It is normal to want to feel good about yourself. Most people think they will feel better with makeup, shopping, and having the body of a supermodel. Wishing to have a small figure, however, some people take it to the extreme that they get a distorted ideal body image.
Anorexia nervosa is a form of eating disorder where a person refuses to take in food to the point of malnutrition or even death due to fear that her weight may increase even when she is already too thin. A patient will starve herself without the regard of the possible consequences for as long as she is able to prevent herself from gaining any more weight.
Types
According to Eating Disorder Center of Denver, this eating disorder can either be (a) restricting type or (b) purging type. Both aims to avoid gain weight, but differs in the manner of bringing it about. The restricting type of anorexia is when a woman limits her food intake or refuses calories by taking diet to the extremes or by too much exercise. Purging type, on the other hand, is when a person takes drastic measures to achieve weight loss like inducing vomiting or taking laxative pills.
Treatment
You cannot actually pinpoint one anorexia treatment, as it is usually two or more of the following together.
- Looking at it in a deeper sense, anorexia, or any other forms of eating disorder like bulimia and binge-eating, is not really about the weight but about a patient’s mental and emotional health. A patient must undergo therapies or counselling to achieve her (right) self-esteem back.
- Since a lot of medical consequences arise from suffering from this disorder, they should be treated immediately too like malnourishment.
- Restoration of the physical health by giving proper nutrition to the patient. Admission to a hospital may be necessary.
If you know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder, it pays to know the triggers so you can think of an effective treatment plan.