Psychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa Essay - 1432 Words

Psychotherapy 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 persons life including emotional health, physical health, and relationships with others (Shekter-Wolfson et al 5-6). A study completed in 1996 showed that anorexics also tend to possess traits that are obsessive in nature and carry heavy emotional†¦show more content†¦If the counselor possesses a firm, understanding perspective, the client will more likely open up and share issues with the advisor. As long as the interviewer knows that the symptoms expressed by the client are due to the eating disorder itself (in this case starvation), the counselo r can grasp the problem in a tight manner. Other issues discussed between the interviewer and the client include past history of emotional disturbance, past medical history, family history, current family situation, family eating patterns, family attitudes about weight, and other personal history. Another important criterion that must be addressed is the presence or absence of past or present physical or sexual abuse because this is a significant determinant of a person possessing an eating disorder (Shekter-Wolfson et al 13). Treatment The first step in the treatment of anorexia is to aid the client in adapting a more standardized eating pattern. A dietitian may intervene at this point to assist the affected person to adopt more healthy eating behaviors. The counselors role is to gradually help the client begin to adopt a more normal eating style (Shekter-Wolfson et al 13). In all cases, however, there are six goals of any treatment process: 1) To treat the medical complications 2) To revive a normal state of eating 3) To provide guidance on nutrition and exercise 4) To alter distorted views through CBTShow MoreRelatedAnorexia Nervosa Is The Highest Mortality Rate Of All Mental Illnesses909 Words   |  4 PagesAnorexia nervosa is often misunderstood, and it is not a life style that people choose to have. Eating disorders are a serious illness. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. Four out of ten people in the national survey reported that they either suffered or knew someone who had suffered from an eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where the person does not eat or maintain a normal body weight, in order to have a skinny body (DSM-V). Most women areRead MoreEating Disorders Research Paper1148 Words   |  5 Pagestreatments and which ones better support for example anorexia nervosa in adult women. For specifically eating disorders a psychotherapy approach to treatment is primarily successful. According to the NEDA there are many â€Å"paths† that can be taken when choosing a psyc hotherapy program, but the therapies can be broken down into sections: family, non-family oriented, action, thought based, and most importantly evidence-based. Family based psychotherapies, such as Conjoint Family Therapy, focus on the familyRead 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). 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SomeRead MoreEssay Bulimia Nervosa1311 Words   |  6 PagesBULIMIA NERVOSA 307.51 (F50.2) Introduction Individuals diagnosed with bulimia nervosa undertake frequent binge eating, followed by expelling the food, typically by inducing vomiting, but also through exercising and the use of laxative agents, diuretics, and enemas (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The binge eating occurrences are often prompted by a negative perception of one’s body image, temporarily alleviated by the binge eating episode. Since the individual with bulimia nervosa is overanxiousRead MoreTaking a Look at Eating Disorders1708 Words   |  7 Pagesmental as well as physical health. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common types. Others are binge eating disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified. Classification: †¢ Anorexia nervosa (AN), †¢ Bulimia nervosa (BN), †¢ Eating disorders not otherwise specified †¢ Binge eating disorder (BED) or compulsive overeating, †¢ Pica The two most common types, Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa are described below: Anorexia Nervosa: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorderRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa: Etiology, Treatment, and Related Information1871 Words   |  8 Pagesto discuss several basic topics regarding anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is and eating disorder with an incredibly high mortality rate characterized by low body weight and an obsessive fear of becoming overweight that occurs primarily in females after puberty, yet before the age of 40 years. Unfortunately, Not much is known about the causes of anorexia nervosa, but possible correlations are blood relation to a person suffering from anorexia nervosa, those who have recently experienced a stressfulRead MoreEssay on Anorexia1228 Words   |  5 Pages quot;Anorexia Nervosaquot; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Bizarre, devastating, and baffling are three words that describe the anorexia nervosa disease. By definition, anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a normal-weight person diets and becomes significantly underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continue to starve themselves. The term quot;anorexia nervosaquot; literally means nervous lose of appetite. People with the disorder are suppressing a strong desire to eat, because they areRead 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 MoreBackground History of Anorexia Nervosa1452 Words   |  6 PagesHISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA Anorexia nervosa’s (AN) first descriptions began during the twelfth and thirteenth century with the historical Saint Catherine of Siena (Deans, 2011). It is related to participating in religious functions and medieval practices of self-starvation (Deans, 2011). Furthermore, the death of popular singer, Karen Carpenter in 1983 created the societal awareness about the effect of anorexia nervosa and become widely known at the end of the twentieth century (Rader