Anorexia and bulimia: 9 myths about frustration of a feeding behavior

Bulimia and anorexia, are heavy deviations of a feeding behavior, become a cause of death of patients much more often than all other nervous breakdowns combined. In 60% of cases two illnesses accompany each other: patients feel horror before danger of set of excess weight and try to refuse as often as possible food, but periodically suffer from attacks of sudden hunger and an uncontrollable overeating. Each patient with anorexia and bulimia needs the help of the qualified psychotherapist as it is independently almost impossible to overcome the developed pathology. Besides, society is in great need in accurate information on features of these illnesses as the numerous delusions connected with these questions create risk of underestimation of danger to which life of the diseased is exposed. Here only some myths about the anorexias and bulimias occurring among our compatriots.

1. Existence of anorexia or bulimia can be determined by appearance

Danger of these illnesses is connected with the fact that at initial stages of anorexia and bulimia patients, as a rule, do not look neither too emaciated, nor grown fat. When the weight of the person on 3-7 kg deviates norm, serious violations of a metabolism do not happen yet, but psychological shifts are already present. The patient refuses food, tests uncontrollable attacks of appetite during which he overeats, and then, having the strong feeling of fault, tries to get rid of the absorbed food urgently. This process is gradually aggravated, till a certain time without affecting appearance.

2. Cleaning procedures help to lose weight

Almost all patients with bulimia and anorexia, aiming to prevent assimilation by an organism of nutrients, after food cause in themselves vomiting, or accept laxative drugs. Such "clarification" does not bring the expected result. It is established that after artificially caused vomiting attack more than 70% of the eaten food remain in a stomach. Bowel emptying by means of laxatives brings water out of an organism, but does not interfere with nutritive absorption.

At the same time, the harm done by similar procedures is obvious. There is enough of fact that frequent reception of purgatives threatens with dehydration of an organism and development of dysfunction of intestines, and vomiting – development of serious pathologies of a gullet and stomach.

3. Men have no bulimia and anorexia

It not absolutely so. Anorexia and bulimia meets at women and young girls really more often (women aged from 13 up to 20 years treat the main risk group). However about 10% of the diseased make men, including young men of teenage age.

4. Frustration of a feeding behavior – destiny of people with the high social and economic status

The statement is quite misleading: anorexia and bulimia are not diseases of the people holding a high position in society at all. But other dependence is clearly traced: excessive fears to gain excess weight and deviations caused by them in a feeding behavior are closely connected with the aspiration to conform to the certain standards of appearance which are actively propagandized by mass media. In other words, the risk to ache with anorexia is very high at those people who associate vital success with those images which they see on pages of glossy magazines. The analogy imposed by the press between a slender body and wellbeing causes the aspiration to direct all efforts to achievement of external signs of wellbeing to the detriment of all to other occupations and hobbies, necessary for life, in easily inspired people. Such trouble can happen to each person, regardless of his social and economic status.

5. It is possible to get rid of anorexia or bulimia the strong-willed decision

Alas, no. Heavy disturbances of a feeding behavior are not simply "the wrong actions" which it is easy to refuse. Their reason is covered in the psychological shift which is not allowing the patient to estimate soberly the appearance and to refuse attempts it by all means "to correct". Most of the patients having anorexia or bulimia sincerely want to begin normal life, but are not able to do it independently. In these cases the help of the psychotherapist, nutritionist is necessary, and it is frequent also a course of medicamentous therapy.

6. Disturbances of a feeding behavior – the investigation of the heavy childhood

According to the last researches, to 80% of cases of bulimia and anorexia have genetic premises so patients should not blame too strongly for the trouble event, postponed in the childhood. For improvement of a condition of such patients it is much more important to achieve support from the family in the course of treatment. Close people have to understand well that deviations of a feeding behavior are not a consequence of bad temper, bad manners or lack of will. These are the heavy frustration demanding full treatment.

7. Anorexia and bulimia do not bear danger to life

These diseases mortality makes about 10%. Sick anorexia can die from the heart failure caused by an electrolytic imbalance in an organism, diseases of the digestive system, dehydration, infectious diseases with which the weakened immune system, and just from exhaustion cannot cope. Regular attempts to get rid of the absorbed food by means of "cleaning" vomiting are very dangerous to the patients having bulimia: many cases of death of such patients from a rupture of a gullet are known.

8. Frustration of a feeding behavior are incurable

It's not true. Anorexia and bulimia recover, but to be engaged in it is independently unpromising. The trouble is that a considerable part of patients insufficiently seriously estimates danger of the state, and too late asks for the help. Sometimes the patients who began treatment break and stop it that can end is deplorable.

Besides, failures of a feeding behavior have also the remote effects of which it is very difficult to get rid. For example, a considerable part of the young women who had anorexia has a permanent disturbance of a menstrual cycle because of what they lose an opportunity to bring children.

9. Bulimia and anorexia arise because of abuse of diets

In this statement there is a grain of truth: almost all cases of disturbances of a feeding behavior begin with numerous attempts to control howl weight by means of rigid diets. However the real source of anorexia and bulimia is the psychoemotional shift owing to which the person falls into dependence on discontent with own body and attempts to receive positive emotions from process of fight for its "correction". Diets in itself do not become the reason of development of such illnesses, but their continuous practice can become the starting moment of frustration.

The people having anorexia or bulimia cannot control the feeding behavior and soberly estimate effects of the acts. They need the help of people around. If someone from your relatives refuses food, or alternates overeating attacks to "cleaning" procedures, quickly loses weight, becomes irritable or apathetic, constantly counts calories and speaks about need to lose weight is alarming signs, especially so far as concerns people of young age. Such person it is necessary urgently to persuade to meet the psychotherapist. It is impossible to wait in this case: any delay can lead to very sad effects.