Does Your Loved One Have an Eating Disorder?

If you suspect that your loved one a friend, colleague or perhaps a family member is suffering from an eating disorder, it is of utmost importance that help be extended to your loved one immediately.

Getting help for your loved one is a matter of urgency because if this disorder is left untreated, it could be very fatal to the patient.

Anorexia

There are several types of eating disorders and one of them is anorexia nervosa

Often shortened to anorexia, this type of eating disorder is one where an individual has an intense fear of increasing their weight. It gets to the point where the patient undertakes several measures to make sure that they will not gain even an ounce of weight.

These control measures are generally the following: eating very little or not at all, purging through diuretics and diet pills and over-exercising to the point of becoming obsessed with it.

Diagnosing the Condition

Unfortunately, it is hard to tell whether a person is suffering from anorexia nervosa the onset of the disorder because patients are very adept at keeping their conditions a secret.

You will only have an inkling about whether or not the person has anorexia through the following telling signs: increased weight loss to the point of appearing malnourished, refusal to eat in public or with other people including loved ones, locking one’s self in the bathroom right after eating, weakened physical state, highly-sensitive to cold temperatures and decreased mental agility.

If your suspicions are triggered mainly by the person’s rapid weight loss, it is best to have the patient diagnosed first for medical conditions as several health conditions may cause rapid weight loss such as hyperthyroidism, Addison’s Disease, kidney or liver disease.

Once medically-related health issues have been ruled-out, watch out for other symptoms common in someone suffering from anorexia to confirm your suspicions.

It is important that you seek professional help for your loved one once you are certain that the patient is suffering from this type of eating disorder.

A professional doctor trained in handling such cases is your best option because they know how to talk to patients in a way that will make them understand the severity of their condition.

One of the biggest challenges facing people with loved ones with eating disorders as well as doctors is making the person admit that they have an eating disorder. Denial is often the course taken by patients in which case, help may be refused by the patient.

It is therefore very important that love and support from loved ones be extended to the patient to make them feel secure and not judged. A deep understanding of what the patient is going through is also essential so everyone can work together in nursing the patient back to health.

Jenny Richards is free lancer writer of site

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