Delving In To The Mind Of An Anorexic - The Psychology Behind Anorexia
Health consciousness is leading people to opt for healthy foods and healthy eating habits. However there are those that become overzealous and resort to extremes. Members of the fair sex who aim to lose weight in an effort to attain and maintain good looks can always fall prey to Anorexia Nervosa if they resort to excessive dieting. Surprisingly it is not only women who suffer; an increasing number of men are also being affected by Anorexia Nervosa. The definition of Anorexia Nervosa states it to be an eating disorder. The affected person believes that even the minimum bodyweight considered normal for their height and age is excessive and has an intense fear of gaining weight, and, what he/she deems a distorted body image. They consequently suffer severe weight loss due to inadequate eating or excessive physical exercise. People with anorexia nervosa feel that they are obese no matter what their weight or the way they look. It is extremely sad that they are unable to visualize themselves as normal and simply go on refusing to feed themselves with the result that around ten to twenty percent of them die of complications related to Anorexia Nervosa. Most people with anorexia nervosa are possessed of this 'starved look' syndrome and have a perfectionist streak in them that makes them punish their bodies in an effort to achieve very high and unrealistic physical goals which can lead only to failure and nothing else. The reason for this attitude is related to their failure to exercise control in some other area of their life. They mistakenly believe that they can regain control in those areas through dieting or they derive a sense of satisfaction from the fact that they are in control of at least some part of their life by dieting. They shift their focus in order to block out unwanted feelings and emotions through their obsession of constantly monitoring calories and weighing themselves. These are potential symptoms relating to the existence of mental health problems that revolve around one's self esteem or what can be referred to as self-acceptance. They deny food to their bodies because inwardly they feel they do not deserve to eat. They refuse to seek any help, as they believe they do not deserve anyone's attention. However, the fact remains that the majority of Anorexia Nervosa sufferers do not succumb. Anorexia nervosa help is readily available these days at many anorexia treatment centers. There are a number of different lines of treatments for anorexia available based on the causes of anorexia nervosa. They range from expert medical care to psychotherapy and CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy). The latter is found to possess excellent capability in dealing with thinking and behavioral patterns which form the core of eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa support consists of a holistic approach to include identification of triggers and development of strategies that patients can use for controlling anorexia. This provides very effective treatment and control of this ailment. A lot of anorexia nervosa information can be found by conducting a search on the Internet. |