The 20 CONSEQUENCES of ANOREXIA: psychological, physical and social

Eating disorders and food intake disorders are characterized by a persistent alteration in eating that leads to an alteration in the consumption or absorption of food and causing a significant deterioration in physical health and functioning psychosocial. Eating disorders are similar in their basic symptoms, especially in intake and absorption of food but also present great differences not only in symptomatic behavior, but also in their consequences. For this reason it is so necessary to establish a differential diagnosis through the consequences and symptoms; In this Psychology-Online article we share what those are consequences of anorexia and what are its symptoms.

Index

1. What is anorexia
2. Symptoms of anorexia
3. Psychological and emotional consequences of anorexia
4. Physical consequences of anorexia
5. Social consequences of anorexia
6. Family consequences of anorexia

Anorexia is one of the Eating disorder established by DSM 5 (2013), and it differs from the other disorders in this category by its three basic characteristics:

• Persistent energy intake restriction, that is, not constantly consuming any type of nutrient.
• Fear of gaining weight or gaining weight or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain.
• Alteration of the way of perceiving the weight and the own constitution.

In general, anorexia is recognized as a mental disorder characterized by its obsession with gaining body weight, a distorted perception that is almost delusional about his own body which makes himself look very fat even when the appropriate weight for the patient is well below what settled down. For this reason, behaviors aimed at fulfilling their obsession are started such as a considered reduction in food intake (fasts, diets, exercises).

Two types can be distinguished in anorexia nervosa:

• Restrictive type: This subtype describes presentations in which weight loss is mainly due to diet, fasting and / or excessive exercise.
• Binge / Purge Guy: This subtype describes presentations in which the patient has had recurrent episodes of bingeing or purging (that is, self-induced vomiting or inappropriate use of laxatives and diuretics).

Here you will find more information about the types of anorexia.

The symptoms of this disorder manifest themselves in several areas: cognitive, emotional, behavioral, perceptual, and physical. Below we share the classification of each of them.

Altered perception

An alteration in the way in which you perceive your own weight or body constitution, a null recognition of the severity of your current low body weight.

Emotional disturbance

The person expresses great fear at the idea of ​​suffering increases in body weight, which is evidenced by many sometimes with symptoms very similar to a noradrenergic response or in a state of alert (anxiety symptoms). They can also manifest depressive signs and symptoms, irritability, insomnia.

Cognitive symptoms

Cognitive errors occur about food intake and absorption (beliefs about food, figure or canons of beauty and weight especially the information they have on carbohydrates, fats and proteins); and other ways of processing information (such as attention, delusional or delusional experiences that correlate with dysfunctional behaviors).

Behavioral disturbance

Persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain, even at significantly low weight (for example, exercising excessively, purging to vomit, use of laxatives, use of diuretics or enemas, diets that lead to a considerable restriction of energy intake in relation to needs). Some patients presenting with binge-eating and purging tend to accumulate recipes or food.

Due to the persistent fear of increasing body weight, subjects with anorexia nervosa constantly check their weight with a scale or do obsessive counting of your carbohydrate intake and in their visits to the doctor they usually consume large amounts of water in order to avoid interventions that they think are unnecessary.

In addition to behaviors related to the interest in avoiding body weight gain, patients may also manifest a Social isolation very marked and a decrease in interest in sex.

Physical / physiological or somatic symptoms

In addition to the obvious loss of body weight, the physical symptoms are very broad, below we share some of them:

• Amenorrhea, decreased menstruation.
• Vital sign abnormalities (eg, irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure).
• Loss of bone mineral density, there is a reduction of the inner tissue of the bones which causes begin to weaken and become less dense, meaning the bones become more prone to fractures
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness or fainting
• Dental erosion, that is, wear of the enamel of the teeth caused by frequent and prolonged contact of the teeth with acidic agents (in this case they are exposed to them by vomiting).
• Swelling of the arms or legs
• Petechiae formation.
• Constipation.
• Complaints of abdominal pain.
• Carotenoderma, which is the yellowing of the palms of the hand.
• Brittle and brittle nails.
• Calluses on the knuckles caused by vomiting.
• Abnormal blood cell count.
• In prepubertal girls, menarche can be delayed.

In most cases of anorexia, the individual maintains a body weight that is well below the normal minimum level for their age, sex, and stage of development and physical health.

Many times the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa is comorbid with that of other mental disorders, especially with depressive disorders.

The psychological consequences of anorexia are mostly the concurrent diagnosis of a major depressive disorder, that is, the presence of the following symptoms:

1. Abúlia and anhedonia

Loss of interest (abulia) and loss of pleasure (anhedonia) in activities that you used to like to do.

2. Depressed mood

The patient is sad and down most of the day, almost every day. Feel deep sadness, emptiness, hopelessness ...

3. Sleep disturbances

Which can be both insomnia and hypersomnia almost every day.

4. Agitation or slowing

Psychomotor agitation or retardation almost every day.

5. Fatigue

Extreme tiredness or loss of energy almost every day (anergy).

6. Altered self-perception

Feeling of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which can be delusional) almost every day.

7. Cognitive difficulties

Decreased ability to think, pay attention, concentrate, or make decisions.

8. Thoughts of death

Recurring thoughts about death, they can also be self-destructive ideas or suicide plans.

In anorexia the following abnormalities can be observed in laboratory tests; their presence can increase the reliability of the diagnosis:

9. Extreme thinness

The most salient physical examination findings mentioned in DSM 5 (2013) is emaciation (a pathological thinning).

10. Low blood pressure

One of the biological disorders that are a common complication in anorexia is hypotension.

11. Low body temperature

Another consequence of anorexia from the group of biological disorders that lead to physiological instability is hypothermia.

12. Lanugo

Also the finding that some sufferers can develop lanugo, a fine and soft body hair.

13. Alterations in hematology

• Leukopenia (low leukocytes), which is common with loss of all types of cells although there is usually an apparent lymphocytosis (increased lymphocytes).
• A anemia mild.
• Also thrombocytopenia (decreased number of platelets in the bloodstream)
• Sometimes, though not very often, there may be bleeding problems.

14. Endocrine disturbances

• Levels thyroxine (T4) in serum they are normally at a low-normal level.
• Levels triiodothyronine (T3) are diminished.
• While the levels of Reverse T3 are elevated.
• Men have low serum levels of testosterone while women have low levels of estrogens in the serum.

15. Electrocardiogram abnormalities

The bradycardia sinus is common. Although in some patients a significant prolongation of the QTc interval is observed. That is, the heart rate is slower. The heart rate can be below 45 beats per minute when the usual is between 60 and 80. Arrhythmias can also be detected.

16. Alterations in bone mass

Low bone mineral density is common, with specific areas of osteopenia or osteoporosis. The risks of fractures are significantly high.

17. Edema, ecchymosis or petechiae

Some patients develop peripheral edema (located in areas such as the legs, ankles, feet, arms and hands); Ecchymoses or petechiae are rarely seen, which may indicate a hemorrhagic diathesis.

Although some people are still active in the professional and social fields, others show a significant social isolation or an inability to maintain academic or career potential professional.

Here are some manifestations of social deterioration:

18. Not paying attention to responsibilities

Inability to attend to their social, family and work / academic responsibilities. He spends most of the day in activities aimed at controlling his weight, which has the consequence of not being able to attend to the rest of his interests or responsibilities.

19. Isolation

Little relationship with close people. Breakdown of affective relationships (friends and loving partner) that often occur due to their altered body perception.

20. Interpersonal conflicts

The patient presents constant conflicts with members of his professional team. Conflicts are often related to bodily aspects. There are also constant family conflicts related to their body weight.

This pathology causes a serious deterioration in the families of those who suffer it, for this reason the task that to solve this problem must be addressed with each member of the primary network of support for.

Families are often socially neglected precisely because of the lack of specific units, and because of the guilt that it can generate.

Families bear the consequences of the disorder in an important way, because they perceive to be guilty for the symptoms of the patient, many times this generates conflict and unstable relationships or from constant confrontations among its members.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Consequences of anorexia: psychological, physical and social, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5). Editorial Panamericana.