Frequent Disorders Which Have a Strong Co-occurance with The Disorder of Anorexia Nervosa

February 24th, 2009 | by admin |

In the world of mental health, there are so few sicknesses that can be classified as “stand alone”. Every Ilness is developed on a combination of sicknesses and determining the source problem can be problematic. Take for example Major Depression; there are many sub-levels of the illness which include insomnia (not sufficient sleep) or hyposomnia (too much sleep). frequently, it is not easy to diagnose which specific illness is the principal one – is the deficiency of sleep inducing depression or is depression causing the lack of sleep?

Mental health disorders that happen simultaneously with another primary disorder are named “co-morbid” disorders; “morbid” standing for sick, or ill.  It is rather commonplace, for example, to diagnose a patient with Alcohol Dependence (underlying diagnosis) and a co-morbid health condition of Dysthymia, a more moderate process of chronic depression.  Both conditions are handled together; improvement in one condition entails getting better in the other condition. The online address Obese Children will give you further enlightening material.

Looking specifically at Anorexia Nervosa as a principal health condition, let us look at co-morbid mental health conditions oftentimes accompany this eating disorder:

Major Depressive Disorder as manifested by depressed mood, social withdrawal, excitability, insomnia as well as disinterest in sex. 

Obsessive-Compulsive characteristics. An Anorexic’s mind is often concerned with food and an Anorexic will stash foods for example saltines and lettuce, or other foods with little to no nutritional value. The Anorexic will continue to have a strict eye on their store of foods and what they will permit themselves to consume, checking constantly to make sure the numbers are right and to affirm that the food is still there.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder.  With this health condition, the patient has an undaunted feeling that his/her body is horrifically ugly despite hearing the truth about their the way you look from others.  Anorexics are confident that their abdomen, buttocks and thighs are fat and unappealing, even though these parts of their anatomy may in reality be excruciatingly skeletal in overall appearance.  The term “flat butt” utilized by mental health professionals who treat eating disorders suggest a patient’s totally flat buttocks, a sign of severe malnutrition.
Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Anorexics tend to abuse illicit stimulant drugs to avert feeling hungry as well as to uphold a simulated level of energy.  Alcohol is abused for like-minded reasons; anorexics that drink in excess acquire alcohol gastritis, an intense stomach pain that keeps them from eating. 

Borderline Personality Disorder.  A personality disorder is a mental health condition that comes from from the rudimentary character, or personality, of the patient.  They reverberate the patient’s perspective of the world and their position in it.  Personality disorders are permanent conditions although their symptoms can be effectively managed.  The Borderline Personality Disorder’s essential features are a life always in pandemonium and turmoil, history of suicide attempts, indeterminate as well as spontaneous mood, lack of wholehearted personal relationships, as well as a round-the-clock need for “drama” in their lives.  Anorexics that have BPD make regular suicide attempts, have really unbalanced personal relationships, and their disorganised behavior may try the patience of everybody who knows them.  A combined primary disorder such as Anorexia Nervosa as well as a co-morbid personality disorder are called as “double trouble” among mental health professionals.

By analyzing this list of co-morbid disorders, which is not inevitably exclusive, it is simple to see how really arduous it is to treat a patient with potentially fatal Anorexia Nervosa plus a demoralizing co-morbid disorder.  A mental health practitioner with little or no experience in handling eating disorders should not attempt such treatment.

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