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Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa (also known as just anorexia) is probably the most well-known eating disorder and a serious mental health condition.

Individuals experiencing anorexia aim to maintain their lowest possible weight by undereating, overexercising, or a combination of the two. With time, anorexia can lead people to become very ill as they starve their bodies of the essential fuels and nutrients the body needs to survive and function properly.

People with anorexia very often have an inaccurate perception of their body, believing they are overweight even when they are underweight. Early intervention is critical in cases of anorexia as the longer the disorder progresses, the more difficult it becomes to treat.

Anorexia can affect both men and women of any age, however it more frequently affects young women and usually begins in early to mid-adolescence.

Anorexia is an isolating eating disorder

Anorexia can lead to isolation if you restrict yourself from healthy eating habits and socialising with others. In many cultures, people often meet with friends and family to eat food. When you feel a compulsion to reduce your food intake, you'll often avoid social situations like these. This isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness, despair, and loss of self-esteem and confidence. Often how others respond to your loss of weight and reduction in eating can lead to further isolation as you may feel they lack understanding or have unrealistic expectations of you.

When anorexia starts to worry you or other people; it usually manifests itself by significant weight loss and associated marked deterioration of your physical and emotional health and wellbeing. The risks of compromised health conditions increase if a person’s body does not get the nutrients and nourishment it needs over a period of time. This can lead to symptoms such as hair loss, constant fatigue, difficulty concentrating, prone to feeling unwell and can often result in anxiety or depression.

Start your journey to anorexia recovery today. Schoen Clinic UK Group is an award-winning hospital group providing evidence-based, outcome-focused treatments for eating disorders. We welcome both NHS and private patients at our leading eating disorder hospitals in Birmingham and York, and private patients at our highly specialised eating disorder clinic in Chelsea, London. We're recognised by all major private health insurers and our caring teams are on hand to support you with any queries or claims process.

Early signs of anorexia

The typical time of onset for anorexia is during adolescence, so a young person is more likely to have those around them who may spot the early signs of disordered eating. Because anorexia is such a serious condition, if you have any concerns about a relative, friend or other loved one, it is best to find a way to raise your concerns with them, as anorexia treatment is known to be more effective if started at an early stage. A full recovery from anorexia is more difficult to obtain if untreated for a longer time.

Anorexia nervosa has two main subtypes: restrictive and binge-purge.

  • Restrictive - Individuals with the anorexia nervosa subtype known as restrictive severely restrict the quantity and variety of food they eat.
  • Binge-purge - Individuals with the binge-purge subtype also severely restrict their food intake. Additionally, individuals could experience periods of binge eating and purging, in which they consume a lot of food quickly and then throw up or misuse laxatives or diuretics to get rid of it.

What are the symptoms of anorexia?

The hallmarks of anorexia nervosa are self-starvation, weight loss, and low weight for height and age. An extremely dangerous illness, anorexia has one of the greatest mortality rates of any mental health diagnosis so it's vital to begin treatment as early as possible.

When your anorexia starts to worry you or others, it often manifests as significant weight loss and a clear reduction in your physical and emotional wellbeing. The likelihood of developing impaired health problems increases over time if a person's body is not given the nutrition and food it requires. This is often followed by worry or despair and can produce symptoms like hair loss, ongoing weariness, difficulty concentrating, and a tendency to feel unwell.

If this sounds like you, please get in touch with our team.

What are the psychological symptoms of anorexia?

  • Fear of reaching a normal weight, or of putting on weight at all
  • Feelings of depression, such as low mood, irritability; and social isolation
  • Preoccupation or obsession with food
  • Body image disturbance and fixation
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety
  • Low self-esteem

What are the behavioural symptoms of anorexia?

  • Limiting the amount and/or type of food eaten
  • Self-induced vomiting
  • Use of appetite suppressant pills or laxatives
  • Excessive/driven exercise
  • Loss of libido
  • Wearing baggy clothing to hide figure
  • Avoidance of social activities

What are the physical symptoms of anorexia?

  • Low body weight
  • Loss of menstruation (periods) in females
  • Coldness due to poor circulation, particularly in hands and feet
  • Abdominal pain
  • Gastrointestinal disturbances, e.g. bloating, constipation
  • Fatigue and trouble sleeping
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Thin hair that may fall out
  • Fine hair appearing on the body

How does anorexia develop?

There is no one definitive cause of anorexia, however, there are certain risk factors that can increase the likelihood of a person developing the condition. The following factors may contribute:

  • Genetic vulnerability: this can be illustrated in the family history of eating disorders, or other mental health disorders.
  • Societal or occupational pressure to look a certain way.
  • Experience of trauma, including abuse.
  • Experience of anxiety, obsessional or perfectionist traits.
  • Experience of criticism of food intake, weight or bodily appearance. e.g. bullying.
  • Childhood anxiety.

Anorexia is a serious eating disorder. It's a form of self-starvation which typically presents during adolescence but can also develop later in life. People with anorexia frequently have a mistaken perception of their bodies and think they are overweight. They excessively restrict their food intake or adjust their behaviour to prevent weight gain as a result of this distorted sense of self.

One of the repetitive eating behaviours that can result from anxiety over food and weight is the reluctance to be seen eating by others. Individuals with anorexia nervosa may often collect recipes, prepare meals for friends and family, and then refuse to consume any of the food. They could also maintain strict, demanding exercise schedules in order to lose weight or keep it off.

Finding a way to talk about your concerns with a family member, friend, or another close relative is essential because anorexia is such a serious condition and early intervention is thought to be more effective than later intervention. A full recovery is harder to attain if anorexia is not treated for a longer length of time.

Anorexia nervosa has two main subtypes:

  • Restrictive - Individuals with the anorexia nervosa subtype known as restrictive severely restrict the quantity and variety of food they eat.
  • Binge-purge - Individuals with the binge-purge subtype also severely restrict their food intake. Additionally, individuals could experience periods of binge eating and purging, in which they consume a lot of food quickly and then throw up or misuse laxatives or diuretics to get rid of it.

Instead of having a single core cause, anorexia nervosa has a variety of different reasons. These variables can occasionally be divided into three groups:

  • Those that increase a person's risk of developing an eating disorder
  • Those that trigger that disorder's emergence
  • Those that maintain the eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa frequently begins with simple dieting to "get in shape" or to "eat healthier," but it eventually progresses to severe and dangerous weight loss. Family history, genes, neurochemicals, developmental factors, and external influences are just a few of the factors that might contribute to the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa. Anxiety, sadness, or obsessive behaviours are common and may run in families.

Some additional factors that potentially affect anorexia include:

  • Social perceptions of physical appearance
  • Family dynamics
  • Genetics
  • Chemical abnormalities in the brain
  • Developmental problems.

People with anorexia are susceptible to isolating themselves from others. They might also suffer from anxiety disorders or other mental health issues.

Anorexia nervosa is characterised by weight loss, self-starvation, and low weight for height and age. Given that anorexia is an extremely serious illness with one of the highest mortality rates of any mental health diagnosis, it is imperative to begin treatment as soon as possible.

When your anorexia causes you or others to worry, it typically manifests as significant weight loss and a sharp fall in your physical and mental wellbeing. If a person's body is not provided with the nutrients and food it requires, their risk of developing health problems worsens over time. This typically causes indicators including hair loss, persistent weariness, difficulties concentrating, and a propensity to feel unwell and is frequently accompanied by anxiety or depression.

No, anorexia is not a choice. There is a common misconception that people struggling with anorexia only want attention, or that they're vain and only care about their looks. This stigma around anorexia, and eating disorders generally makes it more difficult to come forward for help if they are struggling.

The truth is many people who have anorexia may not be aware that they have developed the disorder until it's too late to pull themselves out without specialist treatment.

Anorexia is more common among young girls and women than boys and men, but that doesn't mean boys and men aren't also at risk of developing the disorder. People of any age, race, gender or sexual orientation can suffer from eating disorders like anorexia. Although they are frequently identified in adolescents and early adults, many people receive their first eating disorder diagnosis in their later years of life. Sometimes the first warning signs and symptoms appear when a person is considerably younger, though these go unnoticed due to natural bodily changes taking place during that time.

Anorexia nervosa not only affects the individual diagnosed with the disorder but also their family, friends and loved ones. Over the past 20 years, anorexia nervosa diagnoses have increased in frequency. Women between the ages of 12 and 25 make up about 90%.

A young person is more likely to have people around them who can recognise the early signs of disordered eating because anorexia typically manifests throughout adolescence. Despite the fact that many people with the eating disorder try to keep their illness highly discreet and hidden, parents, siblings, coaches, coworkers and teachers may be able to recognise someone who has anorexia nervosa.

Due to the fact that a number of conditions may resemble some anorexia nervosa symptoms, a complete medical evaluation is necessary. When family members spot anorexia nervosa symptoms in a loved one, they can support them by urging prompt assessment and care. Early therapy usually helps to prevent future problems.

Anorexia can be identified by a psychiatrist or mental health professional.

An eating disorder, such as bulimia, binge eating disorder, or anorexia, is a mental health condition that affects a person's eating habits and occasionally their exercise routine. These eating issues are harmful to health.

Unlike individuals with bulimia and binge eating disorders, those with anorexia do not eat enough to support basic bodily functions. People with bulimia and others with binge eating disorders commonly gorge when feeling out of control.

You might experience several eating disorders throughout your lifetime but treatment can aid in your recovery, regardless of the type of eating disorder you may have.

Without prompt, qualified treatment, anorexia can have a number of detrimental long-term repercussions, such as:

  • Menstruation loss or stoppage in females
  • Female infertility
  • Seizures
  • Issues with bones, hair, and teeth because the diet is deficient in calcium and other essential nutrients
  • Potentially long-lasting physical health concerns like osteoporosis
  • Lack of essential nutrients and insufficient calorie intake, which puts pressure on the heart, cause heart and kidney disorders.
  • Organ failure and in extreme instances can be fatal.

Experts don’t know how to prevent anorexia. However, early detection and treatment might lessen symptoms. It can promote your child’s regular development. Additionally, it might raise their standard of living. Encourage your child to establish realistic attitudes toward diet and weight by modelling healthy eating behaviours.

Speak with your child's doctor or see a specialist as soon as possible if you are concerned that your child has an eating disorder. You can assist your child in the following ways:

  • Participate in family counselling as recommended.
  • Be a compassionate and helpful parent to your child. If you are having trouble, seek out individual counselling for yourself.
  • Mention your child's anorexia to others.
  • To develop a treatment plan, consult with your child's doctor, school, and other relevant parties.
  • Request assistance from the neighbourhood community services. Contacting other parents who have kids with eating disorders may be beneficial.
  • Our multidisciplinary team at Schoen Clinic Chelsea includes registered dietitian nutritionists, occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and therapists. The care team for your child will be determined by their needs and how severe their anorexia is.
HOW IS ANOREXIA TREATED?

Highly specialised treatment for anorexia

Helping patients gain weight and control their eating and weight-control behaviours is an essential component of anorexia nervosa treatment. An essential part of the therapy strategy is the medical assessment and treatment of any co-existing physical or mental problems. As part of the nutritional strategy, patients should be taught how to overcome their fear of food and encouraged to practise eating a variety of foods with different calorie densities at regularly spaced meals.

Some of the best therapies assist families in supporting and supervising mealtimes. Changes often take longer to execute, even though dealing with body dissatisfaction is equally as important as dealing with weight and eating habits.

We'll work together to manage your anorexia in a way that keeps you engaged and inspired to get better. We collaborate with you to set goals and create a treatment plan that will guide you toward recovery. We understand how challenging it may be to manage the stress brought on by changing your perspective on food and diet. Our recovery pathways employ a step-by-step methodology with the aim of quickly reducing intervention rigour.

Your road to recovery may be difficult, and no two people's journeys to recovery are the same, but at Schoen Clinic, we recognise how crucial it is to respect your unique situation and assist you in identifying your particular needs.

How Schoen Clinic helps people recover from anorexia

Most people associate anorexia with people who restrict their eating or people who ‘need to gain weight’. At Schoen Clinic we work with the person, not the label. We endeavour to ensure you get the best opportunity to explore your feelings, thoughts and actions that have led to your reduction in health and wellbeing. Restoring your quality of life and how you view yourself and others is our priority.

We know that beneath the label of anorexia there is a person who has many roles to fulfil and we will explore these with you and how they can pull you in different directions. Our treatments include psychological and psychodynamic approaches alongside psychoeducation and skills development techniques such as mindfulness.

Highly specialised anorexia treatment in the UK

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Start your journey to anorexia recovery today. Schoen Clinic UK Group is an award-winning hospital group providing evidence-based, outcome-focused treatments for eating disorders. We welcome both NHS and private patients at our leading eating disorder hospitals in Birmingham and York, and private patients at our highly specialised eating disorder clinic in Chelsea, London. We're recognised by all major private health insurers and our caring teams are on hand to support you with any queries or claims process.