatment and recognition of this illness is important to prevent irreversible damage to the body.

Usually symptoms of depression show themselves together and if you have been ill for several weeks and have had symptoms of depression then it’s highly unlikely you will develop any more symptoms from the ones you now suffer.

The anorexic suffering from depression usually feels symptoms of worthlessness, hopelessness and self-hatred.

Depression and anorexia go together like black and white, it can be what triggered your eating disorder in the first place or you may have gone into depression as result of the effects anorexia has had on you.

What Does Depression Feel Like?

It is hard to explain what depression really feels like as the effect it can have on each person is so different, generally speaking though there is a sense of doom surrounding the depressed person. They feel anxious, frightened and wait for something to happen, they have no idea what that something might be, it’s just a feeling that something very bad will happen.

All sense of the person you used to be will disappear; you may withdraw into yourself completely much preferring to stay in the safe confines of your home or even your room.

Even then those “bad” feelings will linger, they may come and go but there never very far away. You may get palpitations, a quickening of the heartbeat, a fluttering of the heartbeat this can be a very frightening experience, a headache unlike any other could be one of the symptoms, the sufferer may feel as though there head is in a vice like grip.

A feeling of unreality may reside over you as though someone has thrown a thin veil over your head everything you see takes on a dull appearance, colours are subdued.

What Can Be Done To Help?

It is important to remember that you are not alone in these feelings; you may feel as though you are and perhaps even think you are losing your mind. Remember roughly 15 million people in the United States alone suffer from depression and have some of the same feelings as you are getting.

The first major step and the hardest is the admission of your depression and eating disorder, your doctor can help you on the road to recovery and there are treatments available to help you with depression.

Treatment

Treatment for depression is usually by anti-depressants; your doctor will evaluate your symptoms and prescribe the most suitable one for your needs. Most anti-depressants will usually take about a month to get into your system and start giving you the full benefit.

Several different types of therapy are also used in the treatment of depression and particularly where anorexia or a similar eating disorder is involved. Therapy such as Cognitive behavioural therapy and problem solving therapy are just two that are thought to have good results when treating anorexia and depression.

The road to total recovery can be a long one and it’s not always an easy one, it’s not just a simple case of starting to eat properly and putting on weight, the anorexic also has to have a clear understanding of what happened to them.

They will have change the deep rooted feelings they have and the way they think not only about food but also what they think of themselves too.

No Wonder Pill

There is no magic wonder pill we can pop into our mouths three or four times a day to cure anorexia, in fact there has been very little good research written about the various treatment options available for anorexia.

In fact it isn’t written in stone that the various treatment options will work for certain, only one thing is known for sure and that is the sufferer themselves hold the closest thing to a “wonder” pill within themselves with the admission of the problem. That alone is a huge step on the road to recovery which once has been taken then looking into the various options of treatment is the next way to go.

Some of the Options Available

Here will be listed very briefly several options that are available for the anorexic to take, a more detailed look into each option will follow in a series of articles on the specific option.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy isn’t a daunting as its name might suggest, the treatment is simple “talking”. Though in fact as simple as talking is a great deal of benefit can be gained by just that, talking and getting your deep-set fears and thoughts out in the open. Read More…

Cognitive therapy

This therapy helps you change your negative thoughts and feelings by replacing them with positive thoughts, it helps you gain a better insight into yourself as a person and gives you back control over the person you are not the one you have become. Read More…

Antidepressants

Anti-depressants were once thought to be a method suited in the treatment of anorexia but now are advised against in the belief that simply won’t be beneficial. Read More…

Hospitalization

If the anorexic has lost weight to the extreme that they are severely under nourished then a hospital stay be may be advised by the physician.

Hormone Supplements

Oestrogen supplements may be offered as treatment simply because it will help build up bones that have become weak due to the strain the sufferer has put on there body with refusal to eat properly.

Zinc Supplements

Zinc is another method thought to be useful in the treatment of anorexia; Zinc is thought to help the anorexic put on weight.

Clinics/Counseling

There are several options available as potential treatment for the anorexic sufferer, entering a clinic to attend a course is one of them. Your doctor can help you find one in your area or there are several to be found online. Read More…

In fact many of the staff may have gone through eating disorders them selves so they understand the feelings and thoughts that are generally associated with anorexia. Treatment at clinics of this type is usually tailored to fit the individual themselves as everyone is different in the way anorexia affects them.

Anorexics will all have the same symptoms as the base of there illness but the physiological aspect of the illness will vary from person to person.

At these types of centres specialising in anorexia and eating disorders they have a varied selection of personnel at hand to assist you in your recovery including doctors, psychiatrists, dieticians and counsellors, all of which are there to help both the sufferer and there family.

What Will Happen?

On admission into the programme a full assessment will be given which may include a full medical examination, a nutritional assessment, blood tests and a psychological assessment will be given. Once the results have been collaborated a full personal plan directed at you will be worked out and talked through with you, this will be the basis for your step to recovery from anorexia.

The Treatments

Counselling will be given either as an individual or family therapy or even both if need be, there will also be talks on how to reduce stress, both within you as a person and in the family as a unit. Creative expression can be used as a form of therapy which will allow you to get out all your negative thoughts and feelings and just be yourself.

Aftercare will also be discussed for when you are on the road to recovery this will ascertain how you will be able to cope once the program has been completed and also help with any worries you might have of the anorexia returning in the future.

The Programs

As well as the inpatient programme, this is a dedicated 24 hour program. Usually other options are available such as a day-care programme, this is still a structured programme but the difference being the sufferer is in there own home environment.

Also at many centres of its kind there is an out-patient programme which is usually for the evenings, an after care programme is available at most clinics for those who have progressed through the other programmes to the point they only need weekly help.