Behavioral Therapy For Individuals With Anorexia - 1806 Words

Anorexia nervosa is a harrowing mental illness for those affected by it. Those diagnosed with anorexia experience a relentless fear of weight gain and distorted body image, accompanied by disturbed patterns of eating in order to lose as much weight as possible. These individuals maintain a dangerously low body weight, which can lead to severe health complications. Due to the deadly nature of this mental illness, it is imperative to treat the affected individual as effectively as possible. There is a wide range of treatments available for anorexia, with no single treatment yet identified as the foremost option. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one treatment option that is recommended for patients suffering from anorexia. This method aims to†¦show more content†¦In order to main a low body weight, they engage in restrictive eating habits. This is known as the restrictive subtype of anorexia nervosa. These individuals follow low calorie diets, eating only â€Å"safe† food s that they feel comfortable with, and even fast to compensate for meals. Another way that individuals with the restrictive subtype of anorexia try to maintain a low body weight is through excessive exercise. Individuals affected by the binge-purge subtype of anorexia engage in binge eating and purging behaviors, which involves self-induced vomiting in order to compensate for overeating. These abnormal patterns of eating can lead to devastating physical effects because they are not receiving the adequate nutrition needed to sustain their body. They are severely underweight and their body weight is less than 85% of that expected for their age and height. This leads to numerous physical symptoms such as amenorrhea, growing fine hair all over the body in order to maintain body temperature, loss of bone density, slow heart rate, and premature death (Hobbs Johnson, 1996; Fairburn, 2008; Barbarich-Marsteller, 2012). The cause of anorexia is complex and unclear, but there is evidence to s upport that the illness has a genetic and sociocultural components, and that individuals with anorexia share common personality traits as well. Evidence supports that illness is inheritable and runs in families. AnShow MoreRelatedTreatment For Anorexia Nervos A Comparison Of Cognitive Behavior Therapy And Treatment933 Words   |  4 PagesMaintenance treatment for anorexia nervosa: A comparison of cognitive behavior therapy and treatment as usual. By: Jacqueline C. Carter, Traci L. McFarlane, Carmen Bewell, Marion P. Olmstead, D. Blake Woodside, Allan S. Kaplan, and Ross D. Crosby. This 2009 study was designed to examine the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy compared to Maintenance Treatment â€Å"as usual† in patients with Anorexia Nervosa. The study examined the relapse rate of patients with Anorexia Nervosa after undergoingRead MoreCauses Of Anorexia Nervosa1344 Words   |  6 PagesGiven that anorexia nervosa is associated with high rates of mortality, relapse, suicide, and a diminished quality of life, long-term prognosis does look very tragic, with recovery rates ranging from 25-70% (Guarda, 2008). The extant of anorexia nervosa long-term outcome studies have reported, â€Å"only one-third of individuals (37%) recover within 4 years after disease onset; this figure rises to almost half (47%) by year 10 and to 73% after 10 years post onset† (Zerwas et al., 2013). These statisticsRead MoreEssay on Different Types of Eating Disorders1136 Words   |  5 Pageswell-being. Individuals with these mental illnesses go to extremes when dealing with their weight or food intake. Although it is mostly common in women, men also struggle with an eating disorder, whether its anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by extreme thinness, which is mostly accomplished by an individual through self-starvation. Bulimia nervosa is another life-threatening disorder where the individual have a constantRead More Psychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa Essay1432 Words   |  6 PagesPsychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa What is anorexia? Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that consists of self-regulated food restriction in which the person strives for thinness and also involves distortion of the way the person sees his or her own body. An anorexic person weighs less than 85% of their ideal body weight. The prevalence of eating disorders is between .5-1% of women aged 15-40 and about 1/20 of this number occurs in men. Anorexia affects all aspects of an affected personsRead MoreThe Effects Of Anorexia Nervosa On The Human Body1406 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effects of Anorexia Nervosa On the Human Body Anorexia is a lack or loss of appetite for food as a medical condition and is also considered an emotional disorder categorized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. Anorexia is found in all people, male and female of any age and in some cases can be life threatening. The reason Anorexia and all eating disorders in general are important to study is because they are a significant part of society. Eating disorders also hold theRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa (Nutrition and Psychology Related)1638 Words   |  7 PagesVaratta HED: Nutrition Anorexia nervosa is a life threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal to maintain fifteen percent of a normal body weight through self-starvation (Arnold, page26). Ninety-five percent of anorexics are women between the ages of twelve and eighteen, however, Â…in the past twenty years, this disorder has become a growing threat to high school and college students (Arnold, page 39). Anorexia produces a multitude of symptoms, and if not treated, anorexia can lead to permanentRead More Anorexia Nervosa Essay1568 Words   |  7 Pages Anorexia nervosa is a life threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal to maintain fifteen percent of a normal body weight through self-starvation (NAMI 1). Ninety-five percent of anorexics are women between the ages of twelve and eighteen, however, â€Å"†¦in the past twenty years, this disorder has become a growing threat to high school and college students†(Maloney and Kranz 60). Anorexia produces a multitude of symptoms, and if n ot treated, anorexia can lead to permanent physical damage or deathRead MoreA Brief Note On Western Iowa Tech Anorexia Nervosa1069 Words   |  5 Pages Anorexia Nervosa Alma I Puga Western Iowa TechAnorexia Nervosa According to the National Institute of Mental Health, death from starvation, or medical complications, heart attacks or kidney failure, affects 1 out of every 10 cases of Anorexia. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is most common in young adolescents girls . People diagnosed with this disorder have a distorted view of themselves and a fear of gaining weight. They often restrict how much food they eat in orderRead MoreAnorexia Nervos A Group Of Eating Disorders1696 Words   |  7 Pages Anorexia nervosa is psychiatric condition that is part of a group of eating disorders. It is associated with abnormally low body weight, extreme fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body image. Those with the disorder place a high value on controlling their weight to produce certain image. However, those suffering from the disorder more than likely use extreme efforts that tends to significantly interfere with their health and even normal activities or occupations in their l ivesRead MoreUnderstanding Anorexia Nervosa1008 Words   |  5 PagesAnorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, with more than 10% of those that suffer from it will die. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is categorized by severe food restriction, excessive exercise and body dysmorphia, which leads those that suffer from it to believe that they are overweight. Anorexia nervosa is commonly misunderstood by the general public. Research has disproved many of the previous thoughts about anorexia nervosa. According to the scientific