Anorexia Nervosa

• What are the symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?
• Where would one go to find help?

Anorexia is a disorder where the main characteristic is the restriction of food and the refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight. Any actual gain or even perceived gain of weight is met with intense fear by the Anorexic. Not only is there a true feeling of fear, but also once in the grasp of the disorder, Anorexics experience body image distortions. Those areas of the body usually representing maturity or sexuality including the buttocks, hips, thighs and breast are visualized by the Anorexic as being fat. For some Anorexics, weight loss is so severe there is a loss of menses. In the obsessive pursuit of thinness, Anorexics participate in restrictive dieting, compulsive exercise, and laxative and diuretic abuse. If Anorexia Nervosa is left untreated, it can be fatal.

Anorexia Nervosa is the failure to maintain a body weight of at least 85% of what is expected for an individual's height and bone structure. Some individuals with Anorexia Nervosa will also suffer from Bulimia Nervosa .

What are the symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?

• Intense fear of gaining weight.
• Disturbance in the way in which one perceives their body size and shape.
• Denial of the seriousness of their current low body weight.
• Absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles.

Eating disorders can be fatal, therefore it is imperative to seek help.

Where would one go to find help?

• See your primary care physician or gynecologist immediately
• See a board certified psychiatrist.
• Seek counseling from a licensed psychotherapist.
• Seek a support group for persons suffering from eating disorders.

Please contact us for more information or for an appointment by calling us at 281-357-4111 or e-mailing us at info@cccctomball.com.

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