Proposed Causes and Treatments Associated With Anorexia Nervosa - Essay Example

Topic: Proposed causes and treatments associated with anorexia nervosa The literal meaning of the word anorexia is “loss of appetite” but t=in practice, anorexia depicts a situation that is characterized by self starvation as a result of an obsession that a person may develop that is directed at losing weight to the extent that the person does not care about the hungers signals that are sent by the body (Smith, 1999). The term anorexia nervosa shows that it is a disorder that is entrenched in a nervous loss of appetite. Consequently, the loss of appetite will mean that the person will lose all the interest and orientation that they may have towards eating food. The people that suffer from thus condition will not want to ingest any food and if they do, they seek ways that they can eliminate it from their systems before it can become part of them (Crisp, 1995). Aneroxia is a condition that brings pain and suffering to families since the people that hurt themselves in this way are difficult to help and it makes the people that live with those that suffer from it live with constant fear and tension. The disease is puzzling and is filled with contradictions and paradoxes in that, the young people will willingly go through an ordeal that is characterized by starvation that may end up in death. It is ironic how the fear of hunger is a universal phenomenon yet there are people that would willingly go through it (Bruch, 2001). Symptoms For a psychology of anorexia nervosa to be considered to be complete, it is supposed to encompass the attributes of the patients that influence the anorexia nervosa, the diversity of developmental experiences that have an interaction with this factors to initiate anorexia nervosa, the psychology that is associated with the symptoms, the maintaining variables as well as variations in the symptoms that are being recorded. The approach to treatment that is particular to each patient can then be developed depending on the analysis that is done. Most of the patients that suffer from anorexia eventually get relieved from the painful symptoms and eventually come out of the physical danger that is posed by the disease. Almost a half of the cases of anorexia are cured worldwide and din estimate, about thirty percent post considerable improvement but continue to live lives that are characterized by the symptoms of the condition as well as impairment (Emmett, 1985). Chaotic dieting, excessive activity and physical abnormities are associated with the people that suffer from anorexia and the willful starvation by these humans is usually diagnosed as anorexia nervosa and they are treated as mentally disordered (Gilbert, 2013). Most of the cases of anorexia nervosa are instances of activity anorexia which is functionality defined and takes place when a decline in food consumption increases the physical activity that the patients take part in (Birmingham & Treasure, 2010). central to this description is that as physical activity increases, then food intake decreases and this reduction in the caloric consequently leads to more activity. In the long run this vicious cycle might lead to starvation and death (Epling, 2013). Eating disorders are often associated with depression which is an attribute that is identifiable in histories of suicidal individuals where there is the belief in some scholars that eating disorders present a type of affective disorder which means that antidepressant medicines have to be employed. A response to an antidepressant does not necessarily mean that the disorder that is being treated is depression since the patients that that have eating disorders could be reacting to the anti-panic nature of the drugs rather than the antidepressant nature of the drugs. The depressive disorders that are displayed by the [patients that suffer from anorexia are secondary to the disorders that are associated with eating (Swain, 2006). Most of the people that suffer from this condition generally register a loss in weight as a result of the strict restrictions that they place on the amount of food that they eat. They may also make attempts that are supposed to help them lose weight by taking part in exercises in a manner that might be injurious to them. a section of the people that have these condition show the same kind of symptoms that are shown by the people that suffer from bulimia in that they overindulge and flush out. They therefore try to regulate the calorie intake by vomiting after they have taken a meal or using laxatives and misusing diuretics or enemas. Weight loss is achieved in a number of ways and this is then shown in a variety of symptoms that can be seen physically, emotionally or through the behavior of the patient. Physical symptoms The physical symptoms that can be associated with this disease generally include extreme weight loss to levels that are unhealthy and a thin appearance of the person that is affected (Moorey, 1991). This is because the people that are affected do not want to see themselves gain any weight and think of gaining weight as an undesirable thing. This people register blood counts that are not normal and are also usually fatigued and may have sleeping disorders (Greenblatt, 2010). As a result of these problems, their day to day lives might be characterized by dizziness and fainting since they are normally tired and their bodies do not have enough strength as they do not eat enough to replenish their calories. A manifestation of a bluish discoloration on the fingers and thinning of hair which breaks and falls out can also be seen on the patients that suffer from this condition as well as sift hair that looks downy all over the body. In female patients that suffer from the disease there is an absence of menstruation since they do not take the foods that are rich in iron and they also experience a lot of constipation since their digestive systems do not work optimally. Their skins are dry and the patients cannot tolerate the cold since they do not have body fat that normally aids human beings to better tolerate cold. These people have heart rhythms that are irregular as well as low blood pressure and dehydration since they barely consume anything. Osteoporosis and a swelling of the limbs is also manifested. In the children that are diagnosed with anorexia, growth spurts that are associated with puberty may be delayed and they tend to gain weight at a pace that is slower compared to other children that are not suffering from the condition. The condition can also cause barrenness in the women that are affected. Emotional and behavioral anorexia symptoms There are also behavioral characteristics and emotional attributes that are associated with this condition (Damon, Lerner & Eisenberg, 2006) and they usually include refusal to eat by to eat by the patients since they do not want to add any calories from food. They also deny that they are hungry since they do not want to feel the guilty of not eating food. These people subject themselves to this so that they do not gain weight and it results in lack of emotion as they develop a mood that is flat. They also exhibit a withdrawal socially and are easily irritated by things that would normally not be irritating to those that do not suffer from anorexia nervosa. These people are also preoccupied with the thoughts of food and their interest in sex is greatly reduced since they are normally in a depressed mood most of the time. They start using laxatives and diet aids that help them to get rid of the food that they have eaten to reduce the amount of calories that the body retains. Treatment Like all the other eating disorders, anorexia nervosa can take over and control the lives of the patients. The patients spend all the time thinking about food and might even spend a long time worrying about the options that they have and in the cases that they decide to take part in exercises, they do so to a point that they become exhausted. Severe medical problems are associated with this condition and this is one of the key complications that come with anorexia nervosa and the short term and long term medical complications of anorexia nervosa are well known (Woo & Keatinge, 2008). Common conditions that result out of this are changes in the growth hormone, hypothalamic hypogonadism, and bone marrow hypoplasia as well as structural abnormalities of the brain, cardiac dysfunction and gastrointestinal difficulties. The treatment of this condition needs an approach that is multidisciplinary and the overall results for all the treatment types are modest to moderate (Lock, 2012). The role of hospitalization for anorexia nervosa has experienced a significant change over the past years in the United States and this means that hospital treatment is limited to weight restoration and re-feeding of the patients that have been acutely affected. The hospital based treatments have unclear benefits that occur in the long term since the patients that are treated in the hospitals for this condition are re-admitted at least once after that (Lock, 2012). The treatment plan for the patients that are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is required to consider the suitable service setting as well as the psychological and physical management but regrettably the research evidence base that is meant to steer decision making is restricted (Gowers & Green, 2009). The setting that is required is greatly dependent on the assessment of risk and the wishes that the patient has but in the normal circumstances, the patients that have this condition will in the beginning be treated in a secondary care outpatient department then progressing into an impatient setting if need be. Even though there is a relative lack of evidence that is convincing on the forms of psychological treatments that are effective, this therapy is on the other hand important when it comes to sorting out the underlying behaviors and cognitions. In the case of children and adolescents, an intervention that is psychological and based on family values is important. The physical treatments encompass interventions that are nutritional agents that are psychopharmacological agents where the latter are used to aid psychological treatments or for the management of comorbid conditions instead of being first line treatments. The options for treatment are supposed to be discussed with the patient at length so that he or she can be able to make choices that are informed and considering the ambivalence that is contained in this disorder, efforts and engagements that are directed at motivational enhancement may be supportive in maximizing adherence to treatment (Gremillion, 2003). A small number of patients who have been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa are not in a position to lake decisions about the health and safety that that concerns them in these care provisions for their admission to hospital and treatment is under the remit of the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Children Act 1989. There is a broad inconsistency of the psychological therapies for the patients that are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (Dokter, 1994) and there is no particular approach that has been agreed on to the psychological treatment or management of anorexia nervosa in adults, either in terms of the form of treatment that is offered, the duration that it takes, intensity or the setting in which the treatment is provided. In treating anorexia nervosa that is in children and those that are in puberty, interventions by the family are offered and these may differ in the approach that is taken and not all of them will bear a resemblance to the evidence-based family interventions that have a focus on eating behaviors. Eating disorder services that are offered by specialists are in a position to offer a range of individual psychological therapies that take into account cognitive behavior therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, family interventions and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Psychological intervention Most of the people who are affected by anorexia nervosa find it difficult to admit that they have a problem and are unsure about change and this adds to their unwillingness to engage with treatment and services (Beck & Rosenbach, 2003). A requirement for any thriving psychological treatment is the efficient engagement of the patient in the treatment plan. The healthcare professionals that are mandated with the treatment of anorexia nervosa should consider building a compassionate, helpful and collaborative relationship with the patients and the people that care for them. This should be seen to be an necessary attribute of the care that is offered and motivation to change may either rise or fall in the process of the treatment and the therapy desires to remain sensitive to this attribute. There are challenges that are particular to the treatment of anorexia nervosa encompass the highly positive value that is placed by the people that suffer from this disease on some of their symptoms and their denial of the potentially life-threatening nature of this disorder. References Beck, L. & Rosenbach, A. V. (2003). The ultimate nutrition guide for women. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley. Birmingham, C. L. & Treasure, J. (2010). Medical management of eating disorders. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bruch, H. (2001). The golden cage. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Crisp, A. H. (1995). Anorexia nervosa. Hove: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Damon, W., Lerner, R. M. & Eisenberg, N. (2006). Handbook of Child Psychology Volume 3. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Dokter, D. (1994). Arts therapies and clients with eating disorders. London: Jessica Kingsley. Emmett, S. W. (1985). Theory and treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. New York: Brunner/Mazel. Epling, W. F. (2013). Activity Anorexia. Taylor & Francis. Gilbert, S. (2013). Pathology of Eating (Psychology Revivals). Hoboken: Taylor And Francis. Gowers, S. G. & Green, L. (2009). Eating disorders. London: Routledge. Greenblatt, J. M. (2010). Answers to Anorexia. North Branch: Sunrise River Press. Gremillion, H. (2003). Feeding anorexia. Durham: Duke University Press. Lock, J. (2012). Treatment Manual for Anorexia Nervosa, Second Edition. Guilford Press. Moorey, J. (1991). Living with anorexia and bulimia. Manchester [England]: Manchester University Press. Smith, E. (1999). Anorexia nervosa. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Swain, P. I. (2006). Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. New York: Nova Science. Woo, S. M. & Keatinge, C. (2008). Diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders across the lifespan. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. Read More