Two Case Studies of Anorexia Nervosa

1551 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Personal essays about eating disorders

Anorexia nervosa is (AN) eating disorder that makes those afflicted attempt and succeed at losing weight until they reach a state of malnourishment for their body size, age and height. Patients with anorexia nervosa have an acute fear of gaining even the slightest weight despite being exceptionally underweight. People who suffer from this disorder use various methods such as over-exercising or over-dieting to avoid gaining any more weight (A.D.A.M., 2013). This disorder has implications regarding one’s security, psychological, emotional, and most importantly, physical health. It can lead to death if too extreme because the patient lacks the intake of necessary nutrients to function. Two case studies describe individuals who try overcoming their emotional and psychological battles as they suffer from AN. Both case studies reveal strengths in their findings that have important future implications, but also limitations in the research design that may undermine the strength of the results.
A case study conducted by Dolhanty and Greenberg (2009) demonstrates an emotion-focused treatment approach and steps to a case formulation that serves as a guide for those suffering with anorexia nervosa (AN). The emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is introduced, its basic theory is described and the therapeutic procedure or course of the treatment is outlined in steps. In detail, the application of this treatment process is delineated through the case of a hospitalized 24-year-old woman suffering from AN. These steps along with the gestalt chair therapy transforms the individual as she discovers her inner experiences, deep underlying emotional struggles, insecure attachment, and feelings of worthlessness, especially in regards to her mother. As her the...

... middle of paper ...

...ls and yield highly similar, if not identical results. Therefore, further research such as empirically tested experiments with a large sample of anorexia nervosa patients, or perhaps cross-sectional or longitudinal methods would yield more confident and accurate findings.

References

A.D.A.M., Inc. (2013, February 26). Anorexia nervosa. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001401/

Comer, R. J. (2014). Abnormal psychology. (8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Dolhanty, J., & Greenberg, L.S. (2009). Emotion-focused therapy in a case study of anorexia nervosa. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 16, 366-382. doi: 10.1002/cpp.624

Scott, N., Hanstock, T. L., & Patterson-Kane, L. (2013). Using narrative therapy to treat eating disorder not otherwise specified. Clinical Case Studies, 12, 307-321. doi: 10.1177/1534650113486184

Show More
Related

  • Bulimia Nervosa Case Study

    1517 Words  | 4 Pages

    Recurrent episodes of binge eating is classified by eating large amounts of food in a discrete amount of time and a lack of control in over-consuming during an episode (Pomerantz, 2014). One then uses recurrent inappropriate purging behavior to prevent weight gain. DSM-5 has updated this occurrence to only once a week for three months. Those with the disorder cause self-evaluation to be strongly influenced by body shape and weight. These disturbances do not occur during episodes of anorexia nervosa, which is self starvation to limit calories and weight (American Psychiatric Association,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Movie Dying To Be Thin

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Anorexia Nervosa, AN, the most visible eating disorder, is a serious psychiatric illness characterized by an inability to maintain a normal body weight or, in individuals still growing, failure to make expected increases in weight (and often height) and bone density.” (cite textbook) The behaviors and cognitions of individuals with AN adamantly defend low body weight.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders Case Study

    1254 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders can be viewed as multi-determined disorders because there are many different factors that can play into a person developing an eating disorder. Each case is different and to get a clear picture of the disorder it must be looked at from numerous angles because often times it is a combination of different issues that contribute to someone developing an eating disorder.

    Read More

  • Family Dysfunction and Anorexia: Is there a correlation?

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anorexia nervosa is a psychosociological disease which affects young women. Anorexia is mainly a female's disease which has been evident for centuries-however, in the past twenty years, the incidence of this disorder has risen to horrifying proportions. It is characterized by the refusal to maintain body wight over a minimal normal weight for age and height; intense fear of gaining weight; a distorted body image; and, amenorrhea. (http://www.pgi.edu/hagopian.htm) This disorder becomes a disease when the mind starts to cause problems with one's physical well-being. A connection has been found between sociocultural pressures to achieve, familial characteristics, and individual personality traits.

    Read More

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy And Exposure With Response Prevention In The Treatment Of Bulimia Nervosa

    3127 Words  | 7 Pages

    Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder with psychological, physiological, developmental, and cultural components. The disorder is commonly characterized by binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, fasting, and the misuse of diuretics, laxatives or enemas. Patients properly diagnosed with bulimia nervosa endure many psychological and physiological problems. In order to alleviate these problems for the patient, usually some type of intervention is required. Considering the financial costs to the patient who seeks treatment, it is important to identify effective and efficient treatment programs. Due to the wide variety of individual patient differences, it would be unwise to proclaim one treatment method as the universal cure for bulimia nervosa. However, identifying what methods work under particular conditions may help therapists tailor an individualized treatment program after a careful assessment of the client. Having this knowledge would potentially save both the client and the therapist a lot of time and frustration; not to mention, the patient would be on the path to recovery sooner. Kaye et al (1999) stress the importance of making progress towards the understanding and treatment of anorexia and bulimia nervosa, in order to generate more specific and effective psychotherapies and pharmacologic interventions.

    Read More

  • Overview Of Anorexia Nervosa

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder with the highest mortality rate of any other mental disorder. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders characterizes the disorder as “a relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy body weight”. (2014) Individuals also experience a “distortion of body image, intense fear of gaining weight and extremely disturbed eating behavior.” (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders, 2014) As a result, they experience complications physically, mentally and socially. About 80% of individuals with eating disorders suffer from cardiac complications with death due to arrhythmias being the most common cause. This paper will focus on the connection between AN and cardiovascular rhythm disturbances. Individuals with this disorder have an increased chance of sudden death due to cardiovascular abnormalities like bradycardia, myocardial modification including atrophy and refeeding syndrome. (Casiero & Frishman, 2006)

    Read More

  • Anorexia

    1220 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bizarre, devastating, and baffling are three words that describe the anorexia nervosa disease. By definition, anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a normal-weight person diets and becomes significantly underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continue to starve themselves. The term "anorexia nervosa" literally means nervous lose of appetite. People with the disorder are suppressing a strong desire to eat, because they are afraid of becoming fat. Anorexia is characterized by extreme starvation that leads to a disastrous loss of weight. Anorexia nervosa affects a large number of people today in the world, and does not discriminate against anybody. Its victims can be overweight, thin, young, old, or either sex although, its primary victims are young girls between the age of thirteen and nineteen. This disorder has become more and more common around the world today. It has populated many college campuses, and it is spreading. Recent studies show that almost 20% of college women suffer from anorexia or bulimia (bulimia is a eating disorder similar to anorexia), and the statistic increases to about 50% when so called "fad" bulimics and anorexics are included (Baker 9). This disease takes ordinary, often very beautiful people and drives them to starvation for no apparent reason whatsoever. They do not even seem to realize the extreme danger that comes with not eating a balanced diet. These young people lose so much

    Read More

  • Anorexia Essay

    1357 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anorexia is a serious disorder that involves compulsive dieting and excessive weight loss. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, anorexia is characterized by emaciation, a relentless pursuit of thinness, and extremely disturbed eating behaviors (Parks, 2009). The “disturbed eating behaviors” associated with anorexia include unhealthy weight loss and weight control methods, behaviors such as abusing or self-induced vomiting, and a distorted view of one’s personal appearance (Shepphird, 2010). Anorexics in general survive on 500 calories or less per day, and they count every calorie they consume (Parks, 2009). Symptoms often also include the inability or refusal to maintain a healthy weight and a great fear of gaining weight (Shepphird, 2010).

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders in America

    1926 Words  | 4 Pages

    Today, America is plagued with eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Compulsive Eating Disorders. Each has its own characteristics that distinguish the illness yet there are some similarities that they also share. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, as with most mental illnesses, eating disorders are not caused by just one factor but by a combination of behavioral, biological, emotional, psychological, interpersonal and social factors. Shockingly, they also report that in the United States, there are as many as 10 million females and 1 million males that are battling with eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Additionally, another 25 million are struggling with binge eating disorders (www.NationalEatingDisorders.org). Typically, psychological factors such as depression and low self-esteem contribute to eating disorders...

    Read More

  • Types Of Eating Disorders

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a strong desire to lose, or not to gain weight through starvation. This can be caused by the victim’s distorted view of their own body image. The two generalized types are: strict diet and exercise, and binging and purging (Martini, Nath, Bartholomew, 2012). Bulimia nervosa is categorized by episodic binge eating that is followed by guilt, depression, and self-condemnation (Martini, Nath, Bartholomew, 2012). These emotions noted are usually followed by attempts to lose weight by way of self-induced vomiting, laxatives, dieting, and or fasting. Excessive eating followed by periods of fasting or self-induced vomiting are characteristics of binge-purge...

    Read More

  • Understanding Eating Disorders

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    ANAD. “Eating Disorders Statistics”. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders, Inc., 2013.Web. 18 Nov 2013.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders

    408 Words  | 1 Pages

    Psychotherapy or psychological counseling is an integral part of comprehensive eating disorder treatments. With a trained counselor, the patient can develop ways to cope with the issues that led to the disorder. This is especially important in anorexia nervosa treatments because of the overwhelming fear of becoming overweight. Hopefully a psychotherapist can get to the root of these fears and develop effective measures to take for recovery. Anorexia is considered to be a lifelong illness, and counseling may continue indefinitely. There are no medicines for anorexia, but antidepressants are often prescribed in conjunction with other treatments.

    Read More

  • An Overview of Anorexia Nervosa

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    Out of all mental illnesses found throughout the world, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Anorexia nervosa is one of the more common eating disorders found in society, along with bulimia nervosa. Despite having many definitions, anorexia nervosa is simply defined as the refusal to maintain a normal body weight (Michel, 2003). Anorexia nervosa is derived from two Latin words meaning “nervous inability to eat” (Frey, 2002). Although anorexics, those suffering from anorexia, have this “nervous inability to eat,” it does not mean that they do not have an appetite—anorexics literally starve themselves. They feel that they cannot trust or believe their perceptions of hunger and satiation (Abraham, 2008). Anorexics lose at least 15 percent of normal weight for height (Michel, 2003). This amount of weight loss is significant enough to cause malnutrition with impairment of normal bodily functions and rational thinking (Lucas, 2004). Anorexics have an unrealistic view of their bodies—they believe that they are overweight, even if the mirror and friends or family say otherwise. They often weigh themselves because they possess an irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming obese (Abraham, 2008). Many anorexics derive their own self-esteem and self-worth from body weight, size, and shape (“Body Image and Disordered Eating,” 2000). Obsession with becoming increasingly thinner and limiting food intake compromises the health of individuals suffering from anorexia. No matter the amount of weight they lose or how much their health is in jeopardy, anorexics will never be satisfied with their body and will continue to lose more weight.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Similarities and Differences Between Anorexia and Bulimia

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa are described as psychological eating disorders (Keel and Levitt, 1). They are both characterized by an over-evaluation of weight. Despite being primarily an eating disorder, the manifestations of bulimia and anorexia are different. They both present a very conspicuous example of dangerous psychological disorders, as according to the South Carolina Department of Health, “Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness” (Eating Order Statistics, 1). While Bulimia and anorexia are both psychological disorders primarily prevalent in women, anorexia tends to have different diagnostic complexities, symptoms and physiological effects as compared to bulimia.

    Read More

  • Characters In The Novel The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    In life, we often make choices which change our lives. Whether it’s going to college or moving to another state. At times we are often put through certain scenarios in which we have to choose something. The same situations can be said for characters in a book. In every story there comes a point in which a character has made decisions. In the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, many interesting characters are introduced. When reading this novel it comes to attention about his split personality with Mr.Hyde. The two personalities frequently make choices which make the novel suspenseful. So what choices do they make? The character Dr.Jekyll makes certain choices which determine his fate as well as others while and resorting to his

    Read More

More about Two Case Studies of Anorexia Nervosa

Open Document