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Anorexia nervosa and bulimia
nervosa
Common characteristics in anorexia and bulimia
nervosa is a distorted belief in ones body
shape/appearance and body weight, a fear of
becoming overweight, a wish to lose weight, and
anxiety related to eating. Ones self-esteem is
largely based on an erroneous and exaggerated sense
of ones own figure and weight. Common symptoms are
irritability, depression and obsessive
tendencies.
Symptoms in anorexia nervosa include that one
spends much time to think about food and calories.
One is constantly afraid of gaining weight and
experiences feelings of overweight even during
underweight. Other symptoms are moratoriums of
menstruation (girls), self-chosen social isolation,
changed eating habits, use of medicines or
self-elicited throw-ups in order to lose weight,
constipation or stomach pains. Other common
symptoms are concentration difficulties, sleeping
problem and irritability. Anorexia is foremost
expressed by a refusal to keep the bodily weight
within the lower normal limit for ones age and body
height. Certain individuals maintain their low
weight through self-starvation. Others also have
episodes of rushed eating and self-purification
(self-elicited throw-ups, misuse of laxatives
etc.). These problems are very skillfully hidden
from others.
Bulimia nervosa is often characterized by a normal
weight or a small-moderate under- or overweight
which makes it difficult for the environment to
detect the disturbance. In bulimia starvation
periods are followed by rushed eating and
compensatory behaviors. Other common symptoms are
feelings of depression and shame after rushed
eating, to isolate oneself and avoid meals with
others and hide ones problems. Other symptoms in
bulimia nervosa include long-standing ruminations
about food and calories, exaggerated exercising
with the purpose of burning calories, feelings of
overweight, a belief that one one else is
overweight, eventual hormonal disturbances, stomach
aches and constipation, that one is not necessarily
loosing weight etc.
© Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) specialist in
Stockholm, 2005-2008, www.kbterapi.se
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