Causes of anorexia. Why does anorexia occur in women, which accompanies the disease? Specific symptoms of anorexia

Anorexia- is considered a violation provoked by excessive enthusiasm for glossy magazines. But the true nature of the disease lies in the deeper causes that have affected a person in one way or another. In most cases, this type of eating disorder only affects women and girls. The problem requires mandatory diagnosis and treatment, since in their absence it leads to a critical loss of body weight and death of the patient.

An eating disorder is based on a neuropsychiatric disorder, which is why the disease is called anorexia nervosa, but there are other subspecies of the disease. Pathology is manifested by a constant and unhealthy desire to lose weight, the patient is afraid of getting fat even from an extra sip of water. Such patients constantly adhere to cruel diets, wash the stomach, drink laxatives, and induce vomiting. Because of this behavior, the patient's weight begins to fall rapidly, which can eventually cause internal organ failure, sleep disturbance and prolonged depression.

Attention! According to statistics, approximately 15% of all those who are fond of dieting bring themselves to one of the stages of anorexia. Among models, more than 70% of girls encountered such a violation.

Anorexia is divided into subspecies, taking into account the peculiarities of its occurrence. To date, there are the following types of pathology:

• neurotic, which occurs due to prolonged depression and a constant decrease in the psycho-emotional background, which causes overexcitation of the brain and starts the process of losing weight;
• neurodynamic associated with the occurrence of strong physical manifestations, more often pain, which provoke refusal to eat and a decrease in appetite;
• nervous, most often found in patients with anorexia, can be caused by an unstable mental state, depression, schizophrenia, a constant desire to lose weight.

Anorexia can be recorded in children. In them, it occurs under the influence of insufficiency of the hypothalamus or Kanner's syndrome.

Reasons for development

The main factor in the formation of anorexia is associated with a mental disorder. But the disease can also occur under the influence of other factors, which include the following:

• pathology of the endocrine system, most often the failure of the functioning of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus;
• disorders of the digestive tract, which include inflammation of the gastric and intestinal mucosa, pancreatic failure, liver destruction, chronic appendicitis and hepatitis;
• renal failure of a chronic type, the severity of the disease does not matter;
• the presence of oncological neoplasms in the body systems;
• constant pain of a different nature;
• the formation of prolonged hyperthermia due to past or chronic infectious lesions;
• dental diseases;
• taking certain medications, usually anorexia is formed under the influence of antidepressants, tranquilizers, sedatives and narcotic drugs.

In children under 12 years of age, the disease is sometimes provoked by an improper diet and non-compliance with the selected diet. Persistent feedings can eventually lead to aversion to food, which will eventually completely reduce appetite and cause critical weight loss.

Young girls are more likely to suffer from anorexia nervosa. Patients develop an eating disorder due to fear of being overweight and low self-esteem. Because of this, a mental dislike of food develops, which can cause obesity. On a subconscious level, anorexia becomes the factor that helps to maintain beauty, ideal weight and prestige in society.

Especially sharply this idea is fixed by the teenage psyche because of its inconsistency. She is perceived as overvalued. Because of this, a sense of reality is completely lost, an overly critical assessment of one's appearance develops.

Those who are ill, even with severe weight loss, do not see a problem and consider themselves fat and continue to torture the body with diets, physical activity or complete starvation. Even when realizing the reality of the problem, they cannot start eating, as they experience a fear of food that cannot be overcome.

This condition is aggravated by depression of brain function. Nutritional deficiencies cause dysfunction in the center of the brain responsible for hunger and appetite. The body simply does not understand that it needs to eat and needs vitamins and minerals.

After the development of anorexia, patients act according to one of two scenarios. They can change taking into account the psycho-emotional state of the patient:

• the addict strictly adheres to a limited diet, fasts and follows the recommended methods of losing weight;
• Because of attempts to lose weight, on the contrary, constant bouts of overeating can be provoked, which ultimately leads to a mechanical stimulation of vomiting in order to get rid of food.

The second type of eating disorder is called bulimia. With a mixed course of the disease, treatment is much more complicated, since the patient's condition worsens several times faster.

Additionally, the sick person constantly tortures himself with physical exertion until muscle weakness or atrophy sets in, which does not allow further exercise.

Symptoms

Signs of anorexia are divided into several groups. It is important to recognize them in time to help the patient recover and prevent a drop in body weight to critical. After that, it is no longer possible to regain lost health, and the probability of death is high.

Eating Disorders

• the patient constantly has a desire to lose weight, despite the fact that the weight is already below the norm or is within its limits;
• the so-called fatphobia develops, which causes fear of fullness and provokes negativity towards oneself and overweight people;
• the addict counts calories all the time, all interests are connected only with the rules of nutrition for weight loss;
• anorexics constantly refuse food, saying that they have no appetite, they just ate;
• even agreeing to accept food, the portion becomes small, usually consists only of low-calorie foods;
• food is cut into small pieces, served in miniature dishes, all food is carefully chewed or swallowed immediately;
• the patient refuses to attend events where a buffet is prepared, as there is a fear of breakdown and overeating.

Additional symptoms of the disorder

• the patient loads himself with physical exertion, is very irritated if he fails to perform the most difficult exercise;
• clothes become baggy, as it becomes necessary to hide your body due to insecurity in external attractiveness;
• the type of thinking becomes rigid, tantrums may appear when someone expresses other theories in proper nutrition;
• the addict becomes withdrawn and avoids society.

Mental manifestations of anorexia

• the psycho-emotional background becomes reduced, depression, apathy develop;
• concentration of attention decreases several times, physical and intellectual activity falls;
• the patient begins to focus only on his problems, withdraws into himself;
• there is constant dissatisfaction with appearance;
• sleep problems are often provoked, nightmares may appear;
• the patient does not understand that he is sick, does not hear others.

The reaction of the body systems to the violation

• body weight begins to decrease;
• the patient constantly feels weakness in the muscles, dizziness, headaches, fainting;
• hair falls out, nails exfoliate, instead of a normal hairline, fluffy baby hairs grow;
• menstruation disappears or they become rare and short;
• the patient freezes, as the blood cannot function normally;
• blood pressure drops;
• all organs dry out, their metabolic processes are disturbed.

Stages of anorexia

Today, experts distinguish four stages of the formation of a violation.

First stage

The first stage can last up to four years. During this period, all the ideas and rules of behavior that can help reduce weight begin to be deposited in the subconscious of the patient. The patient is always dissatisfied with his appearance. These views are especially pronounced in adolescence When the body begins to form, the hormonal background changes.

Due to the appearance of skin rashes, a possible increase or decrease in body weight, thinking becomes painful, the teenager does not understand that all this is temporary. The patient does not respond to persuasion and does not understand the seriousness of the situation. One careless remark can cause instant weight loss.

Second step

This stage is called anorexic. It is characterized by the appearance in the patient of a pronounced desire to lose weight and correct fictitious shortcomings. At this stage of the disturbance, the patient may lose half of his own weight. Additionally, there are serious problems with internal organs, women begin to lose menstruation.

Several methods are used to reduce body weight. They are associated with constant sports, taking laxatives, enemas. Often resort to the use of diuretics. After eating, patients cause mechanical vomiting, they begin to actively smoke and drink coffee, thinking that this will allow them to lose weight.

Due to the principles of proper nutrition and methods of losing weight adopted at the first stage of anorexia, the appearance of the patient after the onset of the second stage of the disease is significantly different from that which the patient had before the disease. In addition to the constant loss of hair, protruding bones, crumbling teeth, exfoliating nails, such dangerous conditions as an inflammatory process in the digestive tract are diagnosed. Because of this, there is a strong blue of the skin, dark circles appear under the eyes, the skin becomes dry.

Due to the violation, the patient develops wild pain in the abdomen, the stool becomes rare and difficult. Due to the inflammatory process, even a small portion of food provokes such consequences as suffocation, cardiac arrhythmia, constant dizziness and hyperhidrosis.

Attention! At this stage of the disease, despite a great loss of weight and a serious deficiency of nutrients, the patient still shows normal physical and intellectual activity.

Third step

This stage of the disease is called cachectic. It is characterized by serious changes in the work of internal organs and the complete destruction of the hormonal background.

• In women, the menstrual cycle completely stops, the entire fat layer disappears.
• On the skin, dystrophic processes can be seen. All the muscles of the skeleton and heart wear out.
• The heart rate becomes less pronounced, the pressure reaches critically low levels.
• Since the blood circulation process is disturbed, the skin becomes even more blue, reminiscent of the skin of an elderly person. The patient is constantly cold.
• Hair loss becomes more intense, tooth loss begins, hemoglobin drops to virtually zero.

Despite severe exhaustion, the patient still does not see the problem and does not want to be treated and eat food. Because of this, his physical activity disappears, the addict spends almost all the time in bed away from other people. Almost 100% of patients at this stage have severe convulsions. If timely treatment is not started, the victim may soon die.

Fourth step

This is the last stage in the development of pathology, which is called reduction. It usually develops after the patient has been admitted to the hospital and has been treated. Due to the increased body weight, all psychological problems return and the idea of ​​​​the need to lose weight again. The patient again begins to take laxatives, diuretics, is fond of enemas and artificial vomiting.

Such relapses develop in patients within two years after the completion of the active stage of therapy. In order to prevent the violation from returning, it takes several years to carefully monitor the former addict. It is recommended to consult a psychotherapist all the time.

Treatment

Therapy of a sick person usually begins at the junction of the second and third stages of the disease, when all psychological and physical changes are clearly visible. Anorexia becomes apparent with a banal comparison of the patient's weight before the formation of the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bweight loss and after the start of active actions on the part of the person suffering from a mental disorder. But therapy begins in almost 100% of cases only after diagnosing acute heart or kidney failure. After that, measures are taken to restore the water and electrolyte balance. The patient is prescribed minerals and vitamins. They are administered intravenously or intramuscularly.

Be sure to treat all problems with internal organs. Drugs are prescribed taking into account the intensity of system dysfunction. Primary attention is paid to the heart, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver. Restoration of the reproductive system is carried out only after the improvement of the main vital organs.

If the patient still refuses to eat, they begin to feed him through a tube. After the critical condition is removed, the addict is transferred to a normal diet, which is selected individually for each, taking into account the severity of anorexia and its consequences.

Since all these measures can eliminate only physiological problems, the help of a psychologist and psychotherapist is needed. Work is carried out not only with the patient, but also with his relatives. They must also understand the seriousness of the situation and correctly treat the sick person. During therapy, the doctor chooses such methods that make it possible to voluntarily treat the anorexic, which eliminates the need for the use of forceful methods that practically do not give results.

Usually, the disease is stopped in a hospital, with the exception of the first stage of the disorder. The course differs in duration, sometimes up to a year. During this time, doctors adjust body weight to normal and relieve excessive psycho-emotional stress.

Treatment is serious with a lot of restrictions. Getting bonuses in the form of a walk, meeting with loved ones, using the Internet, all sick people should deserve it. To do this, they just need to follow the regime and eat right. But such therapy is effective only in the second and early third stages of the disease. In advanced cases, only total control helps to get back on your feet.

Attention! Patients who were subjected to strict control measures due to their lack of desire to be treated almost always return to their previous lifestyle in subsequent years. They must be constantly under the supervision of a psychologist.

If you notice the first symptoms of anorexia in your loved ones, you should immediately contact a psychotherapist to correct your mental state. If you start recovery immediately, you will not need to eliminate violations in the work of internal organs, it will be enough to talk and take medications that stimulate positive thinking. In the event that the situation becomes critical and the weight of the patient can cause his death, hospitalization is required. This is the only way to save a person. In the future, a long psychiatric recovery will be required.

Modern rhythm and way of life make very high demands on the appearance of people. And, of course, to the appearance of women. And women themselves take this problem so seriously that they begin to want the impossible from themselves and their appearance. The key standard of modern beauty is the ideal figure. And this is no coincidence: everywhere we are surrounded by photographs in magazines, TV shows, videos on the Internet. Ideal images of models willy-nilly impose on women the idea that beauty and thinness are equivalent concepts. And this is the first step towards what doctors call anorexia: at first, its symptoms are indistinguishable from the behavior of an ordinary losing weight woman.

Unfortunately, nature has decreed that only a small number of women by nature have external data that meet these fictitious standards. And that is why a huge number of the fair sex constantly heroically fight with extra pounds, centimeters, folds. Moreover, often far from the most harmless methods become tools in this unequal struggle. Pills and teas for weight loss, exhausting physical activity, starvation - all this can end very badly. About how to distinguish weight loss from anorexia, and what are its main signs, we will tell you in this article.

What is anorexia?

Unfortunately, most often this disease affects young girls, sometimes quite teenagers. And this is not accidental, because it is they who are much more subject to outside influence than other age categories. These girls exhaust themselves so much with various diets that their weight is reduced by fifteen to twenty percent below normal, and sometimes even more. But even if their weight is nowhere lower, and their well-being suffers very much, when looking in the mirror, the girls still think that they are too fat. And they continue to torture themselves with the most severe diets.

For young girls, such "experiments" are the most dangerous - their body still continues to grow and form. And as a result, instead of a beautiful and full of health girl, others see a kind of almost incorporeal ghost, with pale skin, bruises under the eyes and a whole bunch of concomitant diseases - these are the consequences of anorexia. At a time when there is an intensive growth and formation of various functional systems of the body - the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and others -, as a result of which huge amounts of nutrients are needed, the teenager starves for weeks, due to which her body is applied irreparable harm.

Symptoms of anorexia

The most important symptom that anorexia has overtaken a girl is a significant weight loss, sometimes in a very short time period. However, unfortunately, this sign becomes apparent only when exhaustion dangerously approaches a critical point. Up to this point, it may seem that the woman simply decided to lose weight in very harmless ways.

Another manifestation of anorexia, which also in no case should be ignored, is the loss of appetite and a significant decrease in the portion size of food eaten by a woman. In addition, a girl can very often refuse to eat at all, finding a huge number of excuses - sometimes very plausible: she ate recently, she was tired, her stomach hurts.

However, despite this, a person suffering from anorexia can talk for a long time and with pleasure about food: various diets, calories and weight loss strategies. Moreover, many anorexic women spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing a wide variety of dishes. On the one hand, it may seem that sick girls are completely uninterested in food. However, in reality this is not so: thoughts about food take up almost all of their free time. But it is worth reaching the realization of these thoughts, as all their desire disappears somewhere.

As the disease progresses, the general health of the girl significantly worsens. This is manifested in various clinical symptoms of disruption of many body systems.

Increased fatigue. The sick girl begins to experience severe weakness, gets tired very quickly. The woman does not have time to get up and wash, as she already feels very tired. This is not due to some hard physical work, but from elementary things, which, in general, is not surprising: the body has nowhere to take the energy it needs so much, and it turns to its internal resources, which, I must say, are not are limitless. By the way, in especially neglected cases, a girl may develop a strong feeling of drowsiness, she may begin to faint regularly.

Change in the condition of hair and nails. In a sick girl, the hair loses its luster, becomes dull and begins to split very badly. And not even the best hair care balm is able to improve the situation. This is due to the fact that the body is deprived of those vitamins and minerals that are necessary to maintain hair in good condition. The same applies to nails: they become thin and brittle, and may begin to exfoliate.

Change in the condition of the skin. As a rule, a woman with anorexia becomes extremely pale in complexion, blue circles appear under her eyes. The cause of this phenomenon very often becomes iron deficiency anemia, which is an obligatory companion of this disorder. Also, anorexia often causes kidney problems.

A very peculiar bluish tint acquires the skin of the hands and feet of a sick girl. It occurs due to poor microcirculation of the skin. By the way, for the same reason, a sick woman is almost always cold, often her body is even covered with a layer of very thin and short hair - in this way the body tries to protect itself from hypothermia and keep warm.

Amenorrhea or disappearance of menses. The mechanism of the occurrence of this symptom is not entirely clear: either the long-term lack of essential nutrients in the body affects the hormonal level of the girl, causing various disruptions, or whether we are talking about the influence of the mental state. In any case, amenorrhea is a serious violation, indicating that the problem has gone quite far, and the girl urgently needs medical help.

development of other diseases. Since the lack of essential vitamins, minerals, nutrients, proteins, fats and carbohydrates is the strongest shock for the body, it is very difficult to predict how it will react to anorexia. In some cases, women begin to have serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract, disruption of the central nervous and endocrine systems, and the development of osteoporosis.

Causes of anorexia

However, when we say the word “anorexia”, most often we mean anorexia nervosa. And in this case, the saying is best suited: "All problems from the head." There are a great many psychological causes of anorexia: these are family, personal, and difficulties in communicating with others. Most often, this wide range of problems include:

dysfunctional family. Simply put, this is a family with an unhealthy psychological climate, where all family members either hide their emotions or are constantly irritated with each other. One or more family members often suffer from various kinds of addictions: alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, etc. ... Nobody takes into account the needs of each other. Children are either left to themselves or are under the constant authoritarian control of their parents. It is not surprising that in such unhealthy conditions, one of the family members - most often a teenage girl - becomes ill with anorexia.

Negative atmosphere around meals. As a rule, the source of this reason is in deep childhood. Some parents believe that the child must be fed at all costs, and his unwillingness is by no means an obstacle. They begin to forcibly push food into the child, and the child develops a gag reflex and a general negative attitude towards food. Because of this, anorexia can begin at a very early age, or it can hide and manifest itself already in adolescence or even in adulthood if additional factors are present.

Low self-esteem and impaired perception of one's body. All girls with anorexia consider themselves ugly fat ugly. Even with very little weight and protruding bones, it seems to them that they are “completely swollen with fat”. But this is rather a consequence of anorexia, and the reason lies in the fact that such girls generally consider themselves worthless in life: stupid, weak, uninteresting and passive. And they are trying to succeed at least in something, having gained a beautiful, in their opinion, figure.

Obsession and obsession in behavior, perfectionism. This trait has very bad consequences for long-term weight loss. Even if it starts as a completely healthy process, due to the excessive striving for perfection, a girl can get so “stuck” in it that she will always seem to herself not beautiful enough. And that means you need to eat even less, and more, and more ...

Unmet need for love and acceptance. In this case, anorexia becomes a bridge to start liking other people. This very often happens with girls who are overweight. Having started losing weight, they note that other people began to reach out to them and show sympathy. This reinforces the positive effect of losing weight, and they "sit down" on it. And very soon it begins to be pathological.

Fight against obstacles. A very interesting point of view on the problem of anorexia was proposed by the psychophysiologist Vadim Rotenberg: he believes that it is based on the desire of girls to overcome any difficulties, which are their constant appetite. The girl refuses to eat, thereby defeating him and getting satisfaction. This is for them a victory over themselves and brings meaning to their lives - which is why, in his opinion, it is so difficult for anorexics to give up their pathological behavior.

Lovely girls! If you are unhappy with your figure and are planning to try another diet, think carefully about whether it is worth risking your health for the sake of some ghostly beauty? And if you have already decided to improve your body and to fight what seems superfluous to you, do not forget about the limits of this very struggle. Turn on your head and soberly assess what is happening, since the border between weight loss and anorexia nervosa is very, very illusory. It is quite easy to go over it, so if you or your relatives feel some doubt, then it is better to play it safe once again and consult a specialist for advice. Most importantly, you can remain beautiful and attractive in any body and with any appearance, because self-confidence and charisma are much more important than a flat stomach!

Anorexia, the symptoms and causes of which everyone should know, is a dangerous disease caused most often by the stereotypes of modern society about the ideal figure, beauty in general. The disease in the vast majority of cases affects young girls, so it should be considered from this perspective. It should be analyzed in more detail, by what signs anorexia can be detected, and the causes of its occurrence should be established.

1 Causes of anorexia

Anorexia is a disease in which for some reason there is a malfunction in the part of the brain that controls the eating behavior of a person, as a result of which there is a restriction of food intake to complete failure. The negative consequence of this eating disorder is uncontrolled weight loss, leading to protein-energy deficiency and the appearance of various concomitant serious diseases of a mental, neurological, somatic, endocrine, and oncological nature. Often, particularly severe cases of anorexia end in death. It is very important to recognize a deadly disease at an early stage and return a person to a full life.

It is necessary to name the reasons characteristic for anorexia. All of them can be formed into several large groups:

• medical;
• psychological;
• mental;
• social.

The medical group of causes of anorexia includes some serious diseases of the internal organs, including a tumor of the hypothalamus, in which the human body is depleted due to disorders associated with the absorption of food.

In psychological anorexia, the causes have a slightly different focus. This may include:

• problems in communicating with others;
• low self-esteem due to rejection of one's body;
• dissatisfaction in love;
• perfectionism and many others.

The unformed personality of a teenager with a fragile psyche often falls into the network of the disease.

The emergence and development of mental anorexia is facilitated by various mental disorders: delusional ideas, depression, schizophrenia, etc.

The causes of anorexia in the social sphere should be sought in the society itself. Currently, such concepts as beauty and thinness are identified. The concept of beauty is constantly dependent on body weight. The image of an ideal figure with parameters of 90x60x90 is widely imposed on television, the Internet, and fashion magazines. Especially often there are manifestations of anorexia in girls and young women seeking to lose weight and become as close as possible to their ideal.

2 Stages of the disease

Before considering in detail the symptoms of the disease, you should understand its stages. Scientists distinguish 3 main stages in the development of anorexia:

• dysmorphophobic;
• dysmorphomanic;
• cachectic.

The dysmorphophobic stage is the initial stage that the patient with anorexia goes through. She has thoughts about being overweight. It seems to her that others notice this and laugh at her, which makes her depressed. An anorexic patient begins to lose weight, practicing all kinds of diets. But, unable to withstand the acute feeling of hunger, it often breaks down, emptying the refrigerator at night.

In the dysmorphomanic stage, an anorexic patient is already confident in her fullness, she dreams of an ideal figure. The depressive state is replaced by activity and readiness to fight extra pounds. The patient, secretly from others, uses various means for this: diets, fasting, physical activity, medications that suppress appetite. After a sudden breakdown, she may apply cleansing enemas and artificial vomiting.

The cachectic stage threatens the patient with anorexia with death. Gradually, she develops a strong aversion to food. The body stops taking any food. The patient's weight is reduced by almost 2 times, but she does not notice it. Negative irreversible transformations begin in the body, dystrophy of the most important organs develops. Blood pressure and body temperature drop, the pulse slows down noticeably. Only an experienced psychiatrist can save the patient from inevitable death.

3 Signs of the initial stage

It is very important not to miss the moment when anorexia begins. At this time, the health of the patient caused even minor harm. Here, the main role in the detection of the disease is assigned to relatives, friends, acquaintances, because. the girl or woman herself does not recognize the presence of the disease.

It should be called the first signs of anorexia, which should alert others. These include:

1. Fear of getting fat. The main topic of conversation for a patient with anorexia is the problem of excess weight and the means of getting rid of it: all kinds of diets for weight loss, exercise, dietary supplements, etc.
2. Changing the way you eat. Different variations of food intake can be used: only vegetables and fruits cut into small pieces, or only liquids, a significant reduction in portions, etc.
3. Belief in the presence of excess weight in general or in any part of the body. The ability to constantly prove to others the need to lose weight to get the perfect figure.
4. Refusal to eat, the use of various excuses and tricks: a stomach ache, fatigue, etc. Despite this, an anorexic patient is able to cook various dishes for others, stay in the kitchen for a long time.
5. Frequent release of food consumed by inducing vomiting or using an enema.
6. Exhausting physical culture and sports, pursuing only one goal - to lose weight.
7. Restriction of the circle of communication. The fear of having to eat at various events and obsession with discussing the problem of being overweight make the anorexic patient spend most of their time alone.

Knowing how the disease begins, and suspecting the first signs of a loved one, it is necessary to persuade him to seek help from a professional psychologist.

4 How does the disease progress?

If not everyone can determine the first signs of anorexia, then the symptoms of an advanced disease are visible and understandable to everyone. The patient inadequately evaluates her condition even when exhaustion becomes dangerous for her life.

The main signs of anorexia in women are complete refusal of food and significant weight loss in a short period of time.

Common symptoms of anorexia include:

• feeling of guilt when consuming food in any quantity;
• panic fear of gaining weight;
• sleep disturbance;
• decrease in body temperature and blood pressure.

As the disease develops, the general state of health of the patient worsens, the coordinated work of the main body systems collapses.

You can make out the following additional symptoms of anorexia, which has gone quite far:

1. Many serious diseases develop due to the fact that the patient's body does not receive the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins for a long time. More often than others, people suffering from anorexia have serious disorders in the functioning of the kidneys, endocrine system, central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia, etc.
2. Severe fatigue, weakness, frequent fainting. This is due to the lack of energy due to a half-starved state for a long time.
3. The skin becomes pale, acquire a bluish tint. The normal microcirculation of the skin is disturbed.
4. Serious changes occur in the emotional sphere of the patient: irritability appears, sudden mood swings, memory is disturbed.
5. Hormonal failure in the body of a woman, leading to the cessation of menstruation.
6. The condition of hair and nails noticeably worsens. Due to the lack of minerals, vitamins and nutrients, they become dull and brittle.
7. Violation of the electrolyte balance of the body occurs due to the non-receipt by the body of magnesium and potassium in full. In especially severe cases, signs of cardiac arrest can be diagnosed.

If you do not stop the development of the disease in a timely manner and do not start competent treatment, then the patient can pass the point of no return, reaching the cachectic stage of anorexia, which means dystrophy of the internal organs and leads to death.

Thus, knowing the causes and main symptoms of anorexia, it is important to be attentive to yourself and others, promoting proper eating behavior in order to prevent the occurrence of this dangerous disease.

Over the past 5 years, the number of patients diagnosed with anorexia has increased almost 10 times! 40% of them are teenagers aged 11 to 16, another 35% are models, actresses and other public people. In connection with such a catastrophic situation in the United States and Western Europe, numerous studies have been conducted on this disease, which annually leads to nervous and physical exhaustion, and also claims the lives of thousands of people around the world.

It's time to find out what kind of deviation it is, what are its causes and development mechanisms, and most importantly - whether it is treated and how effective modern therapeutic methods are.

What it is?

Anorexia is not just a disease. In all reference books, it is listed as a syndrome. The difference is that the mechanisms of development of the latter are not yet well understood and are the subject of close study by scientists around the world. In this regard, the effectiveness of the methods of treatment of such pathologies is questioned and is not guaranteed. Indeed, psychotherapy, which is today the main tool in the fight against this disease, does not give positive results in all cases.

The essence of anorexia is the lack of appetite, despite the body's need for nutrients. Most often, a person comes to a conscious refusal of food due to mental disorder against the background of internal complexes about their own figure and excess weight. By accustoming themselves not to eat, constantly exhausting the body with diets, patients bring the body and mind to complete exhaustion. Much less often, this happens unconsciously and is dictated by the presence of other, no less serious diseases (for example, schizophrenia, various kinds of intoxication, cancer, etc.).

difference from bulimia

Along with, anorexia is considered an eating disorder. According to many models, they suffered from both at the same time, although the manifestations of these diseases are completely different.

Bulimia is characterized by uncontrollable bouts of hunger. After long and exhausting diets, patients break down and eat a huge amount of food at a time. And after they realize what happened, they become ashamed of such behavior. This leads to artificial induction of vomiting, the abuse of laxatives and enemas, just to get rid of the consumed food. Then the weekdays of exhausting diets begin again until a new breakdown.

Anorexia is not characterized by such bouts of hunger, with this diagnosis, appetite is almost completely absent. And if with bulimia the body occasionally, but still receives and even manages to absorb at least some nutrients during such breakdowns, then exhaustion is diagnosed much earlier, and there are more deaths.

Interesting fact. In the course of research, scientists have established a relationship between the type of eating disorder and the nature of the person who suffers from it. People who are emotionally unstable and impatient, who find it difficult to restrain themselves, are prone to bulimia. Among anorexics, on the contrary, there are many closed and stubborn people who find it difficult to prove something. This explains the difficulty of treating the latter.

Causes

The causes are so diverse that in some cases it is extremely difficult to identify them. Most often, depression is the main provoking factor, but such a formulation is not enough for successful treatment. Psychotherapy digs much deeper and seeks to identify more root problems.

Mental

Age factor: adolescence and adolescence are at risk, and the lower bar has been falling lower and lower in recent years. Excess weight in childhood, entailing problems with the environment (pressure from parents, name-calling classmates).

The presence of a negative example in the family: relatives with anorexia, bulimia, or obesity, as well as those suffering from depression, alcoholism, drug addiction. Tensions in the family, too strict parents, because of which the child strives to meet high standards and becomes depressed if he does not reach them. Lack of parental attention.

Wrong eating habits: eating harmful foods in large quantities, non-compliance with the diet.

Low self-esteem, self-doubt, internal complexes, feelings of inferiority. Perfectionist-obsessive personality type. Mental illness, neurological pathology. Divorce of parents. The formation of personality, when a teenager tries to prove to himself and others that he has willpower and he can consciously refuse food in order to meet the expectations of society.

Hobbies, hobbies, profession requirements: actors, models, musicians, singers and other public people.

Physical

These include:

• alcoholism, drug addiction;
• aneurysm;
• anemia;
• Addison's disease;
• gastritis, pancreatitis;
• helminths;
• hemochromatosis;
• hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver;
• hypopituitarism;
• hormonal dysfunction;
• zinc deficiency;
• dysfunction of neurotransmitters responsible for eating behavior (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine);
• prolonged coma;
• malignant tumors;
• leukemia;
• lymphoma;
• excess weight;
• neurosurgical operation;
• digestive problems, gastrointestinal diseases;
• early onset of menstruation in girls;
• sarcoidosis;
• diabetes mellitus type I;
• syndromes of Kanner, Sheehen, Simmonds;
• thyrotoxicosis;
• brain injury;
• schizophrenia;
• eclampsia.

genetic

Not so long ago, genetics was practically not considered as one of the possible causes of anorexia, considering the latter to be a purely mental and social syndrome. However, not so long ago (in 2010), large-scale studies were conducted in the United States, which involved not only patients with such a diagnosis, but also their closest relatives of at least 2 people. The DNA responsible for eating behavior has been studied. The results surprised many: obsessions about losing weight and refusing to eat were often determined at the chromosomal level. They found a brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene that differed from the rest in its sensitivity to this disorder.

It is involved in stimulating appetite and satisfying hunger in the hypothalamus, and also controls the level of serotonin in the body. The researchers concluded that people may be genetically predisposed to anorexia. This lies in the inheritance of dysfunctions of neurotransmitter systems, a certain type of personality and a number of mental disorders. Moreover, in most cases, such heredity may not manifest itself throughout life. But as soon as she receives a push from the outside (diseases, depression, taking powerful drugs, a long diet), she manifests herself in all her “glory”.

Other

Uncontrolled intake of anorexigenic drugs for the purpose of losing weight. A side effect of the use of certain drugs - hormones, psychostimulants, glucocorticosteroids.

Single stressful events that occurred in the 4-6 months before the onset of the eating disorder: this could be the death of a loved one or physical (sexual) abuse.

Dream of becoming a model. An obsession with thinness, which is perceived as the ideal of modern beauty. Persistent propaganda of certain standards of beauty in the media, passion for social networks.

Facts, facts... Sad statistics blame the family for everything, arguing that it is in childhood that anorexia is rooted. As practice shows, teenagers suffering from this disorder have seen enough of their mother (aunt, sister) losing weight and were not accustomed to proper nutrition.

Classification

There are different types of anorexia. Due to the fact that the mechanisms of its development have not yet been fully studied, several classifications of this syndrome are adhered to in medical circles. They are based on the factors that provoked its appearance.

Classification No. 1

• Somatogenic (primary) - develops against the background of other physical pathologies and diseases.
• Functional-psychogenic (secondary) - due to stress and mental disorders.

Classification No. 2

• Neurotic - strong negative emotions lead to powerful excitation of the cerebral cortex.
• Neurodynamic - inhibition of the center of appetite in the hypothalamus due to the strongest irritants of a non-emotional nature (most often - pain).
• Neuropsychiatric (or cachexia) - persistent, conscious refusal of food, a sharp restriction in the amount of food consumed, due to a mental disorder.

Classification No. 3

• Medicinal - develops against the background of taking anorexigenic drugs for the purpose of losing weight, it can be a side effect of other medications (most often antidepressants, psychostimulants, hormones).
• Mental - a mental disorder accompanied by loss of appetite: it develops against the background of schizophrenia, paranoia, advanced stages of depression.
• Symptomatic - a sign of a serious somatic disease: lungs, gastrointestinal tract, hormonal system, in the field of gynecology;
• Nervous (psychological) - conscious restriction of oneself in food, fear of weight gain, distorted perception of one's own body.

There are different codes for different types of anorexia in the ICD. Correct and accurate diagnosis allows you to choose the most effective methods of treatment in each individual case.

Clinical picture

At first, anorexics do not appear to be such, because today most women are dieting and taking care of their own weight. Is it possible to suspect a model that seeks to reach the ideal parameters of the body using all sorts of methods, in an eating and mental disorder? After all, this is her profession, and she must look good and take care of her own body. But over time, when a person can no longer stop and continues to lose weight, it is impossible not to notice.

The very first signs of anorexia:

• BMI falls below the normal value of 18.5;
• refusal to eat;
• weight and figure become an obsession (with the nervous form of the disease).

It is impossible to say exactly at what weight anorexia begins, because this is too an individual parameter, which also depends on height. For example, 44 kg for a height of 154 cm is still the norm, and the same body weight with a height of 180 cm is already a pathology. Therefore, first of all, BMI is calculated and compared with normal values. If he sank below the bottom bar - it's time to sound the alarm.

Determination of body mass index:
I (BMI designation) \u003d m (body weight in kg) / h 2 (height in meters).

Common symptoms for all forms:

• discomfort after eating;
• muscle weakness and cramps;
• low body weight, which only decreases over time;
• restriction of food consumed under any pretext;
• refusal to get better;
• constant feeling of cold and chills due to circulatory disorders;
• fear of food;
• depressed, depressed state;
• phobia of being overweight.

This is just the beginning. Over time, the patient's condition worsens more and more, and this is noticeable in his appearance, health and broken psyche.

Mental condition

These symptoms are primarily characteristic of anorexia nervosa:

• apathy;
• insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day;
• fast fatiguability;
• depression;
• prolonged examination of one's naked (or in underwear) body in the mirror;
• daily weighing;
• unhealthy fascination with topics related to weight;
• incorrect goal setting: “I want to lose weight from 45 kg to 30 kg” (and this is with a height of 180 cm);
• instability of mood;
• refusal of common meals (for example, adolescents do not go to the school cafeteria and, under any pretext, do not attend family meals);
• lack of appetite;
• a complete eating disorder: they eat either only standing, or only crushed, mashed foods, or only cold, or only raw, and other oddities;
• irritability, aggressiveness, a constant feeling of resentment towards others;
• decreased libido;
• social isolation, cessation of communication.

Appearance

• Alopecia;
• paleness or yellowness of the skin;
• bleeding gums, caries, loss and destruction of teeth;
• weight loss, dystrophy of muscle mass, unhealthy thinness;
• splitting and brittle nails.

Health

• Algodysmenorrhea;
• anemia;
• gastritis;
• dizziness;
• delayed physical development in adolescence and childhood: growth stops, girls do not enlarge their breasts and menstruation does not occur, boys do not develop genitals;
• leukopenia, leukocytosis;
• hormonal imbalance;
• fainting;
• cessation of menstruation in women;
• problems with the gallbladder;
• indigestion;
• spontaneous gag reflex after eating;
• failure of the liver and kidneys;
• cardiac arrhythmia;
• thrombocytosis;
• endocrine disorders: amenorrhea in women, impotence in men, increased cortisol levels, insufficient production of thyroid hormone, problems with insulin secretion;
• enterocolitis.

Unlike other diseases, anorexia is insidious in that the patient himself, due to mental reasons, is not aware of the disease and does not see even its most striking symptoms. His mind is so imbued with obsessive ideas that even among the bones covered with skin (such a picture is observed in the last stages), he manages to see fat folds.

through the pages of history. In Soviet psychiatry, anorexia, in terms of its clinical manifestations and treatment methods, was practically equated with another mental illness - schizophrenia. Now such an understanding of the syndrome in medicine has gone, but the comparison of these two conditions has not stopped. Recently, cases of the development of schizophrenia against the background of anorexia have become more frequent (a person raves about obsessive ideas about his body and the excess weight that he allegedly suffers from).

stages

Doctors call three stages of development of anorexia with their corresponding symptoms.

1. Dysmorphomanic (initial) stage

• Prolonged examination of one's body in a mirror, often with locked doors.
• Obsessive thoughts about one's own inferiority.
• Food restrictions, search for and compliance with the most.
• Depression, anxiety.
• Constant talk about food, diets, models.
• Weight loss - not yet critical, but already noticeable.

2. Anorexic

• The fasting continues and does not end in any way: the patient does not agree to all the persuasion of relatives to establish nutrition, believing that he leads a normal life.
• Inadequate assessment of the degree of their weight loss (considers their weight to be normal).
• Refusal of sexual life.
• Noticeable weight loss of 20%.
• Complete loss of appetite: for the whole day the patient may not remember food.
• The first signs of concomitant diseases appear: hypotension, bradycardia, alopecia, adrenal insufficiency.
• With nervous forms of anorexia, unbearable physical activity is added to diets.
• Reducing the volume of the stomach.

3. Cachectic

• Deficiency of vitamins and microelements.
• Dystrophy of the body and internal organs.
• Violation of water and electrolyte balance.
• Unhealthy thinness, weight loss by 50% of the original figure.
• Dehydration.
• Swelling of the whole body.
• Inhibition of the functions of almost all body systems.

As a rule, the first stage proceeds almost imperceptibly and, with timely support from relatives and relatives, it may not develop further into a pathological condition. But the latter often ends in death (sometimes due to suicide) and is very difficult to treat. Even if a person manages to get out, the consequences will haunt him all his life.

Diagnostics

As the main diagnostic tool for detecting the disease is an anorexia test, the name of which is "Attitude to eating". The first part consists of 26 general and easy questions. The second is only out of 5, but they involve monitoring your own eating behavior over the past 6 months. This method has several significant disadvantages, due to which it is not always possible to rely on it in an accurate diagnosis.

First, the patient in most cases cannot objectively assess his own eating behavior. Accordingly, he cannot truthfully answer the questions of the text.

Secondly, this test mainly detects anorexia nervosa, while all other types require additional diagnostics.

This test can be taken by absolutely anyone online. For a more accurate diagnosis, various studies can be prescribed:

• blood, stool and urine tests;
• gastroscopy;
• head MRI;
• sigmoidoscopy;
• radiopaque study of the digestive tract;
• esophagomanometry;
• x-ray;

The last resort will be a consultation with a psychotherapist. Through an interview and based on the results of laboratory tests, he makes a final diagnosis, determines the stage and prescribes treatment.

Treatment

Comprehensive treatment of anorexia involves the use of a variety of techniques. Not all of them show high efficiency, but with careful observance of medical prescriptions and a positive attitude of the patient himself, recovery occurs (although not as quickly as we would like). This is a rather complex disease, therefore, at the first symptoms, you should immediately contact psychotherapists. Only they can pull the patient out of the hole in which he fell.

Psychotherapy

• Visualization of the final result: the patient is told in detail about the consequences of anorexia.
• Cognitive restructuring: dealing with negative thoughts and obsessions.
• Controlling your own behavior.
• Correction of distorted consciousness.
• Monitoring: a record by the patient of his eating behavior in all details, on the basis of which conclusions are drawn and errors are eliminated.
• Increasing self-esteem.
• Resolution of family conflicts (in the treatment of anorexia in children and adolescents).

Alimentary rehabilitation

• Exercise therapy for the formation of a beautiful body (the purpose of the exercises is to build muscle mass).
• Bed rest.
• Diet therapy.
• Creating motivation for recovery.
• Emotional and physical support from family and friends.

Preparations

• Vitamin complexes.
• Antipsychotics.
• Separate vitamins and microelements: folic and ascorbic acid, B12, iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium.
• Appetite enhancing drugs: Elenium, Frenolon, Pernexin, Peritol, anabolic steroids like Primobolan.
• Tablets for the normalization of metabolism: Polyamine, Berpamin.
• Antidepressants: Zoloft, Coaxin, Ludiomil, Paxil, Fevarin, Fluoxetine, Chlorpromazine, Cipralex, Eglonil.

Folk remedies

With the permission of the attending physician at home, you can use various folk remedies to restore normal appetite. However, you need to be extremely careful with them. Some herbs are too aggressive for various organs and systems that are already affected. Therefore, follow the contraindications for each such prescription.

Calming (drink before bedtime):

• valerian;
• nettle;
• Melissa;
• mint;
• dandelion.

Appetite stimulants (drink half an hour before each meal):

• St. John's wort;
• centaury;
• mint;
• sagebrush.

Treatment must be comprehensive. Even well-established psychotherapy does not always work and gives the desired effect without the same antidepressants (for the nervous form of the disease).

It is a fact. Experts say that it is impossible to cope with anorexia on your own. Patients, even if they understand that they are not all right, cannot force themselves to eat normally. This is due to the fact that their ideas about food and weight are too distorted and require professional correction.

To defeat anorexia, the patient himself needs to make a lot of efforts. It is not enough to strictly follow medical recommendations, you need to overcome yourself every day and change your own consciousness and attitude towards yourself. This is incredibly difficult and requires support from family and friends. A few tips will speed up your recovery.

First of all, with anorexia, you need to normalize nutrition. If possible, a consultation with a nutritionist who has a medical education: he can draw up an individual menu for the near future, taking into account the characteristics of the course of the disease.

Every 2-3 days, you need to increase the daily caloric content of food consumed by 50 kcal until it reaches the norm - 1,300 kcal for women and 1,500 kcal for men, and this is the lower bar. With the same sequence, it is necessary to increase the portion sizes by 30-50 g.

The first 2 weeks the basis of nutrition should be liquid and pureed dishes, chopped foods, drinks. Then gradually vegetables and fruits (in any form) are introduced into the diet. A week later, protein foods are allowed (boiled chicken breast, eggs, milk, seafood), a minimum of carbohydrates (oatmeal, brown rice), a small amount of natural sweets (dried fruits and honey).

Formation of new food habits: adherence to the regimen, fractional nutrition, calculation of the balance of zhbu and daily calorie content, rejection of harmful products.

Without the normalization of nutrition, it is almost impossible to get rid of anorexia. And this point can be realized only after the correction of consciousness and personal orientations of the patient.

Physical activity in the advanced stages of the disease is excluded. It will be necessary to join the sport gradually, with the permission of the attending physician.

Effects

Unfortunately, many of the consequences of anorexia will haunt a person for life, even if the disease is completely cured. Recovery of the body can take from 6 months to several years.

The most common complications are:

• alopecia;
• arrhythmia;
• rapid, abnormal weight gain up to obesity;
• dystrophy;
• slow metabolism;
• impotence, decreased libido, infertility;
• obsessive-compulsive disorder;
• osteoporosis;
• serious problems with digestion;
• reduction in brain mass.

If we talk about forecasts, then a fatal outcome is quite possible. Death from anorexia occurs either due to the failure of vital organs or due to suicide.

Prevention

If a person recovers from anorexia and returns to a normal lifestyle, he will still have to constantly fight this syndrome. As practice shows, even psychotherapy does not guarantee a full recovery. In 30% of cases, the disorder returns. To prevent this from happening, you need to carry out prevention:

• see a psychotherapist;
• observe the principles of proper nutrition;
• monitor BMI so that it does not go beyond the norm;
• avoid stressful situations;
• exercise moderately;
• communicate actively;
• find a hobby to your liking (preferably not a modeling business).

Even if the anorectic was cured, he is simply obliged to follow these preventive measures in order to avoid a relapse of the disease. Doctors warn that a repeated breakdown in most cases ends in death.

Special cases

Although anorexia is most commonly diagnosed in adolescent girls and young women, it affects both children and men. The course of the disease is somewhat different.

In children

It doesn't work at all like it does in adults. The main difference is in the mechanism of its development. In them, this is primarily a somatogenic disorder, which is diagnosed against the background of other diseases. It can be elementary allergies, thrush, stomatitis, worms, otitis media, rhinitis and other diseases that children of different ages so often suffer from.

Therefore, with a long and persistent refusal to eat with a persistent weight loss in a child, parents should first of all send him for a complete medical examination, identify the disease and treat it. After that, with the help of psychotherapy, anorexia in most cases is completely cured.

In men

Very childlike. This eating disorder in them is also due primarily to a special physiological state. Psychogenic causes are rarely noted because representatives of the strong half of humanity are used to restraining their emotions and not showing them.

Their nervous system is still stronger in relation to excess weight. If men discover it, they don't run to vomit or go on a diet. Some go to the gym, the latter continue to calmly sip beer in front of the TV. That's all the solution to the problem. According to statistics, among those who suffer from anorexia, men are only 5%, and 3.5% are initially ill with mental disorders.

According to statistics. Among men suffering from anorexia, more than 50% are schizophrenics, and another 25% are of non-traditional sexual orientation. Having a type of psyche that is as close as possible to the female, and distinguished by a reverent attitude to their own appearance, the latter get used to sitting on newfangled diets and consciously refuse food.

Additional Information

For prevention, as well as in the process of treatment in the initial stages, illustrative examples of what this disease leads to can be used. To do this, patients are given to read the relevant (mostly biographical) and look (fiction and popular science) on this topic.

Books

• A. Kovrigina. 38 kg. Living in 0 calorie mode.
• A. Nikolaenko. Death Diet. Stop anorexia.
• A. Terrina. Happinnes exists! The story of my struggle with ANO.
• E. Goncharova. Anorexia. The disease of modernity, or Why you shouldn't chase fashion.
• J. Wilson. Girls in pursuit of fashion.
• Justine. I stopped eating this morning.
• I. K. Kupriyanova. When is it dangerous to lose weight? Anorexia nervosa is a disease of the XXI century.
• I. Kaslik. Skinny.
• K. Panic. NRXA I love you!
• K. Reed. I'm thinner than you!
• M. Tsareva. Girl with hungry eyes.
• Porsche de Rossi. Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Growth.
• S. Sussman. Dieting.
• F. Ruse. 0%.

Films

• Anorexia (2006).
• Battle for beauty (2013).
• God help the girl (2014).
• Weight (2012).
• Hunger (2003).
• To the Bone (2017).
• Ideal Figure (1997).
• For the Love of Nancy (1994).
• When Friendship Kills (1996).
• The Bony Hand of Beauty (2012).
• Beautiful (2008).
• The best girl in the world (1981).
• First love (2004).
• Interrupted Life (2009).
• Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1998).
• Dance is dearer than life (2001).
• Thin and Thick (2017).
• Thin Life (2017).

Famous people who died of anorexia

• Ana Carolina Reston - Brazilian model, 22 years old;
• Debbie Barem - British writer, died at 26;
• Jeremy Glitzer - male model, 38;
• Isabelle Caro - French model, 28 years old;
• Karen Carpenter - American singer, 33;
• Christy Heinrich - American gymnast, 22;
• Lena Zavaroni - Scottish singer, 36 years old;
• Luisel Ramos - Uruguayan model, 22 years old;
• Mayara Galvao Vieira - Brazilian model, 14 years old;
• Peaches Geldof - British model, journalist, 25 years old;
• Hila Elmaliah - Israeli model, 34 years old;
• Eliana Ramos - Uruguayan model, 18 years old.

Anorexia over the past few years has taken its hostages to a huge number of people, most of whom are teenage girls with an unbalanced psyche. The danger is that many patients refuse to consider themselves as such and do not voluntarily go for treatment. All this ends not only with dystrophy and protein-energy deficiency - deaths with such a diagnosis have become far from uncommon. The statistics that speak of an ever-increasing number of people suffering from this syndrome make us think about the standards of beauty imposed by society, the victims of which are primarily teenagers.

Anorexia (anorexia - an - the prefix of denial, orexis - appetite) in modern society has become quite widespread artificially among young girls and women. In pursuit of beauty and the desire to look thinner, women resort to debilitating fasting, low-calorie diets, artificially induce vomiting and resort to frequent gastric lavage.

Disease Facts:

CAUSES OF ANOREXIA

Anorexia disease mainly occurs against the background of a mental disorder when trying to achieve the so-called "ideal figure", while the person does not leave the feeling that his body weight is too large for any values.

Factors affecting the development of the disease:

• body intoxication.
• Diabetes.
• Anemia.
• Alcoholism and drug addiction.
• thyrotoxicosis.
• Hormonal disruptions.
• Immunological disorders.
• depressive states.
• Disorders in the work of the endocrine system.
• Chronic kidney dysfunction.
• Diseases of the digestive tract.
• Tumors with a malignant course.
• Prolonged hyperthermia.
• Inflammatory processes in the mouth and lesions of the teeth.
• Damage to the body by helminths.
• Overdose of drugs (drugs with a high content of caffeine, sedatives, antidepressants, tranquilizers).

Among the rare, but significant factors, hereditary predisposition is additionally distinguished. The early onset of menstruation in girls and improperly selected diet during this period can also provoke the progression of this disease.

Psycho-emotional stress against the background of extremely low self-esteem often leads to the fact that a person begins to provoke the appearance of this disease with his conscious and unconscious actions.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE DISEASE

The fight against anorexia helped to identify the following forms of the disease.

By type:

• Primary - the disease is detected in adolescents against the background of hormonal disruptions, malignant neoplasms and neurological pathologies.
• Mental - the disease manifests itself against the background of complex psychiatric disorders.
• Painful mental- patients feel severe weakness when aware of the feeling of hunger in the waking state; during sleep, they may experience the so-called "wolfish appetite".
• Medicinal - arising from the use of medications during the treatment of a wide range of diseases, there is often the intentional use of therapeutic agents that block the feeling of hunger.
• Nervous - at the moment the most common type of anorexia; the disease occurs against the background of an unhealthy desire to lose weight. This type of disease develops in several stages:
  • initial- proceeds in a period of 2 to 4 years, is characterized by an obsessive search for defects in one's body;
  • anorectic- this stage is characterized by weight loss, which can be about 50%;
  • cachectic- characterized by a sharp weight loss, lack of subcutaneous fatty tissue, menstrual irregularities, dystrophic changes;
  • reduction stage- the recovery stage, at this stage the patient can both completely recover from anorexia, and go into a state of deep depression against the backdrop of gaining body weight.

SYMPTOMS

With anorexia, a person quickly loses about 15% of the initial body weight, and one of the main symptoms of the disease is a complete lack of appetite.

A person in this state constantly experiences severe weakness and gets tired for no reason, in women the menstrual cycle is significantly disrupted, while men can suffer from sexual dysfunction.

Other symptoms of anorexia:

• insomnia;
• obsessive desire to lose weight;
• over-concern with your body weight;
• problems in the definition of feelings (patients can not distinguish between hunger and sadness);
• periodic fluctuations in body weight (from 3 kilograms per month);
• unreasonable aversion to previously favorite foods;
• unhealthy craving for laxatives;
• painful muscle spasms;
• muscle atrophy;
• very narrow fat layer under the skin;
• increased fragility of nails;
• dryness and brittle hair.

When meeting people with sunken eyes and a clear blue under them, whose stomach is strongly drawn in and their ribs protrude, we can confidently say that they suffer from this ailment.

The disease can be exacerbated by tooth loss and low blood pressure. Patients are characterized by sudden mood swings and frequent fainting with loss of consciousness.

Anorexia nervosa has a number of additional symptoms that are unique to it.

Symptoms of anorexia nervosa:

• constant chills due to poor circulation in the body;
• body temperature below 36.6 degrees;
• atypical growth of vellus hair over the body;
• constant craving for increased physical activity;
• strong irritability when it is impossible to achieve the tasks;
• when choosing clothes, preference is given to overly spacious, oversized baggy things.

Patients often show unquenchable aggressiveness in defending their beliefs about their own weight, which eventually develops into agoraphobia. This process eventually leads to a feeling of loss of control over the course of one's own life.

DIAGNOSTICS

Despite the fact that such a disease as anorexia is perceived in modern society as an acceptable and acceptable state of the body, we must not forget that this is still an ailment that requires careful diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

The main method for diagnosing anorexia is to measure the body mass index. This procedure involves finding the ratio of body weight to height squared. Normal BMI values ​​are between 18.5 and 25. Anything less than 16 indicates anorexia.

Other diagnostic methods:

• Clinical analysis of urine and blood.
• Determination of hormonal levels.
• Radiography.
• Gastroscopy.
• Esophagomanometry.
• Electrocardiogram.

Diagnosis of patients with anorexia involves a mandatory examination by a psychotherapist.

TREATMENT

Patients with anorexia undergo complex treatment, which is aimed at restoring their somatic condition and gradually gaining normal body weight.

Treatment of anorexia begins with consultations with a psychotherapist, who must make the patient believe in the danger of this disease and force him to start a course of treatment. Therapeutic therapy is carried out in a hospital under the constant supervision of the attending staff.

The course of medical therapy:

• Permanent psychological help.
• Return to normal eating.
• Working on a set of healthy body weight.
• Withdrawal from depression.
• Psychotherapy with family members.
• Constant care.
• Patient support.

Medical treatment:

• Antidepressants.
• Multivitamin complexes.
• Antipsychotics.
• Antipsychotic drugs.
• Atypical neuroleptics.
• Hormonal substances.

When treating, one should take into account the fact that anorexia is a disease in which drug treatment is recommended in very limited dosages. This is due to the fact that the removal of chemicals from the body can be complicated due to the strong weakening of the body and its inability to cope with such tasks on its own.

Therapeutic nutrition begins with the intake of low-calorie foods in limited doses with a gradual increase. In severe cases of anorexia, intravenous administration of nutrients into the body is allowed.

DANGEROUS COMPLICATIONS

The main complications that this disease leads to:

• disorders in the work of the cardiovascular system;
• severe swelling of the extremities due to a lack of proteins in the body;
• malfunctions of the digestive system;
• increased bone fragility, frequent fractures;
• a decrease in brain mass, irreversible disturbances in its work;
• severe prolonged depression, "losing yourself", pre-suicidal mood;
• disrupted work of the endocrine system;
• loss of reproductive function;
• hypovitaminosis.

Anorexia is the cause of most suicides among adolescents.

Cases have been recorded when those who recovered from anorexia began to eat heavily, which eventually led to the development of another disease - bulimia.

PREVENTION OF ANOREXIA

Considering that during anorexia the body is subjected to extremely high loads, and the treatment process does not end in recovery in all cases, persons prone to illness are advised to follow a set of preventive measures aimed at avoiding serious manifestations of this disease.

Preventive measures:

• regular consultations with a psychotherapist;
• balanced food, high nutrition culture;
• avoidance of severe stress;
• any diet should be coordinated with a nutritionist;
• moderate alcohol consumption, complete cessation of smoking and drug use.

PROGNOSIS FOR RECOVERY

Taking into account the fact that a dangerous mental disorder is hidden behind the disease, the prognosis for recovery is not entirely favorable. Quite often, patients experience relapses of the disease, which can lead to death. Patients must be aware of what anorexia is, what exactly is its danger, in order to successfully fight the disease.

With a favorable psychological atmosphere created by loved ones, the chances of a full recovery and the absence of relapses in the future are very high.

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