How Do You Knowย if Someoneย Has Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa is likely the most well-known eating disorder. It generally develops during adolescence or young adulthood and tends to affect more women than men. Anorexia Nervosa sufferers generally view themselves as overweight, even if theyโre dangerously underweight. They tend to constantly monitor their weight, avoid eating certain types of foods and severely restrict their calories.
Anorexia is officially categorized into two subtypesโa restricting type and a binge-eating and purging type. Individuals with the restricting type lose weight solely through dieting, fasting or excessive exercise. Individuals with the binge-eating and purging type may binge on large amounts of food or eat very little. In both cases, after they eat, they purge using activities including vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics or exercising excessively. In severe cases, anorexia can result in heart, brain or multi-organ failure and death.
If you or someone you love is battling anorexia, we can help. Have a confidential conversation with a counselor right now. Call (888) 837-6577.
Warning Signs
There are a number of signs that accompany anorexia. Knowing these signs could save a life, because prompt treatmentย is necessary to prevent severe and sometimes fatal complications of the disease. If you recognize any of these symptoms in your own life, seek professional help. If you see these signs in someone you love, encourage them to get treatment.
How Can You Tell if Someone is Anorexic?
Someone who is anorexic can exhibit one or many of the following symptoms:
- Obsession with counting calories and/or keeping calorie consumption very low
- Sudden interest in reading and studying food labels
- Not eating or only eating certain types of food
- Extensive list of excuses for not eating
- Leaving the table right after eating to induce purging (vomiting)
- Repeatedly monitoring fluctuations in weight loss or gain
- Excessive exercising
- Adjusting eating and exercise to compensate for a marginal weight gain
- Frequently checking their body image in the mirror
- Consuming diet control drugs such as appetite suppressants, diuretics, or laxatives
- Extreme mood or personality swings (self-doubt, changes to self-esteem)
- Obsessive eating habits like refusing to eat in public, cutting food into tiny morsels, only eating certain colors or flavors of food
If you suspect you or someone you love has anorexia, donโt try to manage the condition without help. Anorexia can be life-threatening.
Seeking treatment from a qualified team of individuals, skilled and experienced in working with eating disorders is the best decision. Youโll need a teamโa doctor, a nutritionist, and a mental health professional. The doctor can best manage any medical conditions that arise, such as malnutrition, irregular heartbeat, electrolyte imbalance or amenorrhea. The nutritionist will help educate you about healthy eating choices and behaviors. The mental health professional will help you identify any underlying issues which may be contributing to the condition and formulate a plan to address those issues.
The Honey Lake Clinic Difference
At Honey Lake Clinic, our experienced staff, licensed therapists, psychologists, and psychiatric specialists understand that effective treatment for eating disorders requires a multifaceted, faith-based approach, involving healing of the body, mind, and spirit. Our unique treatment programs specifically and deeply address all three spheres, offering each client his or her greatest chance at wholeness and transformative growth.
This holistic approach and a combination of key factors makes our mental health program at Honey Lake Clinic different from the others in the country.
Youโll benefit from Honey Lakeโsโ
- Integration of a Bible-based approach and sound psychological principles
- Experienced, compassionate, and highly trained clinical staff
- Individualized treatment with a low caseload of patients per therapist
- Practical curriculum focused on decision-making mechanics and skills
- Emphasis on holistic healing of the mind, body, and spirit