Anorexia. Causes, diagnosis and effective treatment of the disease. Symptoms of the onset of anorexia and stages of development of the disease

Anorexia is a disease associated with the human psyche. It is expressed in behavioral disturbances regarding food intake. A person consciously refuses food in order to lose weight.

With anorexia, the perception of one's body is distorted: the patient thinks that he is fat even when his weight reaches a critical level. This leads to further weight loss.

The beginning of development can be psychological trauma, stress, and an inferiority complex.

Which category of people is most at risk of getting sick?

Most often, the disease appears in young girls aged 14 to 18 years. They develop a neuropsychic type of anorexia. The disease can be observed much less frequently in women, men and children. They do not admit to serious violations.

In addition to people who deliberately refuse food in order to lose weight, there is another category - loss of appetite, leading to exhaustion. Such development usually indicates a malfunction in the body.

What can trigger the disease:

Metabolic problems, lack of hormones;
Appendicitis, gastritis, cirrhosis and other diseases of the digestive system;
Diseases of the genitourinary system;
Various tumors;
Poor oral hygiene, high fever.

Anorexia can also occur in young children. This is due to the fact that parents violate the feeding schedule or force the child to eat when he does not want to.

Another category of people at risk are those who like to abuse drugs for weight loss or drugs that suppress the body’s vital functions, antibiotics. In this case, anorexia may occur unknowingly during treatment for a disease or consciously while trying to lose weight.

In the absence of appetite and loss of hunger, primary anorexia occurs.

The mental type of the disease is characterized by voluntary refusal to eat, lack of hunger against the background of depressive states.

Anorexia nervosa affects people who want to lose weight as quickly and as strongly as possible. The patient limits himself to food intake, as a result of which hunger is completely lost.

It is very difficult to identify anorexia at the very first stage, since almost all the inherent symptoms can be observed separately in each person.

The most important problem in identifying a disease is denying its presence. Anorexics do not believe that they are sick with anything and that they have problems that require immediate treatment.

Nowadays it is fashionable to be slim with a good figure and low weight. This leads to infringement physiological needs body in what it needs nutrients oh and vitamins. Awareness of the disease comes only when a critical point is reached.

Despite all the difficulties, it is possible to identify the disease at an early stage of development if you carefully monitor the person. First, the behavior changes and only after a while the weight begins to rapidly fall.

Behavioral signs of the first stage:

Similar behavior can manifest itself in anyone who wants to lose weight, so in addition to the above signs, there are also physiological manifestations.

Physiological symptoms of stage 1:

Rapid weight loss in a short period of time. From 20% of total body weight;
Feeling unwell, especially dizziness;
Having stomach problems;
Poor condition of skin, hair and nails;
Stopping menstruation.

If any similar symptoms you should consult a doctor immediately.

Differences in symptoms of the disease in women, adolescents and children

How do women get sick?

In women, signs of the disease appear against the background of fear of weight gain. Even extra pounds no, it occurs psychological disorder. As a result, an obsessive desire to lose weight appears, which can lead to irreversible consequences. In some cases, even medicine is powerless.

The most dangerous category is women under the age of 25-27 who have problems with personal life. If it is impossible to somehow influence the situation and correct mistakes, the woman switches to her appearance, which she can change.

Teenagers are a category of people particularly susceptible to anorexia. IN adolescence all problems and failures are perceived very painfully. Parents need to pay enough attention to their children to avoid complications such as anorexia.

Symptoms in children

In very young children, under one year of age, it is very easy to notice signs of anorexia. They openly show their aversion to food. The baby may be capricious, whine, and burp.

The child may also try to spit out food, turn away, or not swallow food.

Of course, in addition to illness, this behavior may be due to taste perception, but in any case, it is worth carefully observing your baby’s behavior.

In children preschool age parents rarely notice initial stage diseases. It all starts with signs of malnutrition: dizziness, itchy skin, constipation.

A child can independently induce vomiting, be hungry, but completely refuse food without explanation. Anorexia can occur due to stress. For example, parental divorce or problems in the children's team.

Schoolchildren, especially girls, are exposed to the disease due to modern fashion and the influence of mass media promoting thinness, model appearance, diets.

The essence of the problem is dissatisfaction with one's appearance. The child thinks that he is fat and does not meet the made-up standards. He does not dare to admit his problems to anyone, which leads to hunger strikes and taking laxatives.

Sometimes, even after necessary treatment disturbances in the eating reflex remain: there is no appetite, food causes vomiting.

Consequences of anorexia

By subjecting their body to starvation, people do not think about how bad it is for the internal organs.

Heart

Blood flow slows down and blood pressure drops. The amount of useful minerals in the blood decreases. All this can lead to electrolyte imbalance, arrhythmia and complete cardiac arrest.

Hormones

Levels of stress hormones increase, while levels of growth and thyroid hormones decrease. There are fewer hormones reproductive system. Interruptions in menstruation or its complete absence. In very advanced states it is impossible to restore it.

Bones

A lack of calcium leads to a decrease in bone mass, and mineral density drops below normal.

Digestion

All digestion processes slow down and energy saving mode is activated. Appear unpleasant symptoms: bloating, constipation.

Nervous system

In some severe cases Nerves are damaged, convulsions and numbness of the limbs appear. As well as thinking disorders.

Blood

Low levels of incoming nutrients lead to anemia.

In addition to all of the above, liver problems, dehydration, weakness, and fainting may occur.

Treatment of the disease

Due to the fact that patients with anorexia deny the presence of problems until the last moment, treatment begins when the patient is already brought to the hospital to stabilize the condition. There are cases that ambulance called when a person is already dying.

The patient is started to be fed through a drip, while at the same time trying to eliminate the cause of the disease and the complications that have arisen with the help of medications. After the condition has stabilized, a course of psychotherapy and a consultation with a nutritionist are prescribed.

A nutritionist talks about the first signs of anorexia in the following video:

Anorexia – dangerous disease which can lead to death. A person affected by this disease is usually unable to cope with the problem on his own. Therefore, it is very important that loved ones react in time and begin treatment before irreversible processes begin in the body.

In contact with

Many female representatives perceive weight loss as a certain factor in their success and willpower. It is important to understand the main signs of anorexia in order to be able to detect this disease in time.

In the last 30-40 years, the “fashion model disease” has become so widespread that doctors were forced to sound the alarm. The signs of anorexia in women began to be devoted to scientific works in the field of medicine and healthy nutrition.

First of all, it is worth talking about the fact that anorexia nervosa in adolescents and adults, as a disease, is associated with eating disorders. But this is only a physiological manifestation of the disease. In fact, there is a deeper concept of “anorexia nervosa”, which is associated with mental disorders. The first signs of anorexia are usually associated with a pathological desire to lose weight and associated fears of obesity.

The reasons for all this may lie in the upbringing of a teenager, the lifestyle of his parents, family attitudes, in particular. As a result, the girl gets the wrong idea about possible weight gain and the difficulties associated with it.

At the same time, experts identify 3 factors that form anorexia as a disease and lifestyle:

Psychological, which is associated with the influence of upbringing and conflicts within the teenager himself.
Biological, associated with predisposition at the gene level.
Social– imitation, influence of environment, profession, etc.

Who is at risk?

Weight loss, as an apparent solution to the situation, can be achieved through strict diets and food restrictions, which are complemented by intense physical activity. Or another way of losing weight is possible, which consists of all kinds of cleansing procedures, such as therapeutic enemas and gastric lavages, and forced vomiting.

Signs of anorexia in Western developed countries are recorded in 2% of girls aged 12-24 years. Most often, anorexia begins to manifest itself in adolescents, and the above age limit is a risk group for girls in 90% of cases. More mature women and men make up the remaining 10% of patients.

How does the weight loss disease anorexia manifest itself?

The main symptoms of anorexia most often include the following:

permanent interest in losing weight, regardless of existing indicators;
a persistent feeling of completeness, constant soul-searching;
presence panic fear regarding weight gain;
sleep and routine disturbances;
habit of eating small portions;
self-isolation from society.

To much more serious violations leads to chronic anorexia, the symptoms of which already look like irregularities in the female menstrual cycle, muscle weakness and spasms, arrhythmia, dizziness. From an emotional point of view, irritability and resentment towards others increases, and unreasonable anger arises.

Social reasons for the demand for thin people

The treatment of this disease must be approached with the utmost responsibility, since in this case we are not just talking about weight loss. In almost all cases, the intervention of a psychiatrist or psychologist will be required, who can determine accurate diagnosis diseases. The nervous type of the disease requires psychological support from the patient’s relatives and family members.

Speaking about anorexia, the signs of which have long been successfully identified in the West, it should be said that it is especially common to encounter indecent skinny girls and women among models of various fashion shows. The existing model images have made the rest of humanity hostage to the situation, because in recent decades beauty and thinness are synonymous. At first, the symptoms of anorexia may resemble the behavior of a typical woman on a diet.

In nature, it so happens that only a small proportion of women meet such standards of beauty and fashion. Therefore, the pages of magazines and websites are simply full of a huge amount diets and diets for weight loss. At the same time, many representatives use not always harmless tools in pursuit of extra lost pounds. There is even less understanding about the value of one’s own health among adolescents, but many cases begin to be recorded precisely at this age.

What should relatives pay attention to?

Since the patients themselves in many cases prefer not to notice that they have this problem, the first signs of anorexia have to be identified by their close people. The first alarming symptom is a dramatic and significant weight loss in a relatively short period of time. At the same time, at first it may look from the outside like a completely harmless diet, until the condition reaches a critical point.

Another important sign– this is a loss of appetite or a significant decrease in the volume of portions eaten by the patient. This is especially true for the nervous type of the disease.

Sometimes a girl or teenager can explain the refusal to eat due to a physiological condition, such as stomach pain, fatigue, and so on. At the same time, such a person can dream about food every second, talk for a long time on topics related to food intake, discuss recipes, calories, and so on.

Once anorexia nervosa or another form of anorexia progresses, the patient's condition will gradually worsen. This can be seen in a number of clinical symptoms in the functioning of the main systems of the body.

This is expressed in a decrease in vitality and general fatigue, which was not there before. Loss of energy can occur after doing normal everyday things, such as taking a shower or washing dishes. It is not surprising if you understand the reasons for what is happening, because the body spends its energy reserves on this, which is practically not replenished. Additionally, all this is accompanied by periodic fainting and drowsiness.

External changes of the patient

The condition of the nails changes, hairline, skin of various parts of the body. These may also be signs that deserve the attention of others. Thus, hair often loses its shine and thickness, undergoes split ends, and becomes brittle. Lack of food automatically leads to a deficiency of essential minerals and vitamin complexes.

Similar symptoms appear in the appearance of nails. Often, a patient with anorexia becomes pale in complexion, and characteristic circles or bags appear under the eyes. Often this disease causes problems with health and kidney function.

Long-term deprivation of adequate amounts of nutrients leads to changes menstrual cycle. This is also related to the general mental state women.

The lack of nutrients and minerals for the body during anorexia acts as a real stress, and therefore its reactions can be completely different. Some of them are difficult to predict even for treating specialists. In some cases, problems of the gastrointestinal tract are observed, in others there are neurological disorders, malfunctions of the thyroid gland and even cancer.

Anorexia is a mental illness that manifests itself in disturbances eating behavior, in which a person deliberately strictly limits himself to food. Such a restriction occurs, and sometimes even a refusal of food, against the background of the anorexic patient’s distorted idea of own body(figure, weight) and persistent desire to lose weight by any means.

With anorexia, a person often strives not to achieve a certain weight, but to external manifestation The result is a reduction in the volume of the figure. The goal can be pursued both through restriction (fasting) and through purging (taking an emetic, laxative, etc.).

Mostly women aged 14-25 years are susceptible to the disease, less often - women aged 30-35 years. Also in Lately, among patients, males are increasingly being observed. Most often, the disease anorexia develops during hormonal imbalances or experiencing stressful situations.

Types of anorexia, depending on the causes of its occurrence:

nervous;
symptomatic;
mental;
medicinal.

The most common type of anorexia is nervosa. The most rare type is mental anorexia.

Causes

Each type of disease develops as a result of various reasons. Mental anorexia is a consequence of a mental illness such as schizophrenia, paranoia or depression. The reasons for the development of other forms of the disease may be physiological and psychological factors. Physiological factors are mainly responsible for the development of symptomatic and drug-induced anorexia. Physiological reasons developments of anorexia include:

disruption of brain hormone levels (decreased serotonin, norepinephrine and increased cortisol);
development somatic diseases organs;
abuse medicines mainly antidepressants.

The psychological causes of the disease anorexia give rise to its most common form - nervous. These include:

desire to control your life;
the desire to meet the demands of the surrounding world;
perfectionism;
inferiority complex instilled in early age as a result of improper upbringing;
psychological trauma;
physical or sexual violence.

Anorexia appears under the influence of own aspiration patient towards ideals, and the provocation of this desire by others.

Symptoms and signs of anorexia

The patient himself does not recognize the existence of the problem and hides the disease from himself and others. However, anorexia can be identified based on a number of signs. Symptoms of anorexia can manifest themselves in both physical and behavioral signs.

TO physical signs anorexia include:

permanent and significant reduction in body weight;
dry irritated skin, brittle hair and nails;
bloating, digestive problems;
dizziness, fainting;
deterioration of brain function - absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, slow reaction speed;
menstrual irregularities;
sexual dysfunction.

Often, in order to hide the manifestation of the disease, anorexic patients may wear baggy clothes. Digestive, skin or menstrual problems, as well as weight loss, can be explained past illness. In this case, it is worth paying close attention to the patient’s behavior. Add to list behavioral signs anorexia includes:

dissatisfaction with one’s weight, although it may be within or below normal;
constant diet, calculation of calories and foods that should not be eaten;
control of weight indicators - weighing at least 2-3 times a day;
reading all food labels;
refusal to eat under various pretexts (“I just had lunch”, “I don’t feel well”, etc.);
refusal to eat in public places;
getting pleasure from the feeling of hunger;
special ways of eating (food is chewed and not swallowed, cleansing the body after eating);
isolation, loss of sociability;
heavy physical activity after every meal.

The first physiological symptoms of anorexia manifest themselves in the form of significant weight loss (not due to illness) over a short period and deterioration in well-being (dizziness). An alarming signal is weight loss of 20% of body weight.

At what exact weight anorexia begins is determined individually for each person. To do this, it is enough to calculate the body mass index, which is defined as the ratio of weight in kilograms to height in meters squared (55 kg / 1.702 m = 19.03). The norm is a body mass index in the range from 18.5 to 25, the critical indicator is at 17.5. It is not difficult to calculate how many kilograms anorexia begins at; it is enough to know your height and understand that the disease develops at a body mass index of 17.5 and below.

In order to understand how anorexia begins, you need to understand the mental nature and causes of the disease. In some cases, anorexia can be instilled in a child who is constantly reproached for not being slim enough. And later, already at a conscious age, such a person may find himself in a similar stressful situation, which will give impetus to the development of the disease.

Often, the first symptoms of anorexia appear in the behavior and appearance of the patient as a result of experiencing a stressful period or in an attempt to take control of their life. In search of distraction or a goal of control, patients choose their own weight. Changing it for the “better” gives you a feeling of control over one of the areas of your life, brings confidence and satisfaction in the form of the opportunity to wear clothes in smaller sizes.

Stages of the disease

There are three stages anorexia nervosa: primary, anorectic, cachectic. During the primary stage of the disease, anorexia, the symptoms of its development consist in the active expression of dissatisfaction with one’s body and the intention to correct it. The first signs of the disease also appear in the form of the patient’s aversion to food and refusal to eat.

The anorectic stage is characterized by the fact that the disease enters the active phase. The patient begins to actively lose weight, losing from 20% to 50% of his body weight. Are used in this case different ways. The most common form in which anorexia manifests itself in the second stage is bulimia - eating food and immediately provoking vomiting.

Signs of the disease anorexia in the third, cachectic stage are manifested in uncontrolled weight loss, organ dystrophy, problems with cardiovascular, circulatory systems ami. Getting worse general state body. This is the most dangerous stage a disease that is difficult to cope with. In some cases, anorexia in the third stage of development can be fatal.

Treatment

If signs of disease development are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor. Depending on the symptoms of anorexia, treatment will vary.

The first and main step on the path to recovery is the recognition by the patient himself that he has anorexia and the manifestation of a desire to fight it. Depending on the stage of the disease, treatment may include: medication, psychological assistance, and dietary nutrition.

On early stages illnesses, anorexics with the help of psychological methods will help to understand the problem, re-evaluate ideals and life goals, and form a new attitude towards oneself and one’s body. Dietary nutrition is based on a gradual increase in portions, the number of meals and the inclusion of more foods in the diet. The main goal of treatment in the first and second stages of anorexia is to normalize the body’s weight, metabolism and establish harmony between the patient and his body.

Most often, treatment for anorexia takes place on an outpatient basis with the support of the patient’s loved ones. The exceptions are a categorical refusal necessary techniques food, the patient’s suicidal mood and the third stage of the disease. Often in such cases, there is a need parenteral nutrition anorexia (administration of nutrients intravenously).

In the third stage of anorexia, the goals of treatment include restoring the functioning of organs, gaining weight to a level above the critically low level, correcting internal attitudes and seeing oneself as sick. On average, the duration of such treatment can be from three to eight months, and about 1.5 years for a full course of recovery from anorexia.

Diet for anorexia

A disease such as anorexia begins with diet and is treated with it. The only difference is that, in contrast to the strict restrictions that provoked the disease, dietary nutrition in the treatment of anorexia must be balanced and clearly calculated, because Too large a portion or excessive restriction can lead to loss of the achieved result. Depending on the individual indicators of each patient, a professional nutritionist prescribes a nutrition menu for anorexia.

However, at home, for nutrition in the early stages of anorexia, you can create a menu yourself, guided by the principles of treating the disease. The basis of dietary nutrition in the case of this disease is the gradual restoration of body weight. Therefore, for a menu for anorexia, a high-calorie diet with a gradual introduction of complex foods into the diet is ideal.

To gain weight, nutrition for anorexia should consist of the following steps:

the first week - resumption of regular meals, liquid and semi-liquid low-calorie meals in small portions (mild soups, broths, cereals, purees);
second week - elements of a raw food diet (apple and carrot purees, berries, bananas) are added to the menu for anorexia;
third week - low-fat boiled fish appears on the menu, chopped meat can be added to the broth, porridge can be cooked in milk, freshly squeezed fruit (except citrus) and vegetable juices with added water are consumed;
fourth week - if the stomach accepts all the introduced dishes favorably, you can add vegetable salads, bread, boiled meat, some spices.

Eating with anorexia must be very careful to avoid the stomach from rejecting food. If such rejection occurs, the diet is resumed from the diet of the second week.

Anorexia drugs

The list of necessary medications for anorexia includes antidepressants and mild antipsychotics. The patient is prescribed a number of drugs to calm nervous system and improve appetite, as well as vitamin complexes(vitamin B12, vitamin C, iron, calcium) helping to restore metabolism and normal body weight. Anti-anorexia pills that increase appetite include Elenium, Frenolone, etc.

Psychotherapy and dietary nutrition will help consolidate the effect of treating anorexia with pills and vitamins. Psychotherapeutic treatment methods will help eradicate the disease in the patient’s mind. Diet food, will allow you to gradually return to a normal diet.

Anorexia in men

First of all, anorexia develops in young boys at the age of puberty. During this period, all the complexes and pain points of a young man are most aggravated. Close attention is paid to appearance and its compliance with modern standards of beauty. It is often at this age that psychological traumas received in childhood due to excess weight from peers and parents.

Anorexia also occurs in men who play sports professionally or are involved in modeling and show business. In such areas of activity, excess weight can cause job loss. For them, anorexia plays the role of a panacea for unwanted pounds.

An anorexic patient (especially a man) will not admit the existence of a problem. He considers the unnatural thinness of the body to be an achievement of the goal. Because of this feature, it is rarely possible to diagnose the disease in the early stages. Outwardly, it becomes noticeable after 2-3 years of development, when the body is exhausted.

Pregnancy with anorexia

Pregnancy and anorexia are incompatible processes. The development of such an eating disorder during pregnancy can lead to irreversible consequences: miscarriage, the birth of a handicapped child, the birth of a child with serious illnesses.

When unplanned pregnancy with anorexia, the patient must immediately inform doctors about her illness if she wants to save the child’s life. In this case, with constant supervision by specialists, the chances of a successful pregnancy are high.

If a woman with anorexia is planning her pregnancy, she also cannot do without the help of doctors. Since a healthy balance of hormones in the body is necessary for conceiving a fetus, the first thing to do is to restore menstruation after anorexia. For normal conception and pregnancy, the level of the female hormone estrogen and the condition of the mother’s entire body must be normal. That is why it is important to completely cure anorexia in the early stages, in order to avoid irreversible consequences. Then it will be possible to lead normal life healthy person.

Consequences of anorexia

Anorexia is dangerous because, by limiting the amount of nutrients entering the body, it negatively affects all organs and systems. Dehydration of the body leads to deterioration general well-being, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, kidney problems (renal failure).

Exhaustion of the body negatively affects the functioning of the brain - a patient with anorexia is not able to quickly make decisions, is inhibited in reaction, and is forgetful. The attitude of such a person to various kinds of life situations also changes. He is not always able to respond adequately to stressful situations or jokes. Preoccupation with diet destroys all other interests and leads to loss of friends and communication.

The impact of anorexia on the oral cavity is reflected in disease and tooth decay. The disease leaves its traces primarily in the gastrointestinal tract. They manifest themselves in gastritis, stomach ulcers, bloating and intestinal problems.

With constant fasting, diseases of the cardiovascular and circulatory systems develop. Anorexia causes blood anemia, arrhythmia, and can lead to cardiac arrest. Often with a disease such as anorexia, patients have diabetes mellitus.

As a result of the disease, the hormonal balance in organism. This leads to serious disturbances in the menstrual cycle in women, including infertility. High levels of cortisol (stress hormone) and decreased levels of calcium in the blood lead to a decrease in skeletal bone density, resulting in the development of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

It is important to remember that by contacting doctors in the early stages of the disease, most of the consequences can be avoided or reversed. This will allow you to lead a normal life after recovery from anorexia, without serious health problems. That is why it is necessary to pay attention to the signs of the disease in time and take the necessary measures.

Anorexia is a mental illness that manifests itself in eating disorders, in which a person deliberately strictly limits himself to food. Such restriction occurs, and sometimes even refusal of food, against the background of a distorted image of the anorexic patient about his own body (figure, weight) and a persistent desire to lose weight by any means.

With anorexia, a person often strives not to achieve a certain weight, but to the external manifestation of the result - a decrease in the volume of the figure. The goal can be pursued both through restriction (fasting) and through purging (taking an emetic, laxative, etc.).

Mostly women aged 14-25 years are susceptible to the disease, less often - women aged 30-35 years. Also, recently, males are increasingly being observed among patients. Most often, anorexia develops during periods of hormonal imbalances or stressful situations.

Types of anorexia, depending on the causes of its occurrence:

nervous;
symptomatic;
mental;
medicinal.

The most common type of anorexia is nervosa. The most rare type is mental anorexia.

Causes

Each type of disease develops as a result of different reasons. Mental anorexia is a consequence of a mental illness such as schizophrenia, paranoia or depression. The causes of the development of other forms of the disease may be physiological and psychological factors. Physiological factors are mainly responsible for the development of symptomatic and drug-induced anorexia. Physiological causes of anorexia include:

disruption of brain hormone levels (decreased serotonin, norepinephrine and increased cortisol);
development of somatic diseases of organs;
drug abuse, mainly antidepressants.

The psychological causes of the disease anorexia give rise to its most common form - nervous. These include:

desire to control your life;
the desire to meet the demands of the surrounding world;
perfectionism;
an inferiority complex instilled at an early age as a result of improper upbringing;
psychological trauma;
physical or sexual violence.

Anorexia appears under the influence of both the patient’s own desire for ideals and the provocation of this desire by others.

Symptoms and signs of anorexia

Physical signs of anorexia include:

permanent and significant reduction in body weight;
dry irritated skin, brittle hair and nails;
bloating, digestive problems;
dizziness, fainting;
deterioration of brain function - absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, slow reaction speed;
menstrual irregularities;
sexual dysfunction.

Often, in order to hide the manifestation of the disease, anorexic patients may wear baggy clothes. Problems with digestion, skin or menstruation, as well as weight loss, can be explained by a previous illness. In this case, it is worth paying close attention to the patient’s behavior. The list of behavioral signs of anorexia includes:

dissatisfaction with one’s weight, although it may be within or below normal;
constant diet, calculation of calories and foods that should not be eaten;
control of weight indicators - weighing at least 2-3 times a day;
reading all food labels;
refusal to eat under various pretexts (“I just had lunch”, “I don’t feel well”, etc.);
refusal to eat in public places;
getting pleasure from the feeling of hunger;
special ways of eating (food is chewed and not swallowed, cleansing the body after eating);
isolation, loss of sociability;
heavy physical activity after every meal.

Stages of the disease

There are three stages of anorexia nervosa: primary, anorectic, cachectic. During the primary stage of the disease, anorexia, the symptoms of its development consist in the active expression of dissatisfaction with one’s body and the intention to correct it. The first signs of the disease also appear in the form of the patient’s aversion to food and refusal to eat.

The anorectic stage is characterized by the fact that the disease enters the active phase. The patient begins to actively lose weight, losing from 20% to 50% of his body weight. Various methods are used for this. The most common form in which anorexia manifests itself in the second stage is bulimia - eating food and immediately provoking vomiting.

Signs of the disease anorexia in the third, cachectic stage are manifested in uncontrolled weight loss, organ dystrophy, problems with the cardiovascular and circulatory systems. The general condition of the body worsens. This is the most dangerous stage of the disease, which is difficult to cope with. In some cases, anorexia in the third stage of development can be fatal.

Treatment

If signs of disease development are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor. Depending on the symptoms of anorexia, treatment will vary.

In the early stages of the disease, with the help of psychological methods, anorexics will be helped to understand the problem, re-evaluate ideals and life goals, and form a new attitude towards themselves and their body. Dietary nutrition is based on a gradual increase in portions, the number of meals and the inclusion of more foods in the diet. The main goal of treatment in the first and second stages of anorexia is to normalize the body’s weight, metabolism and establish harmony between the patient and his body.

Most often, treatment for anorexia takes place on an outpatient basis with the support of the patient’s loved ones. Exceptions include categorical refusal of necessary meals, suicidal tendencies of the patient and the third stage of the disease. Often in such cases, there is a need for parenteral nutrition for an anorexic (intravenous administration of nutrients).

Diet for anorexia

To gain weight, nutrition for anorexia should consist of the following steps:

the first week - resumption of regular meals, liquid and semi-liquid low-calorie meals in small portions (mild soups, broths, cereals, purees);
second week - elements of a raw food diet (apple and carrot purees, berries, bananas) are added to the menu for anorexia;
third week - low-fat boiled fish appears on the menu, chopped meat can be added to the broth, porridge can be cooked in milk, freshly squeezed fruit (except citrus) and vegetable juices with added water are consumed;
fourth week - if the stomach accepts all the introduced dishes favorably, you can add vegetable salads, bread, boiled meat, and some spices.

Eating with anorexia must be very careful to avoid the stomach from rejecting food. If such rejection occurs, the diet is resumed from the diet of the second week.

Anorexia drugs

The list of necessary medications for anorexia includes antidepressants and mild antipsychotics. The patient is prescribed a number of drugs that calm the nervous system and improve appetite, as well as vitamin complexes (vitamin B12, vitamin C, iron, calcium) that help restore metabolism and normal body weight. Anti-anorexia pills that increase appetite include Elenium, Frenolone, etc.

Psychotherapy and dietary nutrition will help consolidate the effect of treating anorexia with pills and vitamins. Psychotherapeutic treatment methods will help eradicate the disease in the patient’s mind. Dietary nutrition will allow you to gradually return to a normal diet.

Anorexia in men

First of all, anorexia develops in young boys at the age of puberty. During this period, all the complexes and pain points of a young man are most aggravated. Close attention is paid to appearance and its compliance with modern standards of beauty. It is often at this age that psychological trauma received in childhood due to excess weight from peers and parents “resurfaces.”

Pregnancy with anorexia

In the event of an unplanned pregnancy with anorexia, the patient must immediately inform doctors about her illness if she wants to save the life of the child. In this case, with constant supervision by specialists, the chances of a successful pregnancy are high.

Consequences of anorexia

Anorexia is dangerous because, by limiting the amount of nutrients entering the body, it negatively affects all organs and systems. Dehydration of the body leads to a deterioration in overall health, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, and kidney problems (renal failure).

As a result of the disease, the hormonal balance in the body is disrupted. This leads to serious disturbances in the menstrual cycle in women, including infertility. High levels of cortisol (stress hormone) and decreased levels of calcium in the blood lead to a decrease in skeletal bone density, resulting in the development of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Today one of serious illnesses, which worries specialists various fields activities, including medicine, psychology, sociology, is anorexia.

The topic really worries many, making them worry about the future of their children and the mental health of society as a whole.

Today we will talk about this disease: what it is, what its first signs are, what parents who are faced with a similar problem should pay attention to.

Scale of the problem

Let's look at the statistics to see the scale of the problem:

For every 100 girls from developed countries, two suffer from anorexia;
in the USA, out of 5 million suffering girls, every 7th dies;
27% of girls aged 11-17 years in Germany are classified as anorexic;
The risk of anorexia in a family where there is a patient increases 8 times.

There are no statistics for Russia and Ukraine, but the hasty adoption of Western standards signals a negative outlook.

What is anorexia

Anorexia is a type of eating disorder. It involves a conscious, sustainable, purposeful desire to lose weight.

The result of this is complete exhaustion of the body (cachexia), with possible death.

Anorexia is the most difficult phenomenon to define, in which physical and mental disorders, many researchers have been trying to find the root cause of the disease throughout for long years. This disease should not be confused with, there are differences between them.

It is important not to confuse concepts and not to generalize this disease with the desire of mentally healthy people to lose a couple of extra pounds in adequate ways.

The diagnosis of anorexia informs that the topic of losing weight occupies a dominant position in the worldview of an individual, all of whose activities are aimed at achieving the goal of “losing weight in any way.”

As a rule, there is no need to talk about achieving perfection; only death can “calm down” a potential patient if the necessary measures are not taken.

This disorder (condition, disease), understand it as you wish, is common among puberty girls.

However, cases of the disease have been reported in older women and men, which will be discussed below.

Case history, first mention of anorexia

Schematically, several characteristic stages in the study of anorexia can be distinguished:

Late 19th – early 20th centuries. The phenomenon of schizophrenia attracted the attention of medicine and it was suggested that anorexia was one of the first signs of this disease.
1914 - anorexia was defined within the framework endocrine disease, was determined by her close connection with Simmonds' disease (hormonal imbalances in the brain structures).
30 - 40s of the 20th century. It was decided to consider anorexia as a psychiatric disease. However, there is still no clearly developed theory that would explain the reasons that trigger the mechanism for the development of the disease.

IN last years The problem of anorexia in teenage girls is becoming increasingly common, and researchers report that the number of reported cases would be higher if patients with a mild form of the disease, which is no less dangerous, were treated at clinics.

To say that anorexia is exclusively female disease it would be incorrect. By 1970, the literature described 246 specifically male cases.

In the male version, the nature of the disease is somewhat different.

In most cases, the patient turns out to have a schizophrenic relative, and the anorexia itself developing in the man’s body triggered the mechanism of schizophrenic illness, often with crazy ideas.

Consequences of the disease in men:

decreased activity;
autism (withdrawal);
rude attitude towards loved ones;
alcoholism;
photograph symptom (patients stubbornly refuse to be photographed, even for a passport, because of their defect);
disturbances in thinking are observed (there is an obvious inexplicable slipping from topic to topic).

Usually in childhood such boys were plump, in physical development lagged behind their peers, for which the latter reproached them.

They were overly fixated on thoughts about their excess fatness and took action.

Predisposition to disease

Here we will consider at what age there is a greater predisposition to the disease in girls and women, the problems of anorexia in girls in adolescence.

In most cases, the disease affects girls who are going through puberty.

This puberty period covers the age from 12-16 years in girls and from 13-17 (18) years in boys.

Peculiarity puberty, regardless of gender, is characterized by the fact that the teenager’s attention is focused on his appearance.

During this period a lot happens physiological processes that violate the harmony of appearance.

At the same time, the psyche of this period directs the teenager’s thoughts into the sphere of self-knowledge, the development of self-esteem in connection with the opinions of others.

At this stage, adolescents are very sensitive to third-party assessments and statements in their direction from the reference group of people. That is, people who are of significant importance in the child’s perception, and whose opinion is very significant for them.

Accordingly, a careless joke can give rise to a teenager’s enormous worries about his own significance, reasonableness, and attractiveness.

Since girls are more susceptible to the topic of appearance, they are hostages of self-depleting ideas.

At the same time, the girl perceives slight excess weight either on an exaggerated scale or completely far-fetchedly, and as a result, painful thoughts fill all the hours that could be occupied with developmental activities.

The perception of her body changes dramatically - a girl weighing 38 kilograms “really” feels like 80 of herself.

Naturally, no arguments from loved ones can change this. A mirror reflecting what the girl thinks is an ugly body becomes her worst enemy.

Many researchers agree on the idea that the prerequisite for the development of thoughts about one’s own “ugliness” in a child is formed by parents in early childhood.

When food becomes the main instrument of reward/punishment, the girl develops the idea that food is a kind of trophy that she can reward herself with in the future.

However social standards, with whom parents also agree, do not welcome “fat” people. The child cannot understand this duality and, feeling guilty, seeks ways to resolve this already intrapersonal conflict.

General risk factors

Considering anorexia as a disease that has worsened in the 21st century, several important socio-cultural points should be noted.

1. The influence of Western canons of beauty.

Mostly teenage girls, who have not decided on the image in which they want to present themselves to others, strive to find a suitable format.

Opening the magazine, looking up at the billboard, the teenager sees an emaciated beautiful girl, which is admired by many and makes a decision.

Just who would have told her that the model is also a hostage to the life situation.

2. Accelerated emancipation of women.

Appearance A girl who wants to occupy leadership positions in the future must still correspond to society’s formed ideas about a leader.

The female version of this image today includes: a fit, somewhat emaciated figure, appropriate condition of the skin of the face and hair, high-quality appropriate makeup, a consistent style of clothing and behavior.

3. Economic and cultural level of development of the country.

Anorexia is a disease of developed countries. The starving countries of Africa do not know such a problem, since the thoughts of these people are occupied with everyday issues:

how to earn more money;
how to feed yourself and your family.

And not to think that I should (should) conform to something or, even worse, refuse food that is already on the table. Such people are more down to earth and, probably, this is their salvation.

Determining risk factors

Now we move on to the more determining factors of anorexia: family microclimate and special personal characteristics that predispose a girl to this state of the body.

Childhood experiences in a person's life have a dominant influence throughout life.

Many researchers and practitioners agree that many mental illnesses are the result of a dysfunctional family situation, including schizophrenia, neurotic disorders, and depressive-manic predisposition.

Anorexia is no exception. Without insisting on the truth of the descriptions of family members of anorexic girls, through long studies of patients, the following characteristics of their parents were revealed.

The mother of such a girl is usually despotic, with her dominant position she deprives the child of all initiative and constantly suppresses his will.

Usually such women hide their desire for self-affirmation behind their hyper-concern. They, having not realized themselves in their time, try to make up for lost time at the expense of their family members.

At the same time, they have sufficient energy reserve and the emotional power that has such a terrifying effect on the “victims”.

The spouses of such wives, respectively the fathers of the girls, play secondary roles.

They usually have passive characteristics:

not active;
lack of sociability;
gloominess.

Some researchers define them as “tyrants.” However, there are also oppressive fathers, as part of this disease, who play an overly active role in the child’s life and his treatment system.

In conclusion of this subsection, it must be said that often a child, seeing an unfavorable situation in the family, from childhood tries with everything possible ways normalize relations between parents.

Often this method is “the child going into illness.” According to the logic of a child’s still immature consciousness, parents will become one team in saving their child, they will forget grievances and complaints against each other, help the child and ultimately become a happy family.

In some families that reject both their own feelings and the experiences of other family members, food for the child becomes the main means of communication with parents, in particular with the mother, where love and respect can be expressed through an empty plate. Sad.

It seems very cruel to bring a child to such a selfless decision, because experience shows that family problems only get worse.

Girls as the main risk factor

It's time for analysis main character- girls with anorexia.

What special qualities do they possess, what disorders characterized their childhood, what social status do they generally occupy?

From a psychological point of view, such a girl is endowed with the following characteristics:

obsessions with exaggerating one's own abilities;
emotional immaturity;
high degree suggestibility;
dependence on parents;
hypersensitivity;
touchiness;
there is no desire for independence.

There is an opinion that anorexia is a “disease of excellent students.” Indeed, often such girls are very obedient, impetuous, and lack the spirit of rebellion.

By personal characteristics Girls prone to anorexia can be divided into three types:

Too sensitive, with a predominance of anxious, suspicious thoughts;
Girls with hysterical reactions;
Purposeful, they always strive for “first place.”

Talk to your child, actively listen to his problems and experiences. Perhaps you can stop the disease at an early stage.

The first signs of anorexia

This subsection should attract the attention of those people with whom the girl is in constant contact: parents and close friends.

Only a close, caring look from one of them can prevent a teenager from developing the disease.

The first signs of anorexia:

the girl spends more time in front of the mirror than usual;
the topics of her daily conversations are limited to issues of calories and unattractiveness;
frequent constipation and the desire to get rid of what you eat. This manifests itself in a long stay in the toilet;
increased interest in the parameters of female models and an unhealthy desire to find the ideal diet;
the nail plate becomes thinner, the teeth crumble and become sensitive;
hair may fall out;
the menstrual cycle fails;
emotional condition characterized by increased fatigue.

There is no need to sound the alarm if you find one of the listed signs; perhaps this indicates a completely different type of disease or a situational passing condition.

The first signs of the disease should be considered in their entirety.

Symptoms of the disease, how to diagnose

Many foreign and domestic psychiatrists and psychologists dealt with this issue and worked hard to reduce the symptoms to to a single list.

We will present a generalized list of the brightest and significant symptoms.

They were developed primarily to avoid confusion, since anorexia is often seen as an addition to various other mental illness.

So, 5 main ones diagnostic symptoms diseases:

Refusal to eat;
A loss 10% body weight;
Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), which lasts at least 3 months;
No signs of diseases such as schizophrenia, depression, organic lesions brain.
The disease should appear no later than 35 years of age.

Stages of the disease

Domestic scientists distinguish 3 stages of the disease, which are presented in order of deepening of the disease in the girl’s body.

Stage 1 - dysmorphophobic (lasts 2-3 years).

At this stage, the girl has a clear conviction, a logically justified attitude that her body is full.

Characteristics of the stage:

high sensitivity to the assessments of others;
cutting food into small pieces, chewing it for a long time;
Daytime fasting can be combined with nighttime overeating.

Stage 2 – dysmorphomanic.

At this stage, girls move on to active actions to reduce your weight:

they pretend to eat their food (in reality they spit it out, feed it to the dog, induce vomiting after eating the food, etc.);
enthusiastically study recipes for various dishes, while overfeeding loved ones;
during sleep they lie down in the most uncomfortable positions;
dependence on appetite-reducing pills develops;
drink a lot of coffee and smoke cigarettes to prevent sleep.

Stage 3 - cachectic.

The body is deeply exhausted:

the skin loses elasticity and flakes;
subcutaneous fat disappears;
there is a failure in the perception of their body (having lost half of their previous weight, they continue to perceive themselves as full);
deformation of the gastrointestinal tract;
pressure and temperature decrease.

Possible social consequences

Anorexia deprives a girl of many social roles.

Due to her emaciated state, she is unable to communicate with children. Marital relationships and communication with parents become conflict-ridden, since no one understands her experiences, everyone only wants to put her in the hospital.

Study and work become inaccessible, since all thoughts are occupied only with the problem of weight.

Having been an excellent student in childhood, showing the best results, now she is incapable of creativity and abstract thinking.

The circle of acquaintances with anorexia has specific features. Basically, the girl refuses old friends and prefers to communicate with her friends due to, as it seems to us, misfortune.

There are entire groups on networks, entry to which is strictly limited. The main topic of discussion is calories, kilograms, etc.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: What is the relationship between anorexia and.

Treatment of the disease

Many experts are unanimous that a person with anorexia should be isolated from early life, placed in a hospital setting, with rare visits from relatives.

In almost every developed country there is a specialized clinic for such patients, where they are under the supervision of professionals of various qualifications (nutritionist, physiologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, etc.).

Treatment within the hospital is carried out in two main stages:

1. The first stage is called “diagnostic”.

It lasts approximately 2-4 weeks. Its goal is to maximize weight restoration, eliminate mortal danger.

Here the emphasis is on psychotherapeutic influence: finding out the cause of the disease, understanding which methods of work are suitable for this particular patient.

During this period, the patient tries not to fix his attention only on food, his diet consists of high-calorie cocktails, he is given a free leisure schedule, and relaxation sessions are held before eating.

Ideally, correction work should be carried out in parallel with all family members.

It will be successful to use it, developed in Western countries and gaining momentum in our family therapy.

One of the areas of work in this case will be to develop in each family member a desire for emotional intimacy and to work with fear in this area.

Unfortunately, statistics show that for most patients, treatment does not have the desired effect. Many return to restrictive eating, and a small percentage of patients commit suicide.

The reason may lie in an incomplete course of treatment (many people can’t stand it and return to their previous lives).

There is evidence that therapy is more effective the earlier the disease began. Anorexia that began at a later age is more difficult for therapeutic correction.

Treatment at home

In addition to inpatient treatment in a hospital, it is possible at home in the initial stages to redirect the girl’s condition into a non-painful state.

What to pay attention to:

first of all, the girl and her family need to realize that something has gone wrong; Knowing about your deviation at the initial stage, you can jointly consciously try to find the cause and devote all your efforts to making it less noticeable;
area of interest. As a rule, when choosing this method of getting rid of excess weight as cleansing, a girl finds satisfaction of her needs in vomiting; it often becomes an end in itself. You need to find a suitable activity, directing energy in a direction that is interesting for the girl. Thus, devoting a lot of time to hobbies, she will gradually forget about vomiting, which previously brought her pleasure;
disorders of this kind do not appear in a healthy family environment. Parents should be more attentive and understand that the child wants to convey something to you in this way of behavior;
if there is a significant decrease in appetite, you can use high-calorie cocktails, as well as teas that will increase appetite;
It will be useful to play sports. Your body will acquire greater resistance to stress, and in addition, it will help you acquire the desired shape in a healthy way;
To relieve existing tension and anxiety, you can learn meditation and relaxation techniques yourself, using visual images.

And most importantly, despite external assessments, which may be caused by momentary bad mood offender, the patient must understand that he is an individual.

He has specific external and internal traits and should not rush to conform himself to a social standard.

Need to go more complicated, but in an efficient way: independently evaluate one’s positive qualities, direct energy into activities that are useful for oneself and develop, learning all the delights of the world.

Bottom line

To summarize, we can say that anorexia is a very dangerous, but treatable disease.

Here, a lot depends on how ready the person susceptible to the disease and the people around him are to realize this and prevent the occurrence of irreversible processes which could lead to his death.