Psychology

People usually associate anorexia nervosa to Hollywood stars, models and prominent figures but the truth is everyone  including children, ordinary high school students and plain housewives are at risk. Anorexia is a form of an anxiety disorder that has gone beyond the control of the person suffering from it. It is also an eating disorder (victims often starve themselves to death) and the counterpart of Bulimia (sufferers usually binge-eat and induce vomiting afterwards). People with chronic anorexia have the obsession to get thin or lose weight. They usually resort to overusing diet pills, laxatives, enemas and diuretics in order to fulfill their obsession  that is to get thin.

Statistics shows that females have a high risk of developing this complex psychosomatic disease (more than 95 of patients are females). People from countries with high economic status and well-off families are also prone to be victims of this deadly disease.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of anorexia nervosa include one or two of the following medical conditions Amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period for women), Bradycardia(slowness of heart rate), Presence of Lanugo (covering of fine soft hair), Vomiting which is, most of the time, self-induced, Over activity, easy bruising, bone pain, lightheadedness and Hypoglycemia (abnormal low blood sugar). But because the disease is complex and can be associated to other disorders, signs and symptoms usually vary from person to person.

Presence of some psychological symptoms can also be noted pleasure in weight loss and fear of weight gain, distorted attitude towards food, starvation, hoarding of food and an altered self-perception. Sufferers also are noted to have an obsession to have control over their bodies and thus undergo several restrictive diets and excessive exercise regimes.

People with anorexia nervosa are usually unaware of the changes (physically and emotionally) that happens to them. It is usually a family member who notices these changes which prompts them to seek medical attention. Victims, most of the time is in denial of their condition. It is very rare for an anorexic to ask help from a medical professional.

CAUSES OF CHRONIC ANOREXIA
Experts have discovered that a number of physiological causes from inherited genes (anorexia can run in a family) and the malfunction of the brains hypothalamus (the organ responsible for regulating the metabolic processes in a human body) and sometimes, the underproduction or overproduction of hormones.

Chronic Anorexia is psychological in nature. The cause of the disorder is not simply due to poor nutrition or a persons weak immune system (the root of most human diseases). It can also be brought about by feeding problems during a persons infancy days and a general history of under eating during childhood. Aside from that a mothers depressive symptoms during pregnancy can also be linked to Anorexia.

The risk factors that may contribute to a persons susceptibility to the disease are high demands from parents for teens, pressure to succeed for young adults, having a spoor self image, lack of support from family members, succumbing to societys definition of being attractive, being a victim of childhood abuse, being a perfectionist and having a high level of negative feelings.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ANOREXIA
Differentiating Chronic Anorexia from Anorexia Nervosa
Although the two psychological disorders are almost the same in nature (both have the same signs and symptoms), the difference is in its reoccurrence. While anorexia nervosa can be cured in a onetime treatment, chronic anorexia is noted to have relapses and reoccurrence several times in a span of a persons lifetime making it a chronic disorder.

Chronic Anorexia is associated to a lot of other psychological disorders like major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety and the most prevalent  OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER.

OCD is a type of an anxiety disorder (like chronic anorexia) that has signs and symptoms of being obsessed with perfection, orderliness and interpersonal control. Victims usually show signs of having obsessive thoughts (counting repeatedly, being dirty), and compulsive actions (hoarding, cleaning or washing) for they fear that they are in the verge of being attacked by germs, viruses or by unscrupulous personalities.

Chronic anorexia is frequently associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This is because in its raw form, chronic anorexia is also an obsession that destroys a persons relationships, physical self and his life in totality. Victims of both diseases are not able to lead a normal life due to the constrictions of their disorder.

TREATMENT
The good news is, although chronic anorexia seems to be stubborn in nature, there is an available and proven treatment. This is the newly developed procedure called BEHAVIOR THERAPY EXPOSURERESPONSE BEHAVIOR. Once a person is diagnosed with the disorder, it is advisable to be open-minded to this technique. Studies will show us that with the proper administration of the therapy by a professional and the right amount of support a victim gets from his family members the road to recovery is just a few steps away.

CONCLUSION
Oftentimes in our lives, we are faced with challenges that appear to be unsurpassable. Chronic anorexia isnt one of them. What we need is a proper diagnosis from an expert and awareness of the roots of the disorder. When we are aware of its signs, symptoms and causes, there is a great chance that we can help ourselves and others accept and battle against it.

Chronic anorexia can kill. Now that is a fact that cannot be ignored. It may cause a victims bones to snap with a simple walk in the yard, to get dehydrated and pass out in the middle of nowhere or to suffer secretly from other numerous complications. Lets be one with those who are fighting against this disease.

We can also start by the century old dogma that says accept the way you are and everyone else will follow. The society where we live in sometimes can also be the cancer that slowly eats up our ideals. When things like this happen, supporting each other especially our loved ones and our family members can never go wrong. The battle against chronic anorexia may be a scary thing but remember that you are not alone in you fight.