Understanding anorexia symptoms can be very important. In fact, knowing the symptoms of anorexia could save a life. If you have some of these symptoms, you probably need to get professional help. If someone you know or love has anorexia symptoms, you can encourage them to get help.
Symptoms of Anorexia
A person with anorexia may not have all of these symptoms, but usually has several of them. Also, some of these symptoms could be symptoms of other conditions. However, a person with more than one of these symptoms should see a doctor or mental health practitioner for a consultation in order to get a diagnosis and find out what kind of treatment is needed.
Symptoms of anorexia include:
- Sudden and severe weight loss.
- Obsessing about food, weight, and/or appearance.
- Pretending to eat or lying about how much you eat.
- Not eating in public.
- Avoiding social situations, especially those involving food.
- Eating an odd diet, for instance, only eating one food.
- Vomiting after eating (this is actually a sign of bulimia more than a sign of anorexia, but the two often go together).
- Wearing bulky clothes to hide weight loss.
- Abusing diet pills and/or laxatives.
- Exercising obsessively.
In addition to these anorexia symptoms, anorexic people are often moody or depressed. They may be anxious, as well. They usually have a poor self-image. They may suffer from other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which they try to control everything in their life.
There is a high prevalence of anorexia among people in certain professions, such as dancers, actors, and models. However, anyone can get anorexia.
There are also a large number of anorexic people who were sexually abused as children. While childhood abuse certainly does not always lead to eating disorders, there does seem to be a correlation between the two. We’ll just say that childhood sexual abuse puts one at a greater risk for anorexia than the general population. It should be noted, though, that if a person is anorexic, it does not necessarily mean that they were abused as a child.
The important thing is that you are aware of these anorexia symptoms and are able to perceive them, whether in yourself or in someone else. There is help available.
Getting Help
If you notice these symptoms of anorexia in yourself, you need to seek help. Many people are reluctant to seek help for eating disorders (or for any other mental health disorder) because they are embarrassed or shamed. There is no shame in seeking help, however. It’s a very courageous thing to do.
To find help, you can talk to your doctor or to a mental health professional. Your doctor may or may not be very familiar with treating anorexia. He or she may or may not know where to refer you for treatment. If not, that’s OK. There are other steps you can take.
Seeing a mental health professional is a good start. Check with your insurance company to find out which counselors are in your plan, or just look in the phone book under “counselors.” If cost is an issue, call your country mental health board. There will likely be a clinic of some sort that sees patients on a sliding scale based on their income.
There are treatment centers that specialize in treating anorexia symptoms and other eating disorders. If your doctor or counselor is not familiar with any treatment center, you can find a list of them on this website.
If you notice these symptoms of anorexia in someone you care about, you can encourage them to get help. You can also help them find a place to get treatment.