eating disorders

The start of an eating disorder

It is actually not hard to imagine how eating disorders have become such a trend in the country and perhaps in the whole world. The model-thin phenomenon is actually the result of a multitude of factors and it is actually not right to just pinpoint it to just one source. Ultimately, even if it is the kind of image that the fashion world and Hollywood have been showing for the past decades, it is still the choice of the person to follow it or not. Also, families have important roles to play in this regard and have actually contributed much to this problem whether they like it or not. Here are some of the things that may have contributed to the rise in the cases of eating disorders in recent years.

The focus on looks

With rising stars in Hollywood all beautiful and sexy but have few and sometimes even non-existent talent, it is not hard to conclude just how much important appearances are when you want to earn the kind of money that they earn and reach the status that they are enjoying. When you see great singers like Jennifer Hudson— who is not your usual model-thin Hollywood star but has the most powerful voice imaginable— not as successful as for instance Britney Spears with her studio-generated voice, you can’t help but think that looks is actually more important than talent.

School bullies

Teenage life is hard enough to deal with without having to deal with bullies who want to always bring you down. These people mask their insecurities by bullying people to think less of themselves and question their worth as individuals. There are a lot of school bullies in school nowadays and most of them are not ordinary stereotypes of big burly boys. Most school bullies in fact are model-thin girls who are beautiful on the outside but wicked in the inside.

Lack of family support

Most of the people who eventually develop eating disorders come from families that are either dysfunctional or lacking in emotional support. Young people are easily impressed with ideas and because they still do not know what is right from wrong, they need the support of their parents as they search for their identities. It is however sad that because of economic conditions, most parents are busy with their work and are not there often enough to watch over their kids and provide the emotional support that they need. 

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How Does Anorexia Progress?

It is a common notion that the state of having anorexia caused by either psychological or physiological reasons is generally noted on the fact that the person may not be properly able to cope up and maintain a proper eating habit. There is also a common presumption that this state is the effect of the different stressors surrounding the individual.

However, there are also cases as shown through different cases that suggest that the disorder may very well be the cause itself to develop a psychological manifestation similar to those of classical characteristics.

Where Does It Start?

To be properly diagnosed with the term anorexia, there must be a common manifestation involved in both psychological and physiological variants. This is the incapability to properly address and regulate the sensation of appetite and the overall feedback mechanism of hunger. The disease is a chronic state of the this manifestation and would later manifest in other forms such as weight loss, weakness, and altered mental state brought about by the added pressure from the discomfort.

Psychologically Inclined

It is quite hard to define the psychological progression of the disease process as it is the interplay of different factors, triggers, events, and influence on the overall outlook of the person, as well as the coping strategies employed. Nevertheless, the therapeutic process of anorexia nervosa revolves the stages of well being, denoted by the acronym DABDA which stands for Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

It should also be noted that the causative factor should be properly defined in order to employ the full context of DABDA as the factors involved would have to be addressed to properly control the occurrence of anorexia.

DABDA Defined

The person’s denial of stressors happening in his or her life would be a precursor to a deepening effect of those things which may contribute to the development of the chronic disease. The longer the stressors have been presently influencing the normal way of living without proper addressing of the issue, the more likely the disease may occur.

The Components

Anger may probably be one of the initial reactions to the stressors happening, and intensifies the emotional fixation of the individual to the psychological pressures set upon the person. During this stage, the person develops an active stance in trying to address the burden and stress but usually fails because of lack of in depth understanding.

Bargaining occurs when the individual succumbs to a passive state of thinking, usually after exhausting resources and strength in devising ways to express anger. At this time, the person is vulnerable to contract and start redirecting coping mechanism to aversion of eating to produce another desired result desirable of others. This is a very similar coping strategy with Freud’s defense mechanism of sublimation.

Depression is the main stage wherein the full results of anorexia occur. In this psychological stage, the will and the emotional stability which drives the individuals to do what is rational and right is distorted and transformed into an alternate reality to justify the practices associated with anorexia. This may include an increased form of hypochondriasis, wherein negativity is redirected from others’ to the self to amplify the emotional drive.

It is only through acceptance and facing of these probable factors causing these symptoms would an individual have a chance in battling anorexia itself. This holds validity with other forms of psychological disorders involving a retained rational and conscious mental process of the individual.

Physiological Progression

The physical aspect of a person suffering from anorexia nervosa may be predictable as there is a set of progressive manifestations which occur the longer the disease continues.

The usual order of physical degradation from anorexics would start from an imbalance of hormones to support proper feedback mechanisms, in which some key processes such as menstruation may be altered or stopped. This may be followed with weakness and lethargy coupled with an optional intolerance to cold. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance are soon expected to occur, followed by organ malfunctions and subsequent failures. Eventually, the patient dies as systemic failures occur due to a very long starvation process.

Anorexia may very well be said as a relatively long and uncomfortable disease which progresses from a case of psychological fixation and an unaddressed coping mechanism to divert the psychological effects to a more productive and self preserving one.

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