Effects of Anorexia

 

Anorexia is so serious largely because of the considerable physical and psychological implications of being significantly underweight and/or under-eating. Physical effects depend on the severity of the dietary restriction, and can include heart and circulatory effects due to loss of heart muscle, loss of bone density and muscle wastage, gastro-intestinal problems, hormonal problems and amenorrhea and difficulties in the regulation of temperature and sleep.

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Psychological effects are generally less well understood in the general population. Knowledge about these effects have come from studies of starving populations and experiments in which volunteers adhered to dietary restriction over an extended period of time. This has led to a concept known as “starved brain syndrome”, which involves problems with thinking, emotional responding and behaviour. Problems with thinking include poor concentration, inflexible thinking and preoccupation with food and eating, often to the extent that other aspects of life are “squeezed out”, so to speak. Dietary restriction leads to low mood, increased irritability and a flattening-out of normal emotional experience. Anorexia is also associated with heightened obsessiveness, particularly in relation to food and eating such that sufferers may eat their food in very small bites, be extremely pedantic in food preparation, and eat alone and in a highly ritualised manner. In other areas of life this obsessiveness shows itself in reduced spontaneity, or concerns about tidiness and routines. Being underweight causes internal focus and this coupled with the reduced spontaneity and obsessive thinking usually results in quite significant social withdrawal. Often people with anorexia and their relatives believe these psychological phenomena reflect the sufferer’s personality but these psychological effects will largely resolve with sufficient weight restoration.

 

Getting treatment for Anorexia is important

 

Treatment for Anorexia will initially need to focus on weight restoration in order to reverse the effects of starvation on psychological function. It is important that full weight restoration occurs, because research shows that someone who has only partially returned to their previous weight is at significant risk of their illness relapsing. After adequate weight restoration, treatment will address other maintaining factors of the eating disorder such as over-valuation of weight and shape, perfectionism and low mood.

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Getting timely and effective treatment for Anorexia is extremely important. I understand that if you are underweight and under-eating you may feel very fearful of  weight gain, but it is extremely important that you see your doctor and have a thorough medical assessment. I encourage you to contact me at Eating Disorders Brisbane, so that we can discuss your difficulties and fears and explore treatment options.