Anorexia In Women - Seek Help!

Anorexia In Women - Don't Wait, Seek Help!

Anorexia in women - obsessed with weight and appearance

Anorexia in women continues to grow. A recent TV News item: Experts say between 1 million and 3 million middle-aged women in the US have anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

One out of every 10 eating disorder patients is over 40. Doctors say specific "midlife events" are the triggers. They've experienced the divorce, the death of a parent or both parents, a traumatic illness like breast cancer, children leaving home. Any woman with low self-esteem who has gone through that kind of life stressor is at risk.

There's a big difference between a woman who wants to lose a little weight and a woman with anorexia.

Anorexia in women or anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder whereby you have delusions that you are too fat despite the fact you are emaciated – physically wasting away to nothing but skin and bone. You become completely preoccupied with your weight, your activity pattern, and your diet.

In general, this is about control - someone who is struggling to get control over her life. That is what happened to SueAnn. After her husband demanded a divorce, she “lost it”. Her husband found a younger woman and her already low self-esteem plummeted along with her self-image. She was a little overweight but only about 15 pounds. Her husbands’ rejection caused her to obsess over her appearance as the reason.

SueAnn basically began starving herself. It didn’t take long for her to see the results in the mirror which pleased her greatly. She continued this regimen of eating less than 1000 calories a day and long, strenuous, daily workouts.

The weight began to fall off even faster. She was content although friends and family began whispering about her appearance. She had lost a tremendous amount of muscle which made her look like a skeleton and face was extremely thin and bony. SueAnn’s family assisted her in seeking professional evaluation

Malnutrition and starvation had started to break down SueAnn’s body; therefore medical treatment was a top priority. She was admitted into a hospital for treatment.

Eventually SueAnn achieved a more healthy weight which helped her body and brain recover from anorexia. When her body and brain were no longer in starvation mode, she was able to think more clearly. She had more control over her eating disorder behaviors, rather than being controlled by obsessive thoughts.

She took charge of anorexia with the help of a team that included a mental health professional (a psychologist), a physician and a registered dietician.

SueAnn’s recovery included learning new eating behaviors, learning emotional self-care methods, taking charge of her weight in a healthy way, gain a good understanding of nutrition and developing trust in people who are trying to help her.

Anorexia in women is a life-threatening disorder. First and foremost, you need to seek physical evaluation by a medical doctor who will examine you for any medical conditions resulting from malnutrition and starvation.

Empower yourself to take charge of anorexia and get your life back.

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