Anorexia and Mental Illness

A mental illness is a health condition that causes changes in an individual’s emotional state, thought process, and demeanor. Individuals with mental health disorders display increased problems in the following areas of their lives, such as work, social settings, and relationship problems.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, recent research shows that eating disorders are considered severe mental health disorders. The fact is, anorexia is a form of mental illness that often creates serious health problems, and death may even occur if left untreated.

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia is referred to as “Anorexia Nervosa” and, as stated before, is classified as an eating disorder. It is outlined by an individual’s behavior of restricting their food intake and an alarming decrease in an individual’s body weight. Most individuals who suffer from anorexia have an increasing fear of becoming fat, even to the point that a 1 or 2-pound weight gain causes a panic attack.

Listed below are two distinct types of anorexia nervosa:

Restricting Type {AN-R}: Occurs when an individual has excessive food limitations, only eats certain types of foods, and goes overboard in counting their calories, and most of the time severely monitors their food intake. Many individuals engage in unreasonable exercises to the point of severe fatigue.

Binge/Purge Type {AN-BP}: Individuals in this group include periods of food restrictions, but it also involves binge eating/ and eventually purging. Binge eating is when an individual will eat a large amount of food in a truly brief period. Purging can include the use of an enema kit, laxatives, self-induced vomiting, and excessive exercise, as well as fasting. Fasting is when an individual drinks nothing but clear liquids for several days.

Note: During the period when the process of anorexia advances, an individual’s thoughts are centered on their food intake and whole-body image.

Who is at risk for developing Anorexia?

1. Family Genetic History –Is there a history of someone in the family who had signs of anorexia, or were they diagnosed with it?
2. Personality Traits-Individuals who have a challenging time managing their stress level. Individuals who want their bodies to be perfect. They also tend to be very vulnerable to how people see them.
3. Individuals in Public & Non-Public Areas– The culture they come from, peer pressure, social media, and the environment in which they are involved. Individuals involved in sports or other areas that include a wide variety, such as actors, actresses, models, dancers, and figure skaters. In an area that involves events of how an individual’s body image is supposed to look, according to critics.
4. Mental Health-Some individuals who suffer from “Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Traits” tend to develop eating disorders.

According to the “Academy for Eating Disorders ” website, anorexia nervosa causes not only significant problems that affect an individual’s eating habits but also leads to serious repercussions for most of the organs within the body. On the “Academy for Eating Disorders ” website, it is also stated that it is highly likely that purging behaviors often lead to life-threatening medical conditions, which can sometimes include even an individual’s death. There are many times in which an individual who suffers from anorexia nervosa does not show visible signs of their illness. A lot of individuals tend to hide their illness by avoiding contact with other people, and they also tend to stay mostly to themselves by being aloof around others or by wearing a lot of clothing even in warmer weather. For more information about the side effects associated with anorexia nervosa, please visit their website at https://www.eatingdisorderacademy.com/learn/anorexia

According to the American Psychiatric Association,” anorexia nervosa is a condition that most certainly affects an individual’s physical, psychological, and social functions. When you look at their websites,  https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders, include several types of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, other specified feeding and eating disorder, pica, and rumination disorder. To read and learn more about these eating disorders, please visit the above website for more information on each different eating disorder.

Note: There are many physical and behavioral symptoms associated with anorexia nervosa, which is often just referred to as anorexia. Most individuals do not understand that anorexia nervosa is a starvation that affects the brain. Many of these symptoms can cause lifelong and permanent health problems. It is particularly important to seek help as soon as possible for yourself or for a loved one.

References:

1. American Psychiatric Association. What Is Mental Illness? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness

2. Academy for Eating Disorders. Eating Disorders are Serious Mental Illnesses.https://www.aedweb.org/aedold/getinvolved/advocacy/position-statements/eating-disorders-are-serious-mental-illnesses

3. American Psychiatric Association. What are eating disorders? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders

4. Mayo Clinic-Anorexia Nervosa https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia-nervosa/symptoms-causes/syc-20353591