People suffering from Anorexia Nervosa deserve better!
Anorexia Nervosa: 50% recover, 30% improve and 20% remain chronically ill.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is about so much more than loosing weight, looking skinny, or constantly being on a diet. It is much more complex than that.
Anorexia does not discriminate. Anorexia affects not only females but also increasingly males, it can affect people from all ethnicities and different social classes.
Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder in adolescence. It is a serious mental health condition, that sufferers often have immense feelings of shame about and therefore try to hide it. If there is not appropriate intervention offered early on, recovery becomes difficult and individuals may remain chronically ill.
Excessive worrying, extremely high levels of perfectionism, depression, anxiety, perception of body image, self-harm and suicide are other psychological markers and behaviours that are often present alongside the symptoms of anorexia.
Due to reduced food intake and/or purging behaviours Anorexia has a number of associated physical symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, feeling cold, increased hair growth on certain body parts like the arms for example (lanugo), difficulties concentrating, amenorrhea, damage to the teeth, osteoporosis and more.
This is what can often be found on the surface of Anorexia Nervosa. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Young people deserve highly individualised treatment to help them untangle and understand the complexities of Anorexia nervosa (and other Eating Disorders). There is no one size fits all approach. It is gullible to believe that one theoretical therapeutic approach holds the answer to such complexity. Every person should be understood and appreciated for their individuality and treated as such. Effective treatment that has the highest likelihood of sustained recovery, takes time, due to the complexity and severity of the disorder.
Young people deserve to be on the journey of recovery with a as few changes of professionals as possible. Often times it is necessary that multiple professionals work together (GP, psychiatrist, therapist, nutritionist). However, these professionals, in particular the therapist, should remain a safe constant on their journey of recovery.
We as professionals and the mental health services need to be able to provide this support!
Full and sustained recovery is possible with the correct support system in place.
Everyone deserves to receive this support!
Go online and find out more about Anorexia Nervosa and other Eating Disorders and support available: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
NB: Due to my specialism of working with children and young people the focus of this article lies with this population. Adults who suffer from AN, or any ED for that matter, equally deserve the best support possible.
References:
Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of general psychiatry, 68(7), 724–731.
NICE Guidelines 2004. “Eating Disorders Core Interventions in the Treatment and Management of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Related Eating Disorders”
Steinhausen, H. C. (2002). The outcome of anorexia nervosa in the 20th century. American journal of Psychiatry, 159(8), 1284–1293.
