It is a Greek word that means lack of appetite. It is a disease, a special form of neuropsychic disorder, which is accompanied by a refusal from normal nutrition and obsession with constantly losing weight. Disease in the absence of therapy can lead to eating disorders. A person constantly pays increased attention to his weight, reacts sharply to its increase. To lose weight, people suffering from anorexia resort to diets, exhaust them with sports activities, put enemas, and wash their stomachs after eating.

The reasons

Various factors can trigger the development of pathological weight loss. There are several types of pathology that arise under the influence of different conditions. There are the following types:

Mental. Develops against the background of psychological diseases, after taking psychotropic substances. Often this type is diagnosed in patients who suffer from mental illnesses, for example, delusional ideas, depression, paranoia, in patients with schizophrenia.
Symptomatic. It becomes a consequence of somatic pathologies of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland.
Medicinal. Loss of appetite develops if the dosage is violated while taking antidepressants, psychostimulants and similar pills.
Psychological, nervous. It becomes a conscious restriction in food consumption for one reason – the desire to lose weight, correction of appearance to a state of physical exhaustion.

There are many reasons that can trigger the development of pathology. There are the following main factors that become the reason for the development of the disorder:

Unfavorable family environment. Difficult relationships, increased irritability of family members leads to the fact that one of the people who suffers most from an unhealthy environment gets sick.
Negative attitude towards food. Often the negative emotions associated with eating begin to grow from childhood. Parents are trying in every way to force the child to eat, not taking into account his desires and preferences. This situation often leads to the development of a gag reflex, a negative and very persistent attitude towards food is formed. This becomes the cause of the development of the disease at an early or more adult age.
Low self-esteem. A person is often dissatisfied with what he sees in the mirror, his social status, which affects his self-esteem. This condition is exacerbated by a persistent opinion of unattractiveness and worthlessness. Some people believe that things will change if they lose weight, mistakenly believing that a figure will help them succeed in life.
Obsession. Even the simplest diet can have serious consequences. If a person is fixated on the desire to lose weight, he ceases to adequately perceive his figure and reality. The idea of losing weight is becoming the main goal of life.
Problems in your personal life. Often, weight loss does not happen of your own free will, but in order to please other people. After feeling the first positive results, it is not always possible to stop there and the patient continues to use all possible methods to reduce body weight.

Other concomitant factors can also act as the cause of the development of the disease, for example:

oncological pathologies;
gastrointestinal diseases: pancreatitis, peptic ulcer, gastritis, cirrhosis of the liver;
dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
chronic pain of a different nature;
dental ailments, diseases of the oral cavity.

Stages

The disease does not develop immediately, several stages are noted that a person goes through. Treatment is based on understanding these stages. The following stages are distinguished:

Dysmorphic. This is the first stage of anorexia, which is characterized by the appearance of the first thoughts about their own inferiority due to imaginary completeness. A person is trying to lose weight by dieting and limiting the amount of food.
Anorectic. It is noted for 20-30% weight loss due to prolonged fasting. This period is accompanied by euphoria, the desire to lose weight even more. Symptoms of anorexia at this stage are manifested in the form of dry skin, alopecia, chilliness, adrenal dysfunction.
Cahectic. After 2 years, dystrophy of the internal organs is noted. Weight loss reaches 50%, often this stage has irreversible consequences that lead to death.

Effects

Health complications in a person depend on the severity of the disease, the duration of the hunger strike and the initial state of health. If girls refuse food, they will have an upset of the alimentary tract, metabolic disorders, problems with the skin, kidneys, liver, and the condition of nails and hair will worsen. The whole body suffers from a lack of nutrients, vitamins and trace elements, so many systems will be affected, it will be very difficult to restore them in the last stages.

Glucose is an essential element for the functioning of the body, it provides the body with energy. During fasting, the amount of carbohydrates is not replenished, glucose is running out and the body looks for an alternative source. They become protein and fats, which, when decomposed, release acetone and ammonia. Both of these substances severely poison the body, and the liver with kidneys ceases to cope with its excretory functions.

Due to the restriction of food intake, the body begins to experience stress, releasing the hormone cortisol, a weakening of immunity occurs, and the nervous system is on the verge of a breakdown. The body loses its ability to resist bacteria and viruses. The barrier function decreases against the background of the disease. When the amount of food is limited, the liver begins to work in an enhanced mode, produces additional fat, which becomes a source of its own energy.

It accumulates, which leads to an increase in organ size, which provokes fatty degeneration of the liver. Typical external signs of this phenomenon:

apathy;
dizziness;
nausea.

The brain reacts to the disease with frequent headaches that last for months or years. Due to fatty hepatosis, painful sensations appear in the right hypochondrium, memory weakens, concentration of attention decreases. Under the eyes, clear and distinct dark circles appear, the skin becomes pale, the hair becomes dull and split as a result of a lack of vitamins.

When potassium drops to a critical level, heart arrhythmia begins, constipation, muscle damage, constant fatigue, and sometimes even paralysis appear. Lack of calcium provokes a decrease in bone mass. It is very dangerous for a young organism if it is not fully formed (adolescents). The process of puberty, growth is greatly slowed down. These processes are reversible if treatment is started in the early stages of pathology. In the most severe cases, death can occur, this pathology has the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.

Can anorexia be cured?

The problem of the disease is that the patient is not always able to assess the degree of risk and severity of the pathology. You can get rid of anorexia, it is easier to do it in the initial stages, you can even do without outpatient treatment. It will not be possible to cure the disease on its own in the later stages, except in very rare cases when a person has strong willpower. The following methods are used to treat the disease:

strict adherence to all doctor's recommendations;
constant monitoring of the patient by a psychologist / psychotherapist, nutritionist and other specialists, if necessary;
the introduction of nutrients that are needed to restore the work of all systems and organs, intravenously;
in severe cases with psychological deviations, treatment in a psychiatric clinic is necessary (until a person begins to perceive his body adequately);
at the first stages, bed rest is required, activity becomes the cause of a rapid depletion of strength;
after assessing the nutritional status, the patient is prescribed a comprehensive somatic study, specialist consultations, ECG monitoring, if they have serious deviations;
there is a gradual increase in the amount of food according to indications;
the norm for an increase in outpatient conditions is 0.5 kg, inpatient rehabilitation – 0.5-1 kg every week;
maintaining a special, high-calorie individual diet with fractional and frequent meals;
the patient must learn to relax, an individual technique is selected that helps him in this (meditation, yoga, etc.).

Neurotic

Treatment of this type of disease begins with identifying the cause that served as the starting point for the development of the deviation. It is important to start a course of psychotherapy on time, which helps to identify and eliminate the factors that are the basis for anorexia. The form of treatment depends on the severity of the patient's condition. The main task of therapy is the gradual normalization of body weight, restoration of the balance of electrolytes, fluids and the provision of psychological assistance.

If the patient is in a severe mental, physical condition, then the mass gain is carried out no more than 500 grams or 1 kg per week. To do this, select a special diet that contains all the nutrients the body needs. The doctor, when drawing up a diet, takes into account the degree of depletion, body mass index, and other symptoms of a lack of specific substances. For effective therapy, it is better if the patient eats himself, but if he refuses to eat, it will be delivered using a special tube that is inserted into the stomach through the nose.

For the treatment of anorexia nervosa, medications are used to help neutralize the effects of such harmful starvation. Antidepressants are actively used, which are indicated in the treatment of mental illness. For example, the following tools are also used:

If the menstrual cycle is disturbed, the patient must take hormonal drugs.
If there is a decrease in bone density, then you need to take vitamin D, calcium supplements.

Medicinal

When drawing up a complex therapy scheme, it is necessary to consult with a gastroenterologist, oncologist, neurologist, psychologist and endocrinologist. A course of therapy is compiled on the basis of unified principles of combating anorexia, taking into account the peculiarities of the clinical picture. With this form of the disease, hospitalization is required, the abolition of all medications, and strict adherence to bed rest.

A non-irritating diet is drawn up for the patient, the flow of the required amount of fluid is controlled. There is no definitive opinion on the causes of drug-induced anorexia. But the main therapeutic method is psychotherapy. The bulimic patient should be distracted from the thought of further blasphemy. Full recovery is observed in half of the treatment cases.

Children

It develops, as a rule, in adolescence, when the child begins to be critical of his appearance. Therapy consists in removing the patient from this state, it is necessary to determine what caused the manic desire to lose weight. During treatment, the following actions are performed:

Normalization of nutrition, based on age, but the portion should be reduced by 3 times. The diet must include foods that stimulate appetite (allowed if the child is less than 1 year old): lightly salted vegetables, garlic. Exclude sweets, sweets and other foods high in fat and carbohydrates.
When the appetite builds up, they begin to gradually increase the portion size, leaving the proteins in the norm, but the fat is 2 times less than the norm.
At the last stage, nutrition is completely normalized, fats should be further limited.

Signs of anorexia

The disease can be recognized by the following signs:

A person's weight is less than his norm.
Fear of weight gain, which sometimes makes a person behave absurdly during meals. So, patients can even count the number of grains of rice in their plate.
Weighing frequently throughout the day.
Calorie counting and other weight loss rituals take up all your free time. A person constantly restricts himself in food.
Dissatisfaction with your weight with pronounced thinness.
Use of emetics or laxatives.
Frequent exercise despite weakness.
Avoiding meat and fatty foods, gradually switching to fruits and vegetables.

In addition to the main symptoms of the disease, a person suffers from the following disorders:

sleep disorder;
general weakness;
muscle spasms;
the patient's muscles become flabby and atrophied;
age spots on the skin;
sunken eyes;
sunken belly;
loss of teeth;
dry hair;
pallor;
Bad mood;
low pressure;
violation of the menstrual cycle in women;
fainting and dizziness;
vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain.

The disease develops gradually. First, a person, dissatisfied with his reflection in the mirror, is convinced of the presence of excess weight. Then he tries to lose weight by any means, even refusing to eat.

When the first results in weight loss are achieved, a person feels lightness and high spirits, from which the negative consequences of violations, such as brittle nails, dull skin and dry hair, become invisible.

In addition to the fact that the patient limits food intake, he begins to actively engage in physical activity. From this, the body is quickly exhausted. If the process lasts about a year, then the person already looks haggard. The patient needs urgent medical attention.

Causes of anorexia

The causes of anorexia can be both psychological disorders and the effects of medications.

As for psychological disorders, the following factors can provoke the development of the disease:

Personal	feelings of inferiority; diffidence; low self-esteem; psycho-emotional overload.
Physiological	early onset of menstruation; excess weight.
Hereditary	a gene that induces disease propensity; alcoholism; depressive disorders in the family.
Sociocultural	striving to comply with fashion trends.

One of the main causes of anorexia nervosa is body rejection. To this more and more the slopes of girls in adolescence. The second reason is a conflict with parents, strained family relationships, resentment and careless statements about the child's appearance. All this pushes the teenager to drastic measures.

Anorexia can be triggered by taking medication. Such a pathology implies a loss of hunger, and this can happen both intentionally and as a result of the treatment of some disease.

If we are talking about deliberately muffling the feeling of hunger, then this is achieved by taking certain medications. Anorexia can be triggered by taking antidepressants or other stimulants.

Consequences of the disease

The consequences of this disease can be severe. Up to 20% of people with anorexia eventually die, so among mental illnesses, this ailment is most often fatal.

First of all, human bones suffer from exhaustion. The fact is that the syndrome develops more often in adolescence, when the bones have not yet fully formed. They may not support body weight in the future if a person gains weight.

The most dangerous consequence of the disease is heart failure.

As a result of starvation, muscles atrophy, and the heart suffers from this. The blood pressure drops and the pulse weakens. Such changes can trigger cardiac arrest.

When the body lacks glucose, energy reserves are depleted. Subsequently, the body has to look for other sources of energy. Inside a person, these are proteins and fats, which the body begins to feed on. This leads to the fact that a lot of ammonia and acetone are formed during the breakdown of protein and fat cells. They poison the human body.

In addition, fasting produces cortisol, a stress hormone. Not only the nervous system, but also the immune forces are on the verge. The patient's body can no longer fight viruses or bacteria.

Treatment for anorexia

In order to cure anorexia, it is necessary to use complex therapy.

It includes:

taking medications;
nutritional correction;
psychotherapy.

In this case, pharmacology is an additional treatment for anorexia. Medicines are used in order to correct mental disorders, as well as to increase appetite. Some appointments imply the exclusion of recurrence of the disease.

The early stages of the disease are usually treated on an outpatient basis. As for the advanced stages, such a patient is hospitalized.

First of all, helping the patient is to restore his normal body weight and normalize metabolic processes.

In a hospital setting, patients must follow the diet, for which they are encouraged to take walks and meet with relatives. This technique is quite effective, but it may not lead to a positive result if the case is severe.

In the treatment of anorexia, the following drugs may be prescribed:

antipsychotics;
antidepressants;
drugs that improve appetite (Frenolone, Elenium);
calming;
vitamin complexes, which include calcium, iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin C.

Weight loss requires a gradual increase in food intake. Especially for this, nutrition programs have been developed that allow you to cope with the problem without harming the digestive system.

In the early stages of the disease, patients are prescribed psychotherapy. Talking to a psychologist allows a person to treat themselves as a person and not pay too much attention to their weight. There is a reassessment of life priorities and ideals.

Some patients need the help of a psychotherapist in order to improve family relationships. This is one of the types of therapy that allows you to completely cure anorexia in the early stages, or to speed up the healing process if the disease is neglected.

Treatment of the disease at home

Treatment of anorexia with folk methods involves the use of herbal decoctions. The main task is to stimulate the appetite and calm the patient's nervous system.

To do this, use the following means:

decoction of nettle;
dandelion roots;
tea with lemon balm or mint;
a decoction of rowan fruits.

At home, the treatment of anorexia involves more than just diet. In addition, the patient needs support from loved ones. It consists in communicating with the patient on a daily basis, helping him to realize the problem and the need for recovery.

It is necessary not only to control the patient's behavior, but also to find general activities that will help distract from negative thoughts. To fully recover, it is important to eat right for several months. Any fasting days for the correction of forms or refusal to eat can harm and even exacerbate the disease.

Anorexia and its varieties

Anorexia is a severe mental disorder of a person, characterized by complete or partial refusal to eat due to various reasons. Literally this term means “no appetite.” Speaking about this disease, it is often meant precisely anorexia nervosa, which is characterized by purposeful and deliberate weight loss below the permissible norm, caused by dissatisfaction with one's own body, the desire to approach world standards of beauty or an ideal created in thoughts.

But there are other types of this disease that arise under the influence of certain factors on a person: mental, symptomatic and drug anorexia, primary and secondary, true and false, neurogenic, atypical and senile.

Anorexia is diagnosed in children, adolescents, men, girls and women.

There are several stages in the development of this disease. At the initial stages, with timely qualified treatment, patients almost always recover, at the last stages a person usually dies due to the irreversibility of the processes occurring in the body, severe exhaustion and dystrophy of internal organs, which are not able to fully perform their functions.

Therefore, it is extremely important to diagnose this disease in a loved one and a loved one in time, in order to provide him with timely medical assistance, take the necessary measures to treat such a mental disorder and throw all his strength into his recovery.

In addition, anorexia is considered a recurrent disease, that is, getting rid of it does not give any guarantee that it will not reappear. In order to protect your loved ones from relapse, it is necessary to observe preventive measures and be sensitive to changes in the behavior of a loved one.

Treatment for anorexia nervosa

Usually, the treatment of this disease is complex, the main purpose of which is to identify the causes that provoked the development of anorexia and their eradication. The factors that caused the onset of the disease can be both physiological and psychological. Based on this, the doctor will build the most appropriate therapy for each individual patient.

Treatment of anorexia in most cases does not require hospitalization, therapeutic methods can be performed on an outpatient basis. However, it is extremely important before starting it to make sure that the patient really wants to be cured, realizes the severity of his situation and does not deny that he has a serious problem. Otherwise, you should not wait for a full recovery. Such treatment will only drain all the juice and money from you, and will not bring the desired result.

Anorexia therapy includes:

drug treatment;
psychotherapeutic effect;
medical dietary food.

If the disease has developed against the background of any physiological diseases, then for quality treatment it is necessary first to get rid of the physical disease, and then to treat its consequences. For this, various pills and medications are usually used, which will be aimed at eliminating the cause that provoked the onset of anorexia.

The psychological reasons, against the background of which this disease has developed, are eliminated with the help of psychotherapeutic methods. Such treatment is aimed at changing the patient's lifestyle, a positive perception of himself, an increase in self-esteem, the formation of an adequate attitude to food, to the people around him, setting new goals and priorities.

In the early stages of detecting this disease, its treatment can be limited only by psychotherapeutic methods. But if the disease has already entered an advanced stage, then complex treatment with various methods will be needed:

drug therapy aimed at restoring damaged internal organs and body systems;
treatment with drugs for weight gain: vitamin and mineral complexes, antidepressants, sedatives and antihistamines, as well as pills for anorexia;
psychotherapeutic effect;
therapeutic diet.

The best treatment for anorexia is a combination of therapeutic treatment, family therapy, psychotherapy and drug restoration of destroyed organs and systems.

When may you need hospitalization for anorexia:

despite treatment, body weight continues to decline;
BMI (body mass index) thirty percent below the established norm;
arrhythmia and bradycardia;
depression with suicidal tendencies;
hypokalemia;
significantly reduced blood pressure.

Psychotherapeutic treatments for anorexia

One of the psychotherapeutic methods of influencing the patient with anorexia is lifestyle change. This aspect includes:

regular meals and promotion of healthy eating;
planning a dietary menu and drawing up a treatment plan;
visiting a psychologist or support group to relieve emotional stress and stress;
decrease in physical activity until the doctor resolves the complex of medical procedures after weight stabilization and normalization;
refusal from constant weighing.

During this period, the support of relatives and friends is extremely important, therefore, family psychotherapy is very common, especially for the treatment of adolescent patients.

Medical treatments for anorexia

It is very important at the stage of treatment of this disease not only to get rid of the internal psychological causes of its occurrence, but also to restore normal weight, normalize nutrition, and also saturate the body with various useful substances.

It is also necessary to attend to the restoration of the internal organs and systems destroyed by the disease, which is characteristic of the late stages of anorexia. In all these cases, treatment is applied using various medications.

In a hospital setting, droppers are often used to restore the body's water and electrolyte balance. At home, various medicines containing vitamins and useful macro- and microelements. Often these are B vitamins, especially B12, ascorbic acid, as well as preparations containing potassium, calcium and iron.

Typically, antidepressants and antipsychotics, as well as sedatives and antihistamines, are prescribed to treat this severe mental disorder.

Often, in the treatment of anorexia, drugs are prescribed that improve appetite, help restore and normalize metabolism and body weight.

Antihistamines are usually prescribed cyproheptadine, which stimulates the appetite. Also drugs for anorexia, which affect the increase in appetite, are frenolone, elenium and others.

Taking antidepressants and antipsychotics will help get rid of the depressive conditions that often accompany this disease. But they should also be used in complex therapy, involving consultations with a psychologist and psychotherapist. On the list of banned antidepressants is fluoxetine, a drug that many patients use to reduce appetite, thereby provoking the development and progression of anorexia.

Nutritional therapy for anorexia and nutritional supplements

The restoration of normal weight takes place slowly, in general, the way out of anorexia is quite long and painstaking. It is necessary to begin to normalize and stabilize the patient's weight only if he has already undergone a short course of psychotherapy and food intake will not become something out of the ordinary for him.

They usually start with a small amount of calories, which gradually increase to 2000-3500 calories per day.

Sometimes parenteral or intravenous nutrition is used, but only if the patient cannot eat food for various reasons: muscle weakness, heart rhythm disturbances, seizures, bleeding from the mouth, coma.

Lack of vitamins and minerals also negatively affects the patient's health. Therefore, it is advisable to use food supplements that will restore the balance of nutrients in the body:

multivitamin complexes containing vitamins A and E, ascorbic acid, as well as trace elements that contain zinc, copper, calcium, selenium, magnesium and phosphorus
omega-3 fatty acids, found in high amounts in fatty fish such as halibut or salmon, as well as in fish oil
coenzyme Q-10;
5-HTP or 5-hydroxytryptophan, which should not be taken with antidepressants;
creatine;
probiotics, lacto- and bifidobacteria, acidophilus.

In the therapeutic diet for the treatment of anorexia, it is worth adhering to some rules:

Do not consume alcohol, nicotine or caffeine.
Drink a large amount of purified or mineral water per day, about 1.5-2 liters.
Protein food should only be of high quality. It is best to use natural ingredients as a source of protein: eggs, meat, dairy products, protein and vegetable shakes. However, it is worth knowing that protein food should be introduced not at the initial stages and gradually, since it is considered difficult for the body.
Eliminate refined sugars from the daily diet: sweet soda, candy, and so on.

How do you get anorexia?

The factors provoking the disease can be roughly divided into: independent, cultivated and unconscious. Moreover, from the variety of conditions for the maturation of the disease, certain types of disorders are formed.

The main causes of anorexia are:

poor heredity;

improper care and education;
the detrimental influence of society;
surgical and oncological diseases;
psychiatric disorders.

How do people get anorexia? They simply stop taking in a sufficient amount of food for normal life. They are hindered, for example, by pain or the absence of certain organs. They can develop destructive subconscious reflexes that are difficult to control. Their worldview is rather categorical than rational: in judgments about the appearance and social role of a person, extremes are traced.

Classification

Anorexia can manifest itself in the following varieties:

Anorexia nervosa. In this case, it implies a weakening of the feeling of hunger or its complete loss, resulting from a persistent desire to lose weight (often such a desire does not find an appropriate psychological justification) with an excessive restriction of patients themselves in relation to food intake. This type of anorexia can provoke a number of severe consequences, including metabolic disorders, cachexia, etc. It is noteworthy that the period of cachexia is characterized by the exclusion of patients' attention from their own frightening and repulsive appearance, in other cases the results achieved cause them a feeling of satisfaction …
Primary anorexia. In this case, the states of lack of appetite in children due to various reasons are considered, as well as the loss of hunger against the background of hormonal dysfunction, malignant tumor or neurological pathology.
Mental anorexia (or nervous cachexia, neuropsychic anorexia). In this case, mental anorexia is considered as states with refusal to eat or with a loss of hunger due to suppression of appetite against the background of psychiatric diseases (catatonic and depressive states, the presence of delusional ideas about possible poisoning, etc.).
Medicinal anorexia. In this case, conditions are considered in which patients lose their feeling of hunger, provoking this loss either unconsciously (when treating a particular type of disease), or deliberately. In the latter case, efforts are aimed at achieving the goal in the form of weight loss through the use of appropriate drugs, in which the feeling of hunger is lost. In addition, in this case, anorexia acts as a side effect when using certain stimulants, antidepressants.
Mental painful anorexia. In this case, patients with anorexia have a painful feeling of weakening and loss of the ability to become aware of hunger while awake. The peculiarity of this type of state lies in the fact that in some cases they are faced with almost “wolf” hunger in a dream.

The states of mental anorexia and painful mental anorexia were considered sufficient for a general description of these conditions (in particular, this concerns its painful form; mental anorexia, is characterized by a complex picture of the clinic, determined based on the concomitant psychiatric illness). Therefore, below we will consider the remaining forms of the disease (respectively, with the exclusion of the forms indicated).

Preparations for the normalization of metabolism

Inpatient and outpatient (home) treatment of anorexia necessarily involves the use of funds that eliminate nutritional deficiencies (especially proteins) and restore metabolic processes: salt, electrolyte, protein, carbohydrate-fat. Such medicines consist of vegetable fats, milk protein, amino acids, and easily digestible carbohydrates. In difficult situations, they can be administered intravenously and are as safe as possible for the patient. The following drugs have earned the trust of doctors in the treatment of anorexia:

Name of the medicine	Mode of application	Contraindications	Side effects
Berlamine	enterally through a tube or orally; at the initial stage of anorexia, the drug can be used as an additive to the main food in sauces, mashed potatoes, curd masses; the powder is dissolved in warm boiled water (30 g per 100 ml)	intestinal obstruction; acute pancreatitis; hepatic coma; allergy to soy, cow's milk protein; disorders of fat digestion	unknown
Polyamine	parenteral (intravenous drip); initial rate – 10-20 drops / min, after half an hour, increase the rate of drug administration to 25-35 drops / min; enter no more than 100 ml per hour; daily dose for 5 days – 400-1200 ml	renal failure; hypersensitivity to the components of the composition; hemorrhagic stroke; thrombophlebitis; chronic heart failure (decompensated)	hyperemia of the face (redness); headache; nausea, vomiting; hot flush

Symptoms of anorexia

The most important symptoms of anorexia are decreased appetite and significant weight loss (more than 15% of the norm). The disease is also expressed by menstrual irregularities (in women), amenorrhea, weakness, sleep and potency disorders (in men), arrhythmia, muscle spasms. In anorexia nervosa, patients constantly feel that they are unnecessarily full; self-esteem is markedly underestimated and depends on weight.

Physiological signs of anorexia:

body weight is significantly (more than 30%) below the age norm;
weakness, dizziness, tendency to frequent fainting;
the growth of thin and soft vellus hair on the body;
decreased sexual activity, in women, menstrual disorders up to amenorrhea and anovulation;
poor blood circulation and, as a result, a constant feeling of cold.

Eating manifestations:

an obsessive desire to lose weight, despite the insufficiency (or compliance with the norm) weight;
fatphobia (obsessive fear of excess weight, obesity);
turning meals into a ritual, chewing especially thoroughly (sometimes swallowing without chewing), serving in small portions, cutting into small pieces;
food obsessions, fanatical calorie counting, narrowing interests and focusing on weight loss issues;
regular refusal to eat, motivated by a lack of appetite or recent food intake, limiting its amount (the argument is “I'm already full (a)”);
avoidance of activities related to the intake of food, psychological discomfort after eating.

Mental condition:

often – psychological lability, sleep disturbances;
feeling of loss of control over your life, inability to be active, futility of efforts;
depressed state of mind, depression, apathy, decreased ability to concentrate, work capacity, withdrawal into oneself, fixation on one's problems, dissatisfaction with oneself, one's appearance and one's success in losing weight;
anorexic does not believe that he is sick, refuses the need for treatment, persists in refusing food.

Other behavioral signs:

the preferred choice of loose baggy clothing (to hide your perceived excess weight);
rigid, fanatical, incapable of flexibility type of thinking, aggressiveness in defending their beliefs;
tendency to avoid society, solitude;
the desire for increased physical activity, irritation, if it is not possible to perform exercises with overload.

If you do not deal with the treatment of anorexia, the patient can reach the cachectic stage (dystrophy of internal organs), which leads to death.

Risk factors

In addition to the alleged theories of the origin of the disease, scientists also consider various risk factors. These conditions increase the risk of anorexia, but do not define the disorder on their own. The discovery of many forms of predisposition to illness has helped psychologists develop prevention of eating disorders in adolescents.

Key risk factors:

Low self-esteem, provoking psychological discomfort.
Dysfunctional family. Severity, lack of warm relations with the father, formalization of parenting can affect the development of anorexia;
Negative experience of interaction with peers, primarily formed in schools and other educational institutions. The girl may become depressed due to ridicule about being overweight or other aspects of her appearance;
Complicated family history. The presence of close relatives suffering from mental illness increases the individual risk of illness;
Age. Anorexia occurs most often in women between the ages of 15 and 35.

Doctors believe that hereditary factors in anorexia are not as important as the psychological state. It is reliably known that the disease is not directly transmitted to children from parents.

Diagnostics

Anorexia is diagnosed in the following cases:

serious endocrine disorders are diagnosed;
decreased sex drive in men;
menstruation stops in girls and women;
weight below the required level by 15% or more;
a person is fanatically involved in sports and exhausts himself with excessive physical exertion;
a person refuses to eat consciously, as he is constantly tormented by thoughts of being overweight;
the patient in all possible ways tries to “cleanse” the body after eating (induces vomiting, puts enemas, drinks laxatives, etc.);
developmental delays are observed in adolescents and children.

When seeking medical help, to clarify the diagnosis and stage of the disease, the doctor may prescribe:

Consultations of narrow specialists. Examinations are shown: endocrinologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, women – gynecologist.
Laboratory tests. A general blood test, a blood test for glucose levels, as well as for thyroid hormones.
Other diagnostic methods. The most common are gastroscopy, electrocardiogram, X-ray, computed tomography of the head.

During the examination of the patient, in addition to weighing and questioning, the doctor calculates the so-called body mass index. Its normal value is 18-25 kg / m2. At values below the norm, a conclusion is made about insufficient body weight.

Symptoms of pathology

It is necessary to distinguish anorexia from simple thinness. The latter indicates the presence of diseases of the internal organs, not necessarily the digestive system. Psychological causes underlie anorexia nervosa.

For anorexics, symptoms such as a distorted perception of their own body are characteristic. This is most often seen in women who consider themselves “too fat.” Such patients are characterized by denial of their anorexia.

Parents may find the following signs of the disease in adolescents:

1 Compliance with a diet without a specific goal. That is, a person simply cannot name it, he follows a diet without difficulty, without complaining about restrictions. Often in the early stages of the disease, weight loss is not observed, because due to the hormonal jump, kilograms can be added or simply the figure can change. But if a girl refuses food altogether, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
2 Constant sorting of products. Anorexic constantly calculates calories, studies the chemical composition, the ratio of fats and carbohydrates.
3 Hyperactivity. As a rule, people on a strict diet avoid strenuous physical activity. But anorexic, on the contrary, often go in for sports to the point of exhaustion. However, this is only possible at the first stage, because over time they simply do not have enough.
4 Masking the problem. Anorexic people are great at hiding that they have food problems. They are looking for reasons not to sit down at the table (already had lunch in a cafe, will have dinner later, etc.). This is done in order not to disturb loved ones. For the same reason, anorexic people often choose loose clothing to hide their thinness.

Treatment

Treatment for anorexia should be comprehensive. Therapy involves consultation with a psychologist and psychiatrist. You also need to find a good nutritionist – the doctor will help you make the right diet.

It is not always possible to be treated at home, sometimes you have to be in the hospital for some time, but in this way you can get a stable result. It must be understood that the disease cannot be overcome quickly, if only because the anorexic often resists treatment.

Medication

At home, you can fight anorexia only with a mild course of the disease. With severe dystrophy, hospitalization is indicated.

At the first stage, drug treatment includes general strengthening therapy. On the one hand, it is aimed at correcting existing endocrine disorders. On the other hand, psychotropic drugs are prescribed that help to cope with the very cause of the disease.

General strengthening therapy involves the use of such means as:

glucose;
insulin;
albumen;
Panangin and other similar drugs;
vitamin complexes.

Depending on the severity of the disease, they can be prescribed in different forms; in case of severe dystrophy, intravenous injections and droppers are indicated.

All medications are prescribed individually. So, antidepressants (Fluoxetine), various antipsychotics (Azaleptin) and nootropics (Vinpotropil) help to get rid of anorexia. Tranquilizers like Phenazepam are sometimes used.

In no case should you prescribe such funds yourself. This is fraught with serious side effects. Psychopharmacotherapy is often combined with taking immunomodulators (Levomizole and Dekaris). Iron tablets should also be taken, as many anorexic patients develop anemia.

With anorexia, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract often develop – mainly secondary gastritis and colitis. Therefore, such patients are often prescribed Cerucal and various enzyme preparations (Creon), antacids and enterosorbents, when it comes to gastritis with high acidity.

To relieve pain, antispasmodics are used, of which Duspalatin is the most effective. Since there are digestive problems, mild laxatives are used to relieve constipation. Taking into account the general state of health, hepatoprotectors are prescribed – Unienzyme and Phosphoglyph, which help to support the functioning of the liver.

Folk remedies

To cure anorexia, in addition to psychotherapy and medications, you can use some folk remedies. But with their help, it is really possible to eliminate only the symptoms that develop due to prolonged fasting, but not the disease itself. Folk remedies can increase appetite.

A decoction of calamus marsh is recommended:

1 Take 1 tsp. crushed rhizome.
2 Pour into 400 ml of boiling water.
3 Cook with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
4 The broth is cooled to an acceptable temperature, 2 cups before each meal.

Marsh calamus stimulates the secretion of gastric juice. Therefore, if anorexia is accompanied by gastritis with high acidity, the decoction is contraindicated.

Orange helps to stimulate appetite. But it is recommended to take leaves and not quite ripe fruits for this. For 1 tsp. crushed leaves and one fruit will need 500 ml of boiling water. The tool is insisted for an hour and 100 ml is drunk before each meal.

Fight and conquer anorexia: home treatment

A neurotic behavioral disorder in which a person refuses part or all of food is called anorexia. The disease is significantly aggravated by malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and nervous systems, a slowdown in metabolic processes and other unpleasant symptoms. However, doctors believe that it is possible to cure anorexia, although mortality from it reaches high rates. About forty percent of patients who did not manage to turn to doctors for help in time die from the irreversible consequences of the disease.

The main factor that determines a positive or negative prognosis in the treatment of anorexia is the accuracy and speed of diagnosis. The sooner it becomes clear which disease depletes a person, the more chances there are for the restoration of all body functions and full recovery. Usually the problem is aggravated by the fact that patients refuse to adequately assess their condition and recognize the need for treatment.

Treatment options: in the hospital or at home

Treating anorexia nervosa is a protracted, difficult and dangerous process, especially if it has gone too far. The first thing that is required is faith in yourself, your strength, determination to cope with difficulties and win, returning yourself to a normal, full-fledged life. One of the main causes of the onset of the disease is a psychogenic factor, therefore a positive attitude becomes a very important point that should not be overlooked.

The most effective treatment is provided exclusively by professional doctors in inpatient conditions. Only psychotherapists and nutritionists in the clinic can provide comprehensive measures to relieve symptoms and eliminate physiological consequences. An important factor is the patient's desire to recover. Compulsory admission to a hospital is practiced with the consent of relatives after the patient's mental inability to make decisions on his own is recognized.

Nonspecific

It is permissible to leave the patient at home in extremely rare cases at the initial stages of the disease. All activities are carried out under the guidance and in cooperation with doctors. The first stage is non-specific.

It includes procedures to return patients to their normal rhythm of life, restore normal weight and release from cachexia. So that they cannot induce vomiting or drink laxatives, it is necessary to organize round-the-clock supervision of medical personnel.

Individual (specific)

The second stage of therapy is the most difficult in the treatment of anorexia. It is aimed at improving the patient's mental health. According to experts, it is especially difficult to work with adolescents and young girls who are firmly convinced of their own righteousness and diligently deny the problem. Other categories of patients suffer from obsessive states, a constant feeling of anxiety, anxiety. Outbreaks of uncontrolled aggression and irritability may occur.

Treating patients whose condition is exacerbated by schizophrenia is further complicated. They may see hallucinations as well as exhibit perverse behaviors. Often, doctors additionally prescribe hypnosis sessions, psychotherapy with elements of suggestion. The method of treatment is prescribed individually, taking into account the characteristics of the organism and the mental state of the individual.

In the hospital, there may be difficulties in establishing the necessary psychological contact between the patient and the medical staff, relatives, and family. By default, he is hostile towards others, especially if the treatment is forced. Therefore, it is necessary to make more efforts to others in order to restore, stabilize the mental health of the patient.

Methods of exposure

Only a professional can determine how to cure anorexia in each case. However, it is possible to outline the main methods used in medical practice.

The mainstay of treatment for behavioral disorders, including eating disorders, is psychotherapy. It can be individual or group and can last long enough. But even with the stabilization of the patient's physical condition, bringing his mass back to normal, there is no guarantee that the emotional and mental will also normalize. Family type of psychotherapy is practiced to enhance its effectiveness.
Rational therapy is indicated in difficult cases: the physician inspires the patient with the need to gain weight and fight for life. The patient must restore the social and labor adaptation lost during refusal to eat, return to a normal regimen and a healthy attitude towards himself.
Possible drug therapy for anorexia, in which only drugs prescribed by the attending physician are used. Lithium carbonate, metabolic and sedatives, antidepressants – these should all be taken on an individual basis.
The nutritional component of the problem is stopped by a medical specialist, who himself selects the most favorable diet. In especially severe cases, feeding with a tube can be prescribed, but only in a hospital setting. Then vitamins, trace elements, minerals are necessarily added to the diet.
For mental disorders, hypnotherapy is prescribed. This is most often done with concomitant schizophrenia.

The treatment process should always be complex, and having only a few steps or methods, for example, taking antidepressants or tube feeding, can backfire.

Why does the disorder develop?

Anorexia happens:

neurotic;
neurodynamic;
neuropsychic.

All types lead to uncontrolled loss of body weight, up to complete exhaustion. Forms differ in the mechanism of their development.

Neurotic anorexia

This is the result of overexcitation of the cerebral cortex against the background of prolonged exposure to negative emotions. Men who have experienced severe shocks and serious psychological illnesses are more prone to this form.

Neuro-dynamic form

It develops against the background of strong physical stimuli – pain, spasms. With this influence, the activity of the center responsible for appetite decreases. More often observed in patients with severe neuropathies and cancer.

Neuropsychic form

The most common type of illness. It occurs in people with mental disorders (depression, obsessive compulsions, phobias). Sometimes it develops with excessive enthusiasm for diets. Fear of weight gain, obesity, loss of attractiveness leads to refusal to eat.

Anorexia nervosa is characteristic of young people who are insecure. It is characteristic that the disease affects different segments of the population. It often arises against the background of increased demands on yourself and your appearance.

“She's like a cow!”

My parents divorced when I was very young. We did not communicate with my father, but suddenly, when I turned 12, my mother decided to introduce us. We came to work for him. Interesting, athletic build and with piercing brown eyes, dad went out into the corridor, somehow walking, without much interest looked at me and asked something on duty about school.

Then for some reason I noticed that I most likely have a lot of girlfriends and I'm probably already interested in boys. Then he took my mother aside and for a long time explained something to her, and I remained to examine the stand “First aid for stroke”.

On the way home, my mother seemed to be very embarrassed by something. I thought that the conversation as such with my father did not work out (and in general I imagined the meeting in a completely different way). But it turned out that my father said something about me that angered her, but with which, deep down, she agreed. In the evening I overheard her conversation with a friend. It turned out that this stranger to me man in a white coat, seeing me, said to my mother: “Well, you fed her! She's like a cow! ” For the first time in my life, I realized how huge it was: with a height of 168 cm, I weighed 65 kg.

Those friends in misfortune who did not find understanding from their relatives were never able to return to normal life.

I sobbed all night, and the next morning I decided to lose weight by all means. Nobody ever told me how to do it. I went to the Internet, and the first thing that for some reason I saw was the phrase of Maya Plisetskaya about the fact that you just need to “close your mouth” (that is, stop eating). And I stopped. Rather, she ate only vegetables and fruits, drank unsweetened tea and skim milk. Mom left for work in the morning, returned late in the evening, so she did not control me in any way. I threw out the lunch she left or fed to my friend Svetka, who sometimes dropped by to see me after school. And milk instead of supper in the light of what her father had said, even delighted her.

Slim, even slimmer

A week later, when the scales showed minus 3 kg, I asked my mother to buy an exercise bike. She smiled, and a couple of days later two loaders from a sports store brought a colossus, on which I rewound 7-10 km every day. In addition, she ran around the house in the morning. My sudden love of fitness at first made my mother very happy, but when, four months later, instead of the previous 65 kg, 52 kg remained in me, she began to worry.

Every day the arrow of the scales deviated more and more to the left and finally overcame the “50 kg” mark. The weight began to fall further. Each new figure made me very happy, but the reflection in the mirror continued to scare me. Despite the fact that my mother gasped: “Look at what you've brought yourself to, skin and bones!”, I still saw in the reflection a fat cow with a plump belly and cellulite thighs. My mother and I stopped finding a common language.

Her words annoyed me – as, indeed, everyone around. And study, and classmates, and even a friend Svetka. I began to get tired quickly, I got cold, even when I put on a warm jacket at home. I didn't care about anything other than my weight loss. I followed the numbers on the scales with sporting passion and fell into despair when they did not decrease for several days.

Lunch under control

When the scales showed 41 kg, my mother finally sounded the alarm and made me have breakfast and dinner not as usual in my room, but in the kitchen, with her. I picked the mashed potatoes for a long time, cut the cutlet into microscopic pieces and chewed them 30-40 times. Then I ran to the toilet and made me vomit – I was terrified that all this “wrong” food would end up in my stomach. Breakfasts and dinners ended in scandal and my hysteria. Finally, my mother put me before a choice – either I would go to a psychotherapist with her, or she would put me in a closed hospital, where they would feed me through a tube. I replied that if she did, I would commit suicide. We ended up going to the doctor together.

Start of treatment

In the first sessions, the doctor convinced us both of the need for treatment. I was sure that there was nothing dangerous in my condition, my mother also in some way considered my illness a child's whim.

The therapist did not intimidate, but still found the words to which I listened. I began to take medications: antidepressants, tranquilizers and antipsychotics – they removed the obsession with weight and food and reduced the pathological fear of gaining kilograms. I was also prescribed vitamins and supplements.

Then there was a long work on myself. We talked a lot about my past, present, future, about close people, about my father …

I did not even perceive these conversations as treatment, but latently everything was changing: both the attitude towards myself and the perception of others. Even the idea of their appearance has changed.

I remember how a simple technique unexpectedly worked strongly: the doctor asked me to draw my true dimensions on a sheet of Whatman paper, I painted something huge and spherical. After that, the doctor pinned the paper to the wall, put me in front of it and outlined the outline of the figure. It turned out that I am much more graceful than I think!

Anorexia has changed my life for the better. Now I'm sure that I can handle everything

The return to food was gradual. At first, she literally ate a spoonful, but often, 6–8 times a day, and during breaks she drank a special high-calorie cocktail. For every bite and sip eaten, I was praised as a small one. Mom in those days was more tender with me than ever. And suddenly I clearly understood: I want to become normal again!

Life in size 44

In group sessions with a psychologist, which began after individual therapy, I met girls who, like me, suffered from anorexia. At the meetings, each of us told our story, then we discussed each other's problems, advised, shared successes, and experienced breakdowns together. The two girls I met in group therapy are now my best friends.

Then I met a guy on the subway. He fell in love with me at first sight, however, he constantly said that I was too thin. But by that time, I myself wanted to become more feminine. Today I feel quite comfortable in size 44. I try to eat often, at least 5 times a day, but little by little.

We call back with our girlfriends, we meet in a cafe (before it was unthinkable, the sight of food scared and disgusted me). The psychologist not only made us friends, but also restored faith in himself. We realized that we are all very strong people, since through severe self-restraint we were able to achieve our, albeit erroneous, goal. Now it is important to set the right goals – and everything will definitely come true.

Sources used and useful links on the topic: https://allslim.ru/517-lechenie-anoreksii.html https://BezMedikov.ru/narrecept/pishhevaritelnaya/lechenie-anoreksii.html https://FoodandHealth.ru/bolezni/ lechenie-anoreksii / https://gp195.ru/bolezni/kak-lechit-anoreksiyu.html https://nadietu.net/eating-disorders/lechenie-anoreksii.html https://www.fitnessera.ru/nedoocenivaya- anoreksiyu-lechenie-v-domashnix-usloviyax-slozhno-no-vozmozhno.html https://mojkishechnik.ru/content/chto-takoe-anoreksiya-pervye-priznaki-zabolevaniya-i-lechenie https: //www.psychologies. ru / story / sindrom-manekenschits-ili-kak-ya-pobedila-anoreksiyu /

Post source: lastici.ru