Overview

An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. Eating disorders are all encompassing. They affect every part of the person's life. According to the authors of Surviving an Eating Disorder, "feelings about work, school, relationships, day-to-day activities and one's experience of emotional well being are determined by what has or has not been eaten or by a number on a scale." Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders generally recognized by medical classification schemes, with a significant diagnostic overlap between the two. Together, they affect an estimated 5-7% of females in the United States during their lifetimes. There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated and defined - Binge Eating Disorder. This is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual consumes huge amounts of food during a brief period of time and feels totally out of control and unable to stop their eating. It can lead to serious health conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

The Psychology Behind Anorexia Nervosa

With more and more people are turning to a healthy diet, there is still possible that the extremes to go. Women desperately tried to make it through weight loss are always at risk for the development of Anorexia Nervosa by excessive dieting. Women are not the only sex in danger, as more and more people develop Anorexia Nervosa too.

Anorexics themselves to be obese, no matter how much they weigh or how thin they look in the mirror. Unfortunately, they do not see themselves as something different and refuse to accept or seek help if they are offered, and simple to diet, 10 to 20 percent of Anorexia Nervosa suffers finally dying from related health complications.

Most are often perfectionists , are very strict with themselves and set high and unrealistic targets which are not lead to anything but failure. Often this leads to behavior is a lack of control in another part of their life. They know that they have a certain control of the power back, or feel they are not in control of at least a part of their lives through diet. This turns slowly into an obsession, as they monitor their food intake and weight, as they are the satisfaction of finally take control of something.

This obsession or concentrate on the continuous monitoring of calories and a weight of even helps them block unwanted feelings and emotions. Thus it as a symptom of possible mental health problems, particularly around the self-esteem or what I prefer to refer to the self-acceptance. These need for control does not help them, as they live in denial and refuse to seek help basically because they do not feel they deserve the attention and most believe that they do not deserve to eat: The Mount in the Problems with self-acceptance.

However gloomy picture presented in this article so far are that the majority of Anorexia Nervosa suffers not anticipate and help the disease is all in their hands. There is a range of treatments available to suffer. Medical care, especially for people with severe anorexia, along with psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) proved to be very helpful in addressing the affective thoughts and behaviors that affect the core of eating disorders. Particularly rewarding, triggers and coping strategies that patients can use to help take control of their anorexia can be very effective.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janie_Jonah

1 comment:

Unknown said...

CBT really seems to be a popular and beneficial form of treatment. The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt discusses what this form of therapy entails and weighs in with their opinion on CBT. To find out more information on CBT and see what CED thinks go here: http://eatingdisorder.org/blog/2008/12/17/what-are-the-treatments-anyway/