It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what causes anorexia. The disorder is rather complex, and may stem from a number of causes that range from physical to emotional, psychological, and societal. One key factor in the onset of anorexia appears to be genetics. It is very common for someone with an eating disorder to exhibit a family history of similar disorders. There are personality traits that can also make a person more prone to be anorexic. People with depression, anxiety, or similar mood disorders are more likely to develop eating disorders.
Anorexia is a disorder that affects millions of people of all ages, genders, and sociological backgrounds. There are many misconceptions about anorexia, which can often be harmful or confusing to a person needing treatment or their families. One common misconception is that people may pretend to feel fat in order to get positive attention from people. This is simply not true. People with anorexia legitimately lack the ability to accurately see their bodies. They are not seeing their reflections the same way other people see them.
Seeking treatment for anorexia is the first and most important step towards recovering. There are several types of treatments for anorexia, and which type of treatment you should seek depends on you and your personal situation. A residential treatment program incorporates several different types of therapies, which all combine to form a total treatment plan. The staff at a residential treatment facility may include psychologists, physicians, psychiatrists, nutritionists, and other specialists.
The brain is wired to have a reaction when it sees an image of a body. These reactions affect several regions of the brain, which ultimately process to form a persons body image perception. In an anorexic person, the connection that ties seeing one’s body to the brain functions that provide an opinion about that image, may be weaker. The weaker this connection, the more likely it is for a person to see themselves as fat or overweight, when others may be able to see them clearly as very thin or underweight.
Recovering from anorexia can be a long and difficult process. Often, even after a successful treatment plan, and individual may relapse back into disordered thinking. That's why ongoing therapy for eating disorders is so important. Understanding one’s relapse triggers may help prevent a potential relapse. One common relapse is having an illness, such as the flu, which affects appetite. In times when appetite is diminished, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy eating plan, and the temptation to slip back into a reduced diet may be difficult to resist.
It has long been known that eating disorders such as anorexia can be fueled by the media's portrayal of thinness and beauty. Unnatural expectations can help feed an obsession with being thin and losing weight. In recent years, a disturbing trend has emerged, which may be further exacerbating the effect of media on those especially vulnerable to eating disorders.
Eating disorders are extremely common among women. There is more media and public attention centered on women and eating disorders than men, and there is thus a common misconception eating disorders to not occur in men. Many people who suffer from an eating disorder may feel that there is a negative social connotation around their disorder, and this can be a problem in particular for men. Men may hesitate to seek assistance for their anorexia because of the anxiety around experiencing what they perceive to be a female problem.
Anorexia is a serious disease that can cause many health risks. These risks can include failure of the cardiovascular system, psychological issues, and can be fatal if left untreated. Some of the dangerous effects of anorexia, such as osteoporosis, can occur long after a person has recovered from the disorder.
When you have an eating disorder such as anorexia, you are constantly worried about your weight. You base much of your self worth on how thin you are. It may seem that anorexia is simply an extreme diet, when in fact, the causes of anorexia are often much more complex and deep-rooted. Anorexia is not simply a diet. It is an attempt to control your life through your behavior and eating patterns. The desire to exercise such control is generally symptomatic of serious psychological issues.
