Anorexia. Causes, diagnosis and effective treatment of the disease

Anorexia in men has its own characteristics:

• Anorexia in men is often associated with various mental disorders - schizophrenia, neuroses.
• Men do not talk about their desire to lose weight. They are more secretive, unlike women who are constantly discussing ways to lose weight.
• Men are more purposeful, they firmly adhere to the word given to themselves to refuse certain products. They are less likely to have food breakdowns.
• A large percentage of sick men refuse food for ideological reasons. They are supporters of cleansing the body, raw food, veganism, sun-eating or other nutrition systems.
• Anorexia affects not only young men who strive to meet the standards of beauty, but also men over 40, who are fond of cleansing the body and various spiritual practices. You can often hear phrases from them that “food is a hindrance to spiritual development”, “refusal of food prolongs life and purifies the spirit”.
• Asthenic and schizoid features predominate in the character of patients, in contrast to women, who are characterized by hysterical features.
• Crazy ideas about imaginary fullness sometimes serve as a distraction for a man. At the same time, he tends to ignore real physical flaws, sometimes disfiguring his appearance.

Factors that provoke anorexia in men

• Growing up in an incomplete family in an atmosphere of excessive guardianship from the mother's side. The boy is afraid that with weight gain he will grow up and lose the love of his relatives. Staying thin, he tries to avoid responsibility and hardships. adult life. Such men continue to live with their parents into adulthood.
• Critical statements from others regarding excess weight. This can cause psychological trauma.
• Participation in certain sports requiring tight control over body weight - sports dances, ballet, running, jumping, figure skating.
• Professions related to show business- Singers, actors, fashion models. People engaged in these professions sometimes pay excessive attention to their appearance, which causes thoughts of their own imperfection and overweight.
• Self-punishment. Boys and men wear themselves out by reducing their feelings of guilt for unrevealed aggression towards their father or forbidden sexual desire.
• Schizophrenia in one of the parents, the tendency to which is inherited. The risk of anorexia nervosa is high in young men whose parents suffered from anorexia, phobia, anxiety depression, psychosis.
• Homosexuality. In specialized publications, a cult of lean is created male bodies which encourages young men to refuse food.

Manifestations of anorexia in men and women are very similar. In 70% of patients, the onset of the disease occurs at the age of 10-14 years. If parents failed to notice and stop them, then the symptoms slowly increase.

• Painful attention to one's appearance.
• Tendency to eat normally once and then starve for weeks.
• Tendency to hide food. To reassure relatives that the patient is "eating normally", he may hide or throw away his portion of food.
• Decreased sexual interest and potency, which is analogous to female amenorrhea (absence of menstruation).
• Ways to lose weight are traditional - refusal to eat, excessive exercise and vomiting, enemas, colon therapy. However, painful attachment to vomiting is less common than in women.
• Unmotivated aggression. Rude attitude towards close people, especially to parents.
• Refusal to be photographed. Patients argue it by the fact that in the photographs their "completeness" is more noticeable.
• Hypochondria. A man is overly worried about his health, he suspects that he has serious illnesses. Natural sensations (especially the feeling of filling the stomach) seem painful to him.
• Changes in appearance appear after a few months - weight loss (up to 50% of body weight), dry skin, hair loss.
• The tendency to alcoholism is an attempt to cope with emotions and drown out thoughts about food and weight loss.

At first, losing weight causes euphoria. There is lightness and a feeling of victory when it was possible to curb appetite, which causes deep satisfaction in the patient. Over time, the appetite disappears, and the body's resources are depleted. Vigor is replaced by irritability and chronic fatigue. The way of thinking changes, crazy ideas are formed that cannot be corrected. The body becomes painfully thin, but the man continues to perceive himself as fat. Malnutrition of the brain affects the ability to think sensibly and process information. Prolonged abstinence from food leads to organic brain damage.

Men with anorexia do not perceive their condition as a problem. They justify fasting in every possible way by cleansing the body and striving for enlightenment. Their relatives are more likely to seek medical help. If this does not happen in time, then the man ends up in the hospital with cachexia (extreme exhaustion) or in a psychiatric hospital with an exacerbation of mental illness.

Treatment of anorexia in men includes psychotherapy, drug treatment, and reflexology. Together, these measures lead to recovery of more than 80% of patients.

1. Psychotherapy is an essential part of the treatment. It allows you to correct the thinking of the patient and helps to eliminate psychological trauma leading to an eating disorder. With anorexia in men have proven their effectiveness:

• psychoanalysis;
• behavioral therapy;
• family psychotherapy with relatives of the patient.

2. Drug treatment. Medicines can only be prescribed by a doctor, and the dosage depends on the severity of the symptoms of the disease.

• Antipsychotics Clozapine, Olanzapine are used for the first 6 months of treatment. They promote weight gain and reduce delusions about fullness. The dose of the drug is determined individually. After reaching the therapeutic effect, it is gradually reduced. If an exacerbation occurs, then the dose is increased to the initial one.
• Atypical antipsychotics Risperidone, Risset eliminate the negative manifestations of the disease, but do not reduce performance, do not interfere with work and study. Take drugs constantly or only when symptoms of the disease occur. Treatment with atypical drugs can last from 6 months to one and a half years.
• Vitamin preparations. B vitamins normalize work nervous system helping to eradicate the root cause of the disease. Vitamins A and E improve the production of hormones, contribute to the restoration of the skin and its appendages, as well as the mucous membranes of internal organs.

3. Reflexology(acupuncture). During sessions, reflex points are affected, which stimulates appetite and restores impaired metabolism.

4. Trainings on the organization of a healthy diet. Special training programs will help the patient to create a menu in such a way that all the nutrients enter the body and there is no discomfort.

5. Intravenous nutrition or the introduction of food through a tube. These methods are applied at an extreme degree of exhaustion in patients who categorically refuse food.

Anorexia in a child, what to do?

Anorexia in a child is a more common problem than is commonly believed. 30% of girls aged 9-11 limit themselves in food and follow a diet in order to lose weight. Every 10th has a high risk of developing anorexia (in boys, this figure is 4-6 times lower). However, in childhood the psyche is more amenable to influence and in the early stages, parents can help the child avoid the development of the disease, while remaining slender.

Causes of anorexia in a child

• Parents feed the child, forcing them to eat too large portions. The result is an aversion to food.
• Monotonous nutrition, which forms a negative attitude towards food.
• Past severe infectious diseases - diphtheria, hepatitis, tuberculosis.
• Psycho-emotional stresses - sharp acclimatization, death of a loved one, divorce of parents.
• The abundance of harmful and sweet foods in the diet disrupts digestion and metabolism.
• Excessive guardianship and control by parents. It often occurs in single-parent families where a child is brought up without a father by his mother and grandmother.
• Dissatisfaction with one's own appearance which is often based on criticism from parents and ridicule from peers.
• Hereditary predisposition to mental illness.

What are the signs of anorexia in a child?

• Eating disorders - refusal to eat or a certain set of foods (potatoes, cereals, meat, sweets).
• Physical signs - weight loss, dry skin, sunken eyes, bruising under the eyes.
• Behavioral changes - sleep disturbances, irritability, frequent tantrums, poor academic performance.

What to do if you notice signs of anorexia in a child?

• Make eating an enjoyable experience. Create comfort in the kitchen. While the child is eating, take a few minutes to sit next to him, ask how the day went, what was the most pleasant event today.
• Start eating healthy as a family. For example, instead of pies, cook baked apples with cottage cheese, instead of frying potatoes or fish, bake them in foil. Focus not on the fact that this is losing weight, but that proper nutrition is the basis of beauty, health and vigor. Slimness is just a pleasant consequence of a healthy lifestyle.
• Observe family rituals related to food. Bake meat according to your grandmother's recipe, pickle fish, as is customary in your family. Share these secrets with your child. Rituals make the child aware of being part of the group and give a sense of security.
• Go shopping together. Make a rule: everyone buys a new, preferably "healthy" product. It could be yogurt, an exotic fruit, a new kind of cheese. Then at home you can try it and decide whose choice is better. Thus, you instill in the child the idea that healthy food brings pleasure.
• Don't insist on yours. Give your child a choice, strive for a compromise. This applies to all aspects of life. A child who is overly controlled in everything takes control of what is left for him - his food. Avoid categorical requirements. If you think it's cold outside, then don't yell for your daughter to put on a hat, but offer the child an acceptable choice: headband, hat, or hood. The same applies to food. Ask what the child will be, offering a choice of 2-3 acceptable dishes. If the daughter flatly refuses dinner, reschedule lunch for a later time.
• Involve your child in the cooking process. Watch cooking shows together, choose recipes on the Internet that you would like to try. There are plenty of tasty and healthy low-calorie meals that do not increase the risk of gaining weight.
• Encourage dancing and sports. Regular physical training increases appetite and contributes to the production of endorphins - “happiness hormones”. It is desirable that the child engages in for his own pleasure, as professional activities aimed at winning competitions can provoke the desire for weight loss and cause anorexia and bulimia.
• Consult a beautician or fitness trainer if the child is dissatisfied with their appearance and weight. Children often ignore the advice of their parents, but listen to the opinions of unfamiliar experts. Such specialists will help to create a program proper nutrition, which improves skin condition and prevents weight gain.
• Listen carefully to the child. Avoid categorical judgments and do not deny problems: “Don't talk nonsense. You are of normal weight. Argument your arguments. Together, calculate the formula for the ideal weight, find the minimum and maximum values ​​\u200b\u200bfor this age. Promise to help in the fight for the ideals of beauty and stick to your word. It is better to cook a diet soup for your child than a rebellious daughter fundamentally skips a meal consisting of a high-calorie roast.
• Find areas where your child can fulfill himself. He should feel successful, useful and irreplaceable. To generate interest in various types activities, visit a variety of events with your child: exhibitions, competitions of dance groups and sports. Encourage him to try his hand at a wide variety of sections and circles. Genuinely praise every small accomplishment. Then the idea will take root in a teenager that success and positive emotions can be associated not only with physical attractiveness. And new acquaintances and vivid impressions will distract from thoughts about the imperfection of your body.
• Help your child to get complete and versatile information. If a child wants to stick to a diet, then find detailed instructions on this topic. Be sure to read the contraindications together, read about the dangers and consequences of this diet. For example, it has been proven that supporters of protein diets are at risk of getting cancer. The more your child knows, the better he will be protected. So, from a misunderstanding of the danger of the problem, many girls are persistently looking for advice on the Internet “how to get anorexia?”. In their view, this is not a serious mental illness, but an easy path to beauty.

Remember that if within 1-2 months you have not been able to correct the child's eating behavior, then seek the advice of a psychologist.

How to avoid relapse of anorexia?

Relapses of anorexia after treatment occur in 32% of patients. The most dangerous are the first six months, when patients are highly tempted to refuse food and return to old habits and the old way of thinking. There is also a risk that in an attempt to stifle their appetite, such people will become addicted to alcohol or drug use. That is why relatives should pay maximum attention, try to fill their life with new impressions.

How to avoid relapse of anorexia?

Scientists agree that anorexia is a chronic disease characterized by periods of calm and relapses. This food addiction is compared with diabetes mellitus: a person must constantly monitor his condition, follow preventive measures, and start medication when the first signs of the disease appear. Only in this way is it possible to stop the return of anorexia in time and prevent a relapse.

Anorexia- psychosomatic eating disorder caused by fear of gaining weight. Minimize the adverse effects of the disease and take the first step towards healthy life a therapeutic diet will help you.

Diet for anorexia nervosa

Special nutrition is the main component of the complex treatment of anorexia. The diet for this disease is a dense, rich diet that includes all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients necessary for the body (complete proteins, fast and slow carbohydrates, fats of vegetable and animal origin).

Diet for anorexia involves regular and fractional meals in small portions (3 main meals and 2-3 snacks). At the initial stage, the consumption of any high-calorie and complex food is prohibited. To exclude vomiting and other recurrences of the disease, it is better to give preference to simple liquid dishes at a comfortable temperature or light, excluding heavy meat and fish products.

Menu energy valueshould be increased gradually over the first two months. The recommended rate of weight gain should not exceed 0.5-1 kg per week. This is achieved by an individually selected menu with a calorie content in the range of 2300-3000 kcal / day.

The general advice of most nutritionists is that before a diet, it is necessary to undergo a special study (bioimpedansometry), which will allow you to assess the degree of dehydration of the body and the percentage of deviation of muscle (adipose) tissue from the norm. The data obtained make it possible to develop a correct, sparing diet, which will subsequently provide an optimal and accelerate the healing process.

Diet for anorexia, menu

(options for different stages of treatment)

• Breakfast:

• oatmeal (linen) jelly (200 g), green tea;
• boiled eggs / scrambled eggs in olive oil (100 g), coffee with cream;
• hot sandwich (bran bread, butter, tomato, herbs, slice of cheese / ham), cocoa in milk;
• milk buckwheat / rice porridge (200 g), oatmeal cookies (50 g), sweet tea;
• cottage cheese casserole with nuts / dried fruits (200 g), berry compote.

• Dinner and supper:

• chicken broth (250 ml), vegetable puree (150 g);
• vegetable soup with pieces of meat (200 g), green salad with vegetable oil (150 g);
• low-roast pork steak / oven-baked unleavened chicken / turkey meat (250 g), buckwheat porridge (150 g);
• boiled/baked fish up to 200 g (salmon, pollock, blue whiting, hake, mackerel, bream), mashed potatoes with butter and milk (200 g);
• steam meat / fish cutlets (200 g), any vegetable side dish, a slice of bread.

• Intermediate meals (lunch, afternoon tea, before bedtime):

• vegetable juices diluted with mineral water;
• freshly prepared fruit (berry) purees;
• butter bun, cake, any shortbread or biscuit cookies;
• a handful of walnuts (raw sunflower seeds, dried fruits);
• any low-fat fermented milk drink (yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk);
• cottage cheese cocktail with fresh fruits (berries);
• decoctions from medicinal plants and their mixtures that stimulate appetite (mountain ash, rose hips, anise seeds, oregano, mint, nettle, marsh calamus, wormwood, etc.)

During the treatment of anorexia, it is important to observe a sufficient drinking regime - at least 1.5-2 liters of ordinary non-carbonated water per day.

Since, you can get rid of it only with the help of professionals (nutritionists, psychologists and other specialists). Most often, this will require inpatient treatment conditions, taking medications (antidepressants), individual or group psychotherapy.

is the speed of diagnosis. The sooner it is delivered, the greater the chances of restoring body functions and recovery. What is the treatment of this disease, and what are the forecasts of specialists?

How and where is anorexia treated - is it possible to treat anorexia at home?

In very rare cases, anorexia is treated at home. Because a patient with this diagnosis usually needs urgent medical and, most importantly, psychological help. How is the treatment of the disease, and what are the features of this process?

• Treatment at home is possible. But only on condition constant close cooperation with doctors , compliance with all recommendations and exhaustion on entry level. Read:
• The main component of the treatment is psychotherapy (group or individual), which is a very long and difficult work. And even after weight stabilization, the psychological problems of many patients remain unchanged.
• As for drug therapy, those drugs are usually used, the effectiveness of which has been proven by many years of experience - metabolic agents, lithium carbonate, antidepressants etc.
• It is almost impossible to cure anorexia on your own. – without the help of specialists in close connection with the family, it is impossible to do.
• Treatment is complex and without fail includes psychological correction. Especially for "severe" patients who, even at the risk of death, do not want to realize that they are sick.
• In severe cases of the disease, treatment involves probe feeding , in which, in addition to food, certain additives (minerals, vitamins) are introduced.
• Given that the basis of the disease is an inferiority complex, the best the prevention of anorexia is the education in children and in oneself of the correct adequate self-esteem and set priorities.

Features and rules of nutrition for anorexia; what to do to cure anorexia?

The key principles in the treatment of anorexia are psychotherapy, food regulation and education. And of course, constant medical monitoring and monitoring of the patient's weight. If the approach to treatment is timely and correct, then in most cases it is quite possible to fully restore the body.

What is the treatment for anorexia?

• Constant surveillance nutritionist, psychotherapist and other specialists.
• Strict adherence to all recommendations.
• Intravenous administration of those nutrients , without which it is impossible to restore the functions of organs and systems.
• In severe individual situations, it is shown treatment in a psychiatric clinic until the patient has an adequate perception of his body.
• Mandatory bed rest at the initial stage of treatment (physical activity causes a rapid loss of strength).
• After assessing the "fatness" (nutrition status) is assigned comprehensive somatic examination, ECG monitoring and specialist consultations when significant deviations are found.
• The amount of food shown to the patient is initially limited, and his increase gradually .
• Recommended weight gain 0.5 to 1 kg weekly for inpatients, for outpatients no more than 0.5 kg .
• The special diet of an anorexic patient is frequent and high-calorie meals for quick recovery of lost pounds. It is based on a combination of those dishes that will not become an excessive burden on the body. The dosage of food and caloric content increase accordingly the stages of treatment.
• The first stage provides regularity of food with the exception of its rejection - only soft foods that will not become irritants to the stomach. Nutrition - extremely sparing and careful, in order to avoid relapse.
• Nutrition expands after 1-2 weeks of treatment . In case of recurrence, treatment begins again - with the exclusion (again) of all products, except for soft and safe ones.
• It is important to learn how to relax. With the help of the technique that is most suitable for the patient - yoga, meditation, etc.

Is it possible to fully recover from anorexia - the opinions and recommendations of doctors

Not every patient with anorexia is able to assess the severity of the disease and the mortal risk in the absence of competent treatment. Important - in a timely manner to understand that it is almost impossible to recover from the disease on your own. Books and the Internet give only theory, but in practice, patients are only rarely able to correct their actions and find a solution suitable for their situation.

What do experts say about the possibility of recovery from anorexia and the chances of a full recovery?

• The process of treating anorexia is purely individual.. There are many factors on which it depends - the age of the patient, the duration and severity of the disease, etc. Regardless of these factors, the minimum treatment period is from six months to 3 years.
• The danger of anorexia is the irreversible disruption of the natural functions of the body and death (suicide, complete exhaustion, rupture of internal organs, etc.).
• Even with a serious duration of the disease, there is still hope for a full recovery. Success will depend on a competent approach to treatment, the main tasks of which are to eliminate the psychological prerequisites for habitual eating behavior and the treatment of the physiological tendency to such behavior.
• One of the main tasks of psychotherapy is to eliminate the fear of losing weight control.. In fact, in the process of restoring the body, the brain itself fixes the lack of weight and allows you to gain exactly as many kg as the body needs for the natural functioning of all organs and systems. The task of the psychotherapist is to help the patient realize this and control his body in terms of intelligence.
• Full recovery is a very long process. This needs to be understood by both the patient and his relatives. But you can’t stop and give up even with relapses - you need to be patient and go to success.

In the absence of serious pathologies, treatment in the hospital can be replaced by home treatment, but - doctor's supervision is still necessary!

This Greek word which means "lack of appetite". It is a disease of a special form of neuro- mental disorder, which is accompanied by a rejection of normal nutrition and an obsession with constantly losing weight. The disease, if left untreated, can lead to eating disorders. A person constantly pays increased attention to his weight, reacts sharply to its increase. To lose weight, people suffering from anorexia resort to diets, exhaust sports, put enemas, and wash the stomach after eating.

Causes

Various factors can trigger the development of pathological weight loss. There are several types of pathology that occur under the influence of different conditions. There are the following types:

1. Psychic. Develops against the background of diseases psychological nature after taking psychotropic substances. Often this type is diagnosed in patients who suffer from mental illness, for example, delusions, depression, paranoia, in patients with schizophrenia.
2. Symptomatic. It becomes a consequence of somatic pathologies of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland.
3. Medicinal. Loss of appetite develops if the dosage is violated when taking antidepressants, psychostimulants and tablets similar in action.
4. Psychological, nervous. It becomes a conscious restriction in food intake for one reason - the desire to lose weight, the correction of appearance to a state of physical exhaustion.

There are many reasons that can become a trigger for the development of pathology. There are the following main factors that become the reason for the development of the disorder:

1. Unfavorable family environment. Difficult relationships, increased irritability of family members leads to the fact that one of the people who suffers more than others from an unhealthy environment falls ill.
2. Negative attitude towards food. Often the negative emotions that are associated with eating begin to grow from childhood. Parents in every way try to force the child to eat, not taking into account his desires and preferences. This situation often leads to the development of a gag reflex, a negative and very persistent attitude towards food is formed. This causes the development of the disease at an early or older age.
3. Low self-esteem. A person is often dissatisfied with what he sees in the mirror, his social status, which affects his self-esteem. This condition exacerbates the persistent opinion of unattractiveness and worthlessness. Some people believe that things will change if they lose weight, mistakenly believing that a figure will help them succeed in life.
4. Obsession. Even the simplest diet can have serious consequences. If a person gets hung up on the desire to lose weight, he ceases to adequately perceive his figure and reality. The idea of ​​losing weight becomes the main goal of life.
5. Problems in personal life. Often, weight loss does not happen on their own, but in order to please other people. After feeling the first positive results, it is not always possible to stop there and the patient continues to use all possible methods to reduce body weight.

The cause of the development of the disease may be other concomitant factors, for example:

• oncological pathologies;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: pancreatitis, peptic ulcer, gastritis, cirrhosis of the liver;
• dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
• chronic pain of a different nature;
• dental diseases, diseases of the oral cavity.

stages

The disease does not develop immediately, there are several stages that a person goes through. Treatment is based on an understanding of these stages. The following stages are distinguished:

1. Dysmorphomaniac. This is the first stage of anorexia, which is characterized by the appearance of the first thoughts about one's own inferiority due to imaginary fullness. A person is trying to lose weight with diets and limiting the amount of food.
2. Anorexic. There is a 20-30% weight loss due to prolonged fasting. This period is accompanied by euphoria, the desire to lose weight even more. Symptoms of anorexia at this stage are manifested in the form of dry skin, alopecia, chilliness, adrenal dysfunction.
3. cachectic. After 2 years, dystrophy of internal organs is noted. Weight loss reaches 50%, often this stage has irreversible consequences that lead to death.

Consequences

Health complications in a person depend on the severity of the course of the disease, the duration of the hunger strike and the initial state of health. When girls refuse food, they will have an upset alimentary tract, metabolic disorders, problems with the skin, kidneys, liver, the condition of nails and hair will worsen. The whole body suffers from a lack of nutrients, vitamins and microelements, so many systems will be affected, it will be very difficult to restore them in the last stages.

Glucose is an important element for the functioning of the body, it provides the body with energy. When fasting, the amount of carbohydrates is not replenished, glucose comes to an end and the body looks for an alternative source. They become protein and fats, which, when decomposed, release acetone and ammonia. Both of these substances strongly poison the body, and the liver and kidneys cease to cope with their excretory functions.

Due to the restriction of food intake, the body begins to experience stress, releasing the hormone cortisol, the immune system is weakened, and the nervous system is on the verge of collapse. The body loses its ability to resist bacteria, viruses. The barrier function is reduced on the background of the disease. When the amount of food is limited, the liver begins to work in an enhanced mode, produces additional fat, which becomes a source of its own energy.

It accumulates, which leads to an increase in the size of the organ, which provokes fatty degeneration of the liver. Characteristic external signs of this phenomenon:

• apathy;
• dizziness;
• nausea.

The brain reacts to the disease with frequent headaches that last for months or years. Due to fatty hepatosis, painful sensations appear in the right hypochondrium, memory weakens, concentration of attention decreases. Obvious and clear dark circles appear under the eyes, the skin becomes pale, the hair is dull and split ends as a result of a lack of vitamins.

When potassium drops to a critical level, cardiac arrhythmia begins, constipation, muscle damage, constant fatigue, and sometimes even paralysis appear. Lack of calcium provokes a decrease in bone mass. This is very dangerous for a young organism if it is not fully formed (adolescents). The process of puberty, growth is greatly slowed down. These processes are reversible if the treatment started in the early stages of the pathology. In the most severe cases, death can occur, this pathology has the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.

Can anorexia be cured?

The problem of the disease is that the patient is not always able to assess the degree of risk and the severity of the pathology. It is possible to get rid of anorexia, it is easier to do it on early stages, you can even do without outpatient treatment. It will not be possible to cure the disease on its own in the later stages, except in very rare cases when a person has strong willpower. For the treatment of the disease, the following methods are used:

• strict adherence to all doctor's recommendations;
• constant monitoring of the patient by a psychologist / psychotherapist, nutritionist and other specialists, if necessary;
• the introduction of nutrients that are needed to restore the work of all systems and organs, intravenously;
• in severe cases with psychological abnormalities, treatment in a psychiatric clinic is necessary (until a person begins to perceive his body adequately);
• in the early stages, bed rest is mandatory, activity causes rapid exhaustion of strength;
• after assessing the state of nutrition, the patient is prescribed a comprehensive somatic examination, consultations of specialists, ECG monitoring, if they have serious deviations;
• there is a gradual increase in the amount of food according to indications;
• the rate of increase on an outpatient basis is 0.5 kg, rehabilitation in a hospital - 0.5-1 kg every week;
• maintenance of a special, high-calorie individual diet with fractional and frequent meals;
• the patient must learn to relax, a technique is selected individually that helps him in this (meditation, yoga, etc.).

neurotic

Treatment of this type of disease begins with the identification of the cause, which served as the starting point for the development of the deviation. It is important to start a course of psychotherapy on time, which helps to identify and eliminate the factors that are the basis for anorexia. The form of treatment depends on the severity of the patient's condition. The main task of therapy is the gradual normalization of body weight, the restoration of the balance of electrolytes, fluids and the provision psychological help.

If the patient is in a severe mental, physical condition, then weight gain is carried out no more than 500 grams or 1 kg per week. To do this, select a special diet that contains all the nutrients the body needs. When preparing a diet, the doctor takes into account the degree of exhaustion, body mass index, and other symptoms of a lack of specific substances. For effective therapy, it is better if the patient eats on his own, but if he refuses to eat, it will be delivered using a special tube that is inserted into the stomach through the nose.

For the treatment of anorexia nervosa, medications are used to help neutralize the effects of such detrimental starvation. Actively use antidepressants, which are indicated in the treatment of mental illness. Also used, for example, the following means:

• If the menstrual cycle is disturbed, the patient must take hormonal drugs.
• If there is a decrease in bone density, then you need to take vitamin D, calcium supplements.

Medicinal

When drawing up a complex therapy scheme, consultation with a gastroenterologist, oncologist, neurologist, psychologist and endocrinologist is necessary. A course of therapy is drawn up on the same principles of combating anorexia, taking into account the characteristics of the clinical picture. With this form of the disease, hospitalization, the abolition of all medications, and strict adherence to bed rest are required.

A non-irritating diet is compiled for the patient, the intake of the required amount of liquid is controlled. There is no definitive opinion on the causes of drug anorexia. But the main treatment method is psychotherapy. A patient with bulimia should be distracted from the thought of further blasphemy. Complete recovery is observed in half of the cases of treatment.

Children's

It develops, as a rule, in adolescence, when the child begins to be critical of his appearance. Therapy is to remove the patient from given state, you need to determine what caused the manic desire to lose weight. During treatment, the following actions are performed:

1. Normalization of nutrition, based on age, but the portion should be reduced by 3 times. It is necessary to introduce foods that stimulate appetite into the diet (allowed if the child is less than 1 year old): lightly salted vegetables, garlic. Exclude sweets, sweets and other products with a high content of fats, carbohydrates.
2. When the appetite improves, they begin to gradually increase the volume of the serving, leaving proteins normal, but 2 times less fat than the norm.
3. On last step nutrition is completely normalized, fats should be further limited.

How to define anorexia

The effectiveness of treatment is much higher if pathologies are noticed in the early stages. It is not always possible to distinguish ordinary thinness from signs of anorexia, so you should know how to identify this disease. You can spot problems by the following symptoms:

• weight 15% (or more) below the required level;
• conscious refusal of food due to anxiety about being overweight (without obvious signs of obesity);
• there are attempts to “cleanse” the body of food by any available means (bulimia): taking laxatives, enema, inducing vomiting;
• bringing yourself to exhaustion by physical exertion;
• serious endocrine disorders develop;
• in men, sexual desire decreases;
• girls and women stop menstruating;
• in children with anorexia, developmental delay is diagnosed.

To confirm the diagnosis when seeking medical help, the doctor prescribes the following tests and analyzes:

1. Laboratory research. Conduct a complete blood count, check the level of glucose and thyroid hormones.
2. The patient is weighed, interviewed, body mass index is calculated.
3. Additional methods: gastroscopy, X-ray, electrocardiogram, head CT.
4. Expert advice. Doctors from different areas are able to identify abnormalities, as a rule, they visit a gynecologist (women), a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, a gastroenterologist.

How to treat anorexia

The main task in the treatment of the disease is to work with the patient's psychological problems and restore a normal diet, body weight. It is extremely rare to achieve a positive result at home, so outpatient treatment is not prescribed. The doctor treats anorexia, based on the cause, which was the reason for the development of pathology. It is recommended to perform therapy in a psychiatric hospital (severe cases). For recovery, the following methods of treatment are used:

• work with psychological problems;
• restoration of appetite;
• if there is a deviation in the work of the body systems, the doctor may prescribe drug therapy.

Preparations

The main reason for the development of anorexia lies in the nervous system. Drug treatment is more often aimed at reducing the desire to lose weight, restoring damaged organs and systems due to prolonged fasting, suppressing depression and sedating the patient. Drugs are prescribed exclusively by a doctor with an individual preparation of a treatment regimen. Almost all medications are prescribed by a neurologist or psychiatrist. As a rule, they prescribe drugs from the group of psychotropics, drugs to improve digestion. The following drug options are used:

1. Alprazolam. Anxiolytic, which relieves tension, anxiety of the patient. It facilitates the perception of the world, helps to take a break from thoughts about diet, relaxes muscles, stabilizes the work of the hypothalamus.
2. Amitriptyline. An anti-derpessant that improves mood, increases the desire to eat. It has a good soothing effect and low cost.
3. Grandaxin. Moderate tranquilizer, helps to fight the manifestations of anorexia, acts gently, stimulates thought processes and does not cause drowsiness.
4. Mexiprim. Antioxidant, stimulates the metabolic processes of the brain. Helps the patient to realize his condition, so anorexia itself affects indirectly.
5. Medicinal herbs. Their action is aimed at increasing appetite, helping a person to start eating fully.
6. diazepam. A very powerful tranquilizer that reduces the will to resist, causes severe sedation. Necessary for severe resistance to doctors from the patient. It is used only under strict supervision of specialists in stationary conditions.

Diet

Nutrition is compiled in such a way as to most effectively restore the chemical composition of body tissues and their functioning. The secondary task is the normalization of the work of the digestive organs and weight gain. The diet is selected individually, adhere to the following principles:

1. The intake of calories at the initial stage should be at a low level. There is no urgent need for good nutrition, because the energy costs of anorexics are usually small. On the psychological side, it is easier for patients to accept low-calorie meals, because they do not spoil the figure. This figure is gradually increasing.
2. Portions should be small, they should increase over time.
3. You can start with a vegetarian diet, which contains 1400 kcal, provides a weight gain of 0.3 kilograms per week. Maintain such a diet for 7-10 days, then increase the calorie content.
4. Start with liquid food, diluted juices, then add mushy food to avoid unpleasant sensations in the mouth.
5. Food intake should be at least 50-100 g, meals per day - 5-6.
6. Use food supplements that contain trace elements, organic compounds: magnesium, potassium, zinc, sodium, calcium, vitamin D, glycine, B12.
7. If the patient refuses to eat, then forced tube feeding is prescribed when food enters the stomach through a tube directly into the stomach.

Psychotherapeutic treatment

According to this technique, one of the sparing options for treating the disease is used - the principle of reward. It consists in the fact that an agreement is concluded between the doctor and the patient, in which the remuneration is stipulated if the person has an increase in weight. For example, the treatment of anorexia nervosa is carried out in a hospital, for gaining 200 g of weight, the patient is allowed to leave the ward, then the department. If the patient does not increase the mass, then the conditions change to more attractive ones for him.

It is important that the reward choice remains attractive to the patient. This technique helps, but is not the main one; a patient with anorexia will need the help of a psychoanalyst or psychotherapist. For successful therapy, the method of psychoanalysis is often used, it is carried out in order to strengthen the disturbed self-perception of a person. This is a long part of the treatment, success depends on that. how close the relationship can be established between the doctor and the patient.

Psychiatric treatment

This is a tougher version of therapy, in which a person is isolated from relatives and the environment, hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital. The therapy is carried out in several stages:

1. Elimination of acute deficiency of body weight. The duration of this stage is 2-4 weeks.
2. Treatment stage. directed to the treatment of the disease. Psychiatrists often practice large doses of antipsychotics paired with insulin.

There is also non-drug treatment, which includes force-feeding, a strict regimen, the patient is mainly in bed. In severe pathology, a number of psychiatrists recommend the use of insulin-coma therapy, ECT or leucotomy, and feeding through a tube. Some doctors recommend a strict regimen and hospitalization only for severe cases of anorexia. It is recommended to conduct relaxation for the patient right before eating.

Folk remedies

Severe anorexia can be defeated only with inpatient treatment. Folk remedies can become part of complex therapy to improve appetite. They are not an independent method of therapy and are used only to obtain an additional effect. At home, only the first, simple stage of the pathology can be treated, if there are no strong changes in body weight, the functioning of organs and body systems. The following traditional medicine recipes are suitable:

1. Mixed decoction. It is necessary to take the bitter herb of wormwood, the rhizome of calamus, the leaves of the three-leaf watch, the fruit of caraway seeds in the amount of 25 grams. Mix this collection and take a tablespoon of the product for 250 ml of boiling water. Brew the medicine for 20 minutes, then filter and drink 20 minutes before meals 1 tbsp. l.
2. Infusion of watch and wormwood. Mix 50 g of these plants, then dip one tablespoon of the collection in 250 ml of water for 20 minutes. Then pass the infusion through gauze and take 1 tbsp. l. before meals 20 minutes
3. Wormwood and yarrow. Take 25 g of common yarrow and 75 g of bitter wormwood. Mix thoroughly collection and type 1 tbsp. l. Brew this mixture in 250 ml of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the finished funds and 1 tbsp. l. drink before meals for 20 minutes.

Video

Treatment of anorexia is a combination of psychological, medical and therapeutic measures aimed at ridding the patient of a severe mental disorder, which, without proper therapy, can lead to the death of the patient.

What is this disease and what methods of its treatment exist? What type of therapy is most effective? Is it possible to defeat the disease on your own at home? The answers to these and other questions can be found by reading the following article.

Anorexia and its varieties

Anorexia is a severe mental disorder characterized by a complete or partial refusal to eat due to various reasons. Literally, the term means "no appetite." Often speaking about this disease, it is precisely anorexia nervosa that is meant, which is characterized by purposeful and deliberate weight loss below the permissible norm, caused by dissatisfaction with one's own body, the desire to get closer to world standards of beauty or an ideal created by oneself.

But there are other types of this disease that occur under the influence of certain factors on a person: mental, symptomatic and drug anorexia, primary and secondary, true and false, neurogenic, atypical and senile.

Anorexia is diagnosed in children, adolescents, men, girls and women.

There are several stages in the development of this disease. At the initial stages, with timely qualified treatment, patients almost always recover; at the last stages, a person usually dies due to the irreversibility of the processes occurring in the body, severe exhaustion and degeneration of internal organs that are not able to fully perform their functions.

Therefore, it is extremely important to diagnose this disease in time in a close and dear person in order to provide him with timely medical care, take the necessary measures to treat such a mental disorder and put all his strength into his recovery.

In addition, anorexia is considered a recurrent disease, that is, getting rid of it does not give any guarantee that it will not reappear. In order to protect your loved ones from relapse, you must follow preventive measures and closely monitor changes in the behavior of a loved one.

Treatment of anorexia nervosa

Usually, the treatment of this disease is complex, the main purpose of which is to identify the causes that provoked the development of anorexia and their eradication. The factors that caused the appearance of the disease can be both physiological and psychological. Based on this, the doctor will build the most appropriate therapy for each individual patient.

Treatment of anorexia in most cases does not require hospitalization, therapeutic methods can be performed on an outpatient basis. However, it is extremely important before starting to make sure that the patient really wants to be cured, is aware of the gravity of his situation and does not deny the fact that he has a serious problem. Otherwise, a full recovery should not be expected. Such treatment will only draw all the juices and money out of you, and will not bring the desired result.

Treatment for anorexia includes:

• drug treatment;
• therapeutic diet food.

If the disease has developed against the background of any physiological diseases, then for high-quality treatment it is necessary to first get rid of the physical disease, and then treat its consequences. For this, various pills and medications are usually used, which will be aimed at eliminating the cause that provoked the onset of anorexia.

The psychological causes, against which the disease developed, are eliminated with the help of psychotherapeutic methods. Such treatment is aimed at changing the patient's lifestyle, a positive perception of himself, increasing self-esteem, forming an adequate attitude to food, to the people around him, setting new goals and priorities.

In the early stages of detecting this disease, its treatment can be limited only to psychotherapeutic methods. But if the disease has already entered an advanced stage, then complex treatment by various methods will be needed:

• drug therapy aimed at restoring damaged internal organs and body systems;
• treatment with drugs for weight gain: vitamin and mineral complexes, antidepressants, sedatives and antihistamines, as well as anorexia pills;
• psychotherapeutic impact;
• medical diet.

The best treatment for anorexia is a combination of therapeutic treatment, family therapy, psychotherapy and drug restoration of destroyed organs and systems.

When may you need hospitalization for anorexia:

• despite treatment, body weight continues to decline;
• BMI is thirty percent below the established norm;
• arrhythmia and bradycardia;
• depression with suicidal ideation;
• hypokalemia;
• significantly reduced blood pressure.

Psychotherapeutic methods of treatment of anorexia

One of the psychotherapeutic methods of influencing a patient with anorexia is a change in lifestyle. This aspect includes:

• regular meals and promotion of healthy eating;
• planning a dietary menu and drawing up a treatment plan;
• visiting a psychologist or support group to relieve emotional stress and stress;
• decline physical activity until the moment when the doctor allows a complex of medical procedures after stabilization and normalization of weight;
• refusal to constantly weigh.

The support of relatives and friends during this period is extremely important, therefore, family psychotherapy is very common, especially for the treatment of adolescent patients.

Medical treatments for anorexia

It is very important at the stage of treatment of this disease not only to get rid of the internal psychological causes of its occurrence, but also to restore normal weight, normalize nutrition, and saturate the body with various useful substances.

It is also necessary to attend to the restoration of internal organs and systems destroyed by the disease, which is typical for the later stages of anorexia. In all these cases, treatment is used using various medications.

In a hospital, droppers are often used to restore the body's water and electrolyte balance. At home, various medicines containing vitamins and useful and. Often this is, especially, as well as preparations containing, and.

Typically, antidepressants and neuroleptics, as well as sedatives and antihistamines, are prescribed to treat such a severe mental disorder.

Often, in the treatment of anorexia, drugs are prescribed that improve appetite, help restore and normalize metabolism and body weight.

Of the antihistamines, cyproheptadine is usually prescribed, which stimulates appetite. Also, drugs for anorexia that affect the increase in appetite are frenolon, elenium and others.

Taking antidepressants and antipsychotics will help get rid of the depressive conditions that often accompany this disease. But they should also be used in complex therapy, which includes consultations with a psychologist and psychotherapist. The list of banned antidepressants includes fluoxetine, a drug that many patients use to reduce appetite, thereby provoking the development and progression of anorexia.

Therapeutic nutrition for anorexia and dietary supplements

Restoring normal weight is not in a hurry, in general, the way out of anorexia is quite long and painstaking. It is necessary to start normalizing and stabilizing the patient's weight only when he has already undergone a short course of psychotherapy and eating will not become something out of the ordinary for him.

They usually start with a small amount of calories, which gradually increase to 2000-3500 calories per day.

Sometimes parenteral or intravenous nutrition is used, but only when the patient cannot eat food for various reasons: muscle weakness, heart rhythm disturbances, seizures, bleeding from the mouth, coma.

The lack of vitamins and minerals also negatively affects the health of the patient. Therefore, it is advisable to use nutritional supplements that will restore the balance of nutrients in the body:

• multivitamin complexes containing and, ascorbic acid, as well as trace elements which contain, calcium, and;
• , in large quantities contained in fatty varieties of fish, such as or, as well as in;
• coenzyme Q-10;
• 5-HTP or 5-hydroxytryptophan, which should not be taken concomitantly with antidepressants;
• creatine;
• probiotics, lacto- and bifidobacteria, acidophilus.

In therapeutic dietary nutrition in the treatment of anorexia, it is worth adhering to some rules:

1. Do not drink alcohol, nicotine and.
2. Drink a large amount of refined or mineral per day, approximately 1.5-2 liters.
3. Protein food should only be of high quality. As a source, it is best to use natural ingredients: eggs, meat, dairy products, protein and vegetable shakes. However, it is worth knowing that protein foods should not be introduced at the initial stages, but gradually, since it is considered difficult for the body.
4. Eliminate refined sugars from your daily diet: sweet soda, sweets, and so on.

Treatment of anorexia at home

Often, anorexia is treated on an outpatient basis, at home. Such therapy includes:

• support of relatives and friends;
• diet food;
• medicinal preparations;
• folk remedies.

At the initial stage, such a set of measures will quickly save the victim from this terrible disease.

Psychological family assistance consists in regular communication with the patient, helping him to realize the severity of the problem and thereby help in a speedy recovery. Relatives, like no other, will contribute to understanding how to overcome the disease, they will make you feel that he is not alone and that he can always find support in them. It is in their power to find activities for the patient that will help not think about controlling body weight. And all this will happen under their sensitive and vigilant control of his eating behavior: checking the regularity of eating food, her.

For a complete cure, it is necessary that all metabolic processes in the body are restored, and a balanced therapeutic diet will help in this.

Traditional medicine can also help with such a disease. The use of various decoctions of herbs, infusions of dandelion roots, nettle leaves and fruits helps to stimulate appetite, stabilize the nervous system and calm.

Different types of therapy for anorexia

most popular and effective method in the treatment of this disease is cognitive behavioral therapy. Its goal is to replace distorted and negative beliefs with real and positive thoughts. This method treatment helps to conquer your fears and set new goals in life.

Other types of therapy include:

1. Family therapy, which is aimed primarily at helping the parents and loved ones of a sick person in realizing the seriousness of the problem and finding ways to overcome it, as well as providing support to the patient on the path to recovery.
2. The Maudsley method is one of the varieties of family therapy, suitable primarily for the therapy of adolescents and young people, which consists in the complete control of the patient's normal restorative nutrition by the parents.
3. Hypnosis, which helps to get rid of depression and stress, return to good nutrition, increase one's self-esteem and a positive attitude towards oneself.

Anorexia and pregnancy

After complete recovery, the level of sex hormones in the body stabilizes and the menstrual cycle returns. But in the last stages of the disease, this process is irreversible.

This disease carries risks for pregnant women, or those who are trying to conceive a child. Often this affects the condition of the fetus: the child is born very premature and with birth defects.

Complications and prevention of anorexia

With anorexia, the likelihood of the following complications is high:

• arrhythmia and heart failure;
• anemia, hypokalemia, osteoporosis;
• level up ;
• hormonal failure leading to amenorrhea, infertility and growth retardation;
• dehydration and swelling of the limbs;
• malfunctions of the thyroid gland;
• exhaustion of the body, caries, impaired mental processes;
• death.

Forced vomiting leads to:

• prolapse of the rectum;
• rupture of the esophagus;
• weakening of the rectal walls;
• swallowing problems.

It is difficult to predict recovery from such a disease, since in each individual case this leads to various consequences. Most often, the rehabilitation period takes from four to seven years. And about twenty-five percent of those who get sick never fully recover. In addition, there is always the possibility of a relapse, even in those people who have recovered from anorexia.

In severe stages, this disease leads to death from dystrophy of internal organs and suicide.

A healthy and positive family environment is essential to prevent relapse. Family and friends should not focus on food, weight problems and ideal forms. It is best to devote lunch hours to relaxation and family joys.

Finally

A disease such as anorexia requires long-term and serious treatment. The most effective in this case will be complex therapy with the use of psychotherapeutic, medicinal and folk methods of treatment, as well as dietary nutrition. Prevention of the disease is reduced to the prevention of possible relapses and constant monitoring of the patient who has been ill.