What is Nervous Anorexia

In assessing the eating disorders it should be taken into account culture-specific features of eating and drinking, as well as religious restrictions (positions).Although the described cases, when the output of the post is a follow-up episode of anorexia. Furthermore, in today’s culture remains a severe restriction of food for women in accordance with the requirements of fashion and style.

Men with anorexia nervosa can be found among patients of sexologist, as they often complain of loss of libido and potency, women with anorexia – in patients of gynecologists, as they often have amenorrhea.

What Causes Anorexia nervous:

The cause of anorexia nervosa is a violation of the identification period, mainly among girls aged 12-18 years. Another reason could be a reduction in the level of hormones of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland as a result of vascular or neoplastic causes. Behind the mask of anorexia nervosa may also be a depression from adolescence. If anorexia is observed in prepuberty, then the sexual development of boys and girls decelerates. Psychoanalysts believe that anorexia is caused by anxiety in the oral period. In addition, in an evolutionary sense, anorectics may be considered altruists who leave food for their families. High levels of anxiety may also be the basis of anorexia.

Symptoms of Anorexia nervous:

In the history of patients was reported reduced self-esteem, they say that they often tease thick. Sometimes, teenagers tend to reach a particular ego-ideal, such as a film actress and singer. Looking at themself in the mirror, they see a clear discrepancy between self and ideal.

In late puberty in adolescent anorexia can be hidden unrequited love, as well as depression.

Patients perceive themselves as too fat, even though sometimes they feel the thick parts of the body (calves, cheeks and buttocks). They have an obsessive fear to get fat, so they can avoid parties, celebrations, which may use large amounts of food and drink. They have an interest in the caloric intake and avoidance of fatty foods, so often they set for themselves stereotyped diet, fixing on one or two types of products, most fruits or vegetables. All this leads to weight loss for more than 15% compared with the expected weight, a secondary decrease in fatigue and social success. Patients tend to reduce the weight of debilitating gymnastic exercises. Typical are also amenorrhea in women and loss of sexual desire in men.

Diagnosis of Anorexia nervous:

For the diagnosis are required all of the following symptoms:

1. Body weight is maintained at 15% below expectations.
2. Weight loss is associated with avoidance of food, vomiting with laxatives, excessive exercises, use of funds, which suppress appetite, intake of diuretics.
3. Obesity is the terror of overvalued idea and the patient finds himself only valid for low weight.
4. Amenorrhea in women and impotence in men.
5. Delayed puberty.

Clinical Example: Patient L, aged 25, a university student. She decided to lose weight after she fell in love with a boy, but in her opinion, she didn’t suit to his ideal. Reading about special diets, picked up the apple itself. As a result of following a diet refused to eat anything except apples. There were faints, thin with a weight of 70 kg to 50, was on 3 hours a day to do gymnastics. She often saw herself fat and woke up in horror. Monthly rhythm was disturbed. Constantly was experiencing nervousness, but was afraid to eat normally again, not to gain weight.

The clinic atypical anorexia nervosa is marked by individual symptoms, such as significant weight loss as a result of diet, as well as increased libido.

Differential diagnosis

Anorexia nervosa should be differentiated from depression, an organic lesion of the hypothalamic-pituitary disease (Simons, Sheehan’s disease), as well as episodes of anorexia in hysterical individuals.

For depression, along with the refusal of food is characterized by depressed mood, self-esteem, suicidal ideation, motor and cognitive retardation. However, there is evidence that at the basis of “seasonal weight alternation” and “craving for carbohydrates in the evening, especially for sweets,” is depression. Therefore, the differential diagnosis is often set ex juvantibus.

Sheehan’s disease occurs in late puberty in girls, is accompanied by cachexia, asthenia, and goes away after the first birth.

Simons disease begins in middle age, accompanied by psychoendocrine syndrome, hallucinatory-paranoid psychoses and cachexia. At the same time weight loss with organic brain damage is more often than not accompanied by a decrease in appetite. Anorexia at hysterical personalities is transient in nature and well understood in the context of dissociative personality.

Treatment of Anorexia nervous:
Anorexia nervosa is treated with antidepressants (fluoxetine in low doses, small doses of lithium to control the amount of fluiddrunk patient), and the use of benzodiazepinetranquilizers. However, the main methods of psychotherapy are: cognitive therapy, psychoanalysis, Gestalt therapy, behavior therapy.

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