Anorexia Nervosa Essay

The Psychology of Anorexia Nervosa

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that happen all over the world. In the United States, 24 million people suffer from some type of eating disorder (“Eating Disorders and Statistics”). One eating disorder among these is anorexia nervosa. Everyday, Samantha looks in the mirror and sees a distorted version of herself, someone who isn’t really her. In Samantha’s eyes, all she can see is a chubby girl staring back through the glass of her mirror. She grabs at the centimeters of extra skin on her stomach with a disappointed look on her face. She frowns at her hips that are poking through her thin flesh. She gags at the sight of her thighs in the mirror and thinks, “I guess today is another fasting

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric eating disorder that usually affects girls between the ages of thirteen to eighteen and is often rare in boys (Zonderman 22). Several factors work together to lead to this eating disorder. One cause of anorexia nervosa is depression. According to dictionary.com, depression is a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal. As depression increases, self-esteem decreases. Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and loneliness start to fill the victims mind. With time, these feelings start affecting their body image and leads them to hate themselves and how they look more and more (“Anorexia and Effect”). Another cause of anorexia nervosa is linked to family dynamics. Studies have proven that many anorexics come from families that are very strict and controlling. In families like these, anorexia develops as a way for the anorexics to feel independent and in control because they feel as if their whole life has been controlled for them. Anorexia gives them that sense of control over their body, and in turn makes them feel in control of their life. Families who put an emphasis on exercise and appearance also contribute to anorexia. The children that come from a family like this don’t feel good enough and become overly critical of their appearance. This then can lead to anorexia because they feel the need

A common sign of all anorexics is dramatic weight loss. This weight loss usually occurs in a short amount of time and is not a result of illness. In addition, victims of anorexia deny that they are too thin. Even if the victims are five foot six and weighs ninety pounds, they still don’t believe they are thin enough and will continue to desire weight loss. Anorexics are also very harsh of their appearance. They can always pick out something they see wrong with their appearance and are never completely happy with themselves. Mood swings become more frequent in anorexics, and females who are anorexic also experience the loss of their period. In addition to these common signs of anorexia, there are also signs of restrictive anorexia, anorexia that is achieved through drastic diets and exercise. One way to tell if someone has restricting anorexia is to notice their food behaviors. Many restrictive anorexics lie about eating. It’s common to see them playing with their food, throwing it away, and making excuses so they don’t have to eat, an example being “I ate a huge lunch.” However, if they do choose to eat, they tend to have an obsession with calories. They often read food labels and measure their proportions carefully to make sure they aren’t consuming too many calories or fat grams. Another habit that starts to form in