The feet and hands of the anorexic patient may be cold or swollen sometimes.
The stomach is often distressed after eating and is often bloated. Thinking may
be confused or slowed, and an anorexic patient may have poor memory and
judgement. Again all of these symptoms vary from individuals as could be seen in
young women who have diabetes and anorexia. Such people may have a normal weight
or even be overweight but still anorexic. A study conducted by Harvard medical
school psychiatrist Dr. Theodore .A. Stern concluded, the most bewildering
symptom of anorexia is the distorted body image(Psychology Today May 96). In
another study people with anorexia tended to have an accurate perception of
their upper body, but over estimated the size of their abdominal and pelvic
area. There are a lot of complications that could arise from anorexia. Studies
of anorexic patients reported death ranging from 4% to 20% (The World of
Psychology Page 317). According to the FDA heart disease is the most common
medical cause of death for people with anorexia. This is because the heart can
develop dangerous rhythms, including slow rhythms known as bradycardia.
Electrolyte imbalances can occur as a result of anorexia. Minerals such as
potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphate are normally dissolved in the body
fluid. Calcium and Potassium are particularly critical in maintaining the
electric currents that cause the heart to beat regularly. The dehydration and
starvation of anorexia can reduce fluid levels and mineral contents, a condition
known as electrolyte imbalance, which can be of very serious and even life
threatening, unless the fluids and minerals are replaced.
Reproductive and hormonal abnormalities can occur due to anorexia. Anorexia
causes low levels of reproductive hormones, changes in thyroid hormones, and
increases the level of stress hormones, which causes amenorrhea. According to
Psychology Today long term irregular or absent menstruation is common which
eventually may cause sterility and bone loss. The major scare of anorexia is
that it can cause death. According to the e world of psychology Unfortunately up
to 20% of those suffering from anorexia nervosa eventually die of starvation or
complications from organ damage(The World of Psychology Page 371). The World of
Psychology summarizes the complications that could arise from anorexia and
concludes that anorexics may also develop low blood pressure, impaired heart
function, dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, and/or sterility(The World of
Psychology Page 371). This is in clear similarity to the other researches
conducted by psychologists and shows the complications that could arise from
anorexia. The major difficulty in treating an eating disorder like anorexia is
often the resistance of the anorexic patient, who believes that the emancipation
is normal and even attractive. According to the World of Psychology Anorexia is
very difficult to treat. Most anorexic patients are steadfast in their refusal
to eat, while insisting that nothing is wrong with them(The World of Psychology
Page 371). Most moderately to severely ill anorexic patients should be admitted
to the hospital for immediate treatment. In addition to immediate treatment of
any serious medical problem, the goal of the anorexic patient is to increase
weight. To do this therapy could be used until the anorexic patient succeeds in
overcoming this difficult disorder. Anorexic patients who are severely
malnourished should begin with a calorie count as low as 1500 calories a day, in
order to reduce the chances for stomach pain and bloating, fluid retention and
heart failure. The World of Psychology summarizes the treatment of anorexia.
According to Samuel Wood and Ellen Green the main thrust of treatment, therefore
is to get the anorexic individual to gain weight. The patient may be admitted to
a hospital, a few controlled diets, and given rewards for small weight gains and
increase in food intake. The treatment usually includes some type of
psychotherapy and/or a self-help group(The World of Psychology Page 371). Since
anorexia nervosa has no real treatment, the only real treatment for now could be
eating healthy, exercising moderately and also doing constant medical checkups
Bibliography
The World of Psychology
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