Anorexia Nervosa - What is it? How to recognize it?

wendydl1993 (43)in #introduceyourself • 7 years ago

ANOREXIA NERVOUS

Good friends of Steemit, today I bring you a topic that I have seen very often lately and that maybe not many are paying attention. Health is very important to me and I would like to share a little of what I have been researching for you.

OK lets start.

Eating disorders, nervous anorexia and bulimia, have always existed, but lately they have become more frequent. Due to the stereotypes of beauty that our society has, the modeling industry imposes that the woman's body must be very thin. All the time we are seeing publications of super strict diets unhealthy looking for a supposed perfect silhouette, leading these women to critical condition both physical and mental.

I speak of women because they are generally the most affected and attracted by this type of lifestyle. At least 90% of women compared to men (10%) have these types of problems. As we know nowadays, the thinner woman is synonymous with beauty, which leads us to think that this is a cultural problem.

Then let's talk about Nervous Anorexia.

"A" means without appetite ", they do have an appetite, but they refuse to eat. In this disease the person has great concern for body image and an intense desire for thinness often to the point of reaching starvation. (Extreme physical weakness caused by lack of food.)

Generally the age of onset is at 10-14 years. Peaks between 17-18 years. Unlikely after 30. It is up to 10 to 20 times more frequent in women than in men. With a prevalence of 5%.

You will say, but why does this happen? What is the origin? Well, there are different factors that contribute to this happening. Between them we have.

Biological Factors:

It seems that opiates are involved in that feeling of refusal to eat. (because if you inject opioids improve the feeling of eating and weight)
There is a decrease in the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine.
Secondary amenorrhea. Before installing amenorrhea they will have decreased FSH, LH and the gonadotropin-regulating hormone.
Decreased thyroid function.
Increase in cholesterol
In Magnetic Resonance with positron emission increased grooves and lateral ventricles, increased catabolism of the caudate nucleus.

Social factors:

They belong to families where beauty is exaggerated. Mom very castrated and with rigidity in beauty.
They come from dysfunctional families and with dysfunction of the parents
Girls get involved in relationships, letting themselves be intimidated by their bodies.
Dysfunctional homes with alcohol abuse, drug use, parents with affective disorders (depressive)

Psychological factors.

From the psychoanalytic point of view: they lose the sense of autonomy and self-control. They have conflicts with moms. They perceive how that body was inhabited by that intrusive and castrating mother.

Another factor that influences is how we see ourselves in front of the mirror. In the perception of one's own body image, feelings or moods influence; if one is sad or depressed, the perception about oneself is negative, if on the contrary one has had a good day, everything seems wonderful.

It also influences self-esteem (love yourself and accept yourself as it is). On the other hand, what others sometimes say (comments, teasing, etc.) can negatively affect the self-esteem of the person.

Clinical symptoms and diagnoses:

If they are hungry, but they refuse to eat.
They take food compulsively
24 hours of laborious recipes for food are pending.
They are updated in relation to food.
They take a long time to eat at the table, they bite into small pieces.
They steal and take food from supermarkets of many carbohydrates such as chocolates and at night they sneak that big amount of candy by compulsively swallowing it.
Evitate the theme of food
Do not worry about attracting the opposite sex.
They are very hypoactive from the sexual point of view unlike bulimia.

Diagnostic Criteria of the DSM-IV;

Refusal to maintain body weight equal to or above the normal minimum value considering for age and height.

Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese, even when underweight.

Alteration of the perception of the weight or the corporal silhouette, exaggeration of its importance in the self-evaluation or denial of the danger that low body weight entails.

In postpubertal women, the presence of amenorrhea. For example: absence of at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycles.

Treatment

Primary prevention (more important): Avoid the disorder in the family nucleus: dynamic psychotherapy, family and media education, advertising, etc.
Once the disorder is installed, it depends on the type:
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Ciproectadine: 2nd generation antihistamine. Effect: Induces the appetite.
Extreme cases: Electroconvulsive therapy
According to symptoms: Ambulatory Treatment

They are presented in flight attendants, gymnasts, models, product sellers, sales promoters, medical visitors. Personality of the girls: rigid and perfectionist

Nowadays, the media should focus much more on the prevention of this disorder, since girls are becoming smaller with this disease, in the same way there are many self-help groups and associations of relatives and / or affected people dedicated. to demand not only prevention but also healthcare improvements in the current public health network and legislative measures that regulate advertising focused solely and exclusively on the possibility of achieving all types of goals (personal, work, etc.) through an "X" weight and certain body measurements.

Obviously it should be noted that every type of endpoint is bad. By this I mean that being obese is not healthy either, that also brings with it endless diseases. That is why eating healthy and feeling good about yourself is the most important thing.

Healthy body healthy mind.