Answered: How many different types of anorexia are there?
Eating disorders are mental disorders. They can seriously damage the physical and emotional health of a patient. They are not fads, phases, or something someone consciously chooses as a lifestyle.
Anorexia is a well-known eating disorder. It generally develops during adolescence or young adulthood. It tends to affect women more than men.
Anorexia Nervosa sufferers generally view themselves as overweight. They see themselves this way even if they are dangerously underweight. Sufferers tend to constantly monitor their weight, avoid eating certain types of food, and severely restrict their diets.
But how many different types of anorexia are there?
Table of Contents
Anorexia Nervosa - Restricting Type
General Overview
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by…
Weight loss (or lack of appropriate weight gain in growing children)
Difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature
Distorted body image
People with anorexia generally restrict the number of calories. They also restrict the types of food they eat. Some people with the disorder also exercise compulsively, purge, and/or binge eat.
Anorexia can affect people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, and ethnicities.
Although the disorder usually starts during adolescence, an increasing number of older adults are also receiving diagnoses of anorexia.
You cannot tell if a person is struggling with anorexia by looking at them. They don't need to look emaciated or underweight to be struggling. Studies found that larger-bodied individuals can also have anorexia. That said, they may be less likely to receive a diagnosis due to cultural prejudice against fat and obesity.
Diagnostic Criteria
According to the DSM-5, you need to meet the following criteria to receive a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa:
Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements. This leads to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.
Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
Disturbance in the way in which…
How they experience one's body weight or shape
Undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or
Denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
Even if a patient doesn’t meet all of the DSM-5 criteria for anorexia, a serious eating disorder can still be present.
Anorexia Nervosa - Restricting Type
Patients with this type of eating disorder will place severe restrictions on the quantity of food consumed. They will also restrict the types of food they eat.
Symptoms include…
Counting calories
Skipping meals
Restricting certain types of food
Following obsessive rules
Patients with the restricting type of anorexia typically lose weight through their restrictive eating habits. Some may combine diet and fasting with extreme exercise to offset any potential weight gain.
Anorexia Nervosa - Binge Eating/Purging Type
This type of anorexia makes a patient enter into a pattern of eating followed by some sort of purging activity. Purging may include forced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
Common symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:
Very restricted eating patterns
Intense fear of gaining weight
Persistent behaviors to avoid gaining weight, despite being underweight
A relentless pursuit of thinness
An unwillingness to maintain a healthy weight
A heavy influence of body weight
Perceived body shape on self-esteem
Distorted body image
This includes the denial of being seriously underweight
Atypical Anorexia Nervosa
Atypical anorexia nervosa is a restrictive eating disorder. It is similar to anorexia nervosa but does not involve the same level of weight loss. Unlike traditional anorexia, individuals with atypical anorexia may be of average or higher weight.
In summary, atypical anorexia includes patients who meet the criteria for anorexia but who are not technically underweight despite significant weight loss.
Researchers did not find a difference in the medical and psychological impacts of anorexia and atypical anorexia.
Treating Your Anorexia
Anorexia is a serious mental health condition. Your best path to recovery from anorexia will involve a team of qualified and experienced caregiving specialists. Recommended specialists include…
a physician,
a nutritionist,
a therapist
Effective treatment will include these three components:
Medical: The highest priority in the treatment of anorexia nervosa is addressing any serious health issues. These issues likely resulted from eating-disordered behaviors, such as malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, amenorrhea, and an unstable heartbeat.
Nutritional: This component encompasses weight restoration, implementation and supervision of a tailored meal plan, and education about normal eating patterns.
Therapy: The goal of this part of treatment is to recognize underlying issues associated with the eating disorder, address and heal from traumatic life events, learn healthier coping skills, and further develop the capacity to express and deal with emotions.
Speaking of therapy, you might find yourself struggling to communicate the intensity and severity of your eating disorder. Sometimes it's hard to put these intense emotions and fears into words.
With the help of a Chartam mental health planner, you can keep track of your eating habits. You can note down how often you ate, what types of foods you consumed, and if you still have negative thoughts about your body.
You can keep track of how often you have these symptoms by coloring in the respective box in the indicator log. Depending on the color you use, you can keep track of the intensity of the symptom, letting your doctor know if your anorexia is getting worse or better over time.
Make sure you keep your symptom log up-to-date and note it down every time you feel the negative thoughts building within you. This will help your doctor understand your situation and whether or not the treatment is working.
Conclusion
The categories above help provide a better understanding of anorexia and dispel myths about it.
Eating disorders are mental health conditions. They can be life-threatening, so it’s essential to recognize the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder early.
If you have an eating disorder or know someone who might have one, you can seek help from a healthcare professional who specializes in eating disorders.
