Treating Anorexia

Anorexia is a type of eating disorder very common among teenage girls and young women. An estimated 0.5% to 3.7% of all American females are believed to be inflicted with this eating disorder at one point of their lives.

People with anorexia (anorexics) are in constant fear of gaining weight and becoming fat so they control their food intake to the point of near self-starvation. They may see themselves as fat even when they are already just skin and bones. Anorexics also use food to feel more in control of their lives and as a way to vent off tension, anger, anxiety or other intense negative feelings that might be welling up inside of them. Anorexics tend to be perfectionists. They measure their degree of accomplishment with how much they have avoided taking in food and how thin they have become.

Anorexia can cause a lot of damage to the body. At worst, anorexia may even lead to the death of affected individuals. Since it causes abnormal heart rhythms and critical electrolyte imbalances, death due to this eating disorder may occur unexpectedly even when the sufferer is not extremely underweight.

. Heart problems including slow heart rate, palpitations, low blood pressure, mitral valve relapse, abnormal heart rhythms and general heart failure

. Bone density loss which may increase the susceptibility to fractures and osteoporosis in later years

. Hormonal imbalance which may cause the absence of a period or succeeding periods, growth problems or fertility problems

. Electrolyte imbalances in the body fluids which may include low potassium, magnesium, sodium and chloride

The severe malnutrition triggered by anorexia damages each and every vital organ of the body. The bad news is some of these damages are irreversible and cannot be repaired even when the affected individual eventually recovered from the disorder. Furthermore, anorexia is often accompanied by mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders and substance abuse rendering it more difficult to treat.

Despite the seemingly bleak scenario faced by anorexia sufferers, the fact that the disorder can be treated successfully offers a glimmer of hope. Anorexics may recoil from the idea of treatment at first and insist on their crusade to remain thin. So if you are really concerned about a loved one or a family member whom you suspect are showing symptoms of the disease, urge them to talk to a doctor. Let them see that the disease is slowly taking control of their life.

Anorexia is never a simple case. Due to its complexity, people with anorexia may require a comprehensive treatment plan which includes medical care, psychotherapy, nutritional therapy, medication management and hospitalization.

In treating anorexia, the first goal is set in restoring the person's physical health, which was greatly affected by the disease. Hospitalization may be required when there are dangers of medical complications, indications of severe malnutrition and/or psychiatric disturbances, heart irregularities or an adamant refusal to eat. Psychotherapy follows once the person reaches a stable physical condition. Individual and family therapies greatly help in these cases and minimize risk of relapses by resolving interpersonal concerns related to the problem. In undergoing family or marital therapy, family members learn to understand the patient's ailment and are able to gain knowledge of new techniques in coping up with problems.

Although anorexia may require long term treatments especially for those in the advanced stages, there are always chances of successful recovery.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Eating Disorders