Anorexia nervosa is a mental disease that,
over time, can cause serious physical
damage to the body. Anorexia is more
commonly diagnosed for adolescent girls
who are dissatisfied with their outside
appearance and have family problems. The
condition manifests with 3 main signs: not
eating (anorexia), loss of menstrual
periods (amenorrhea) and psycho-emotional
difficulties. Anorexia makes the body weak
and vulnerable to infections. Severe cases
are treated with nutritive supplementary
therapy. Antidepressants and
psycho-therapy are also necessary.
According to your data (height, age and
sex) and my calculations... you should
weight about 59kg and you are about 58kg.
This means that for now, your condition is
not severe. Please know that you are not
alone and that other people feel the same
way that you do. Also know that eating
disorders are serious physical and mental
issues, often complex in nature. If you
continue to avoid food, the condition will
worsen. It IS difficult to be honest
about your health, especially when
feelings of guilt or shame accompany a
medical condition. But take hope!
Anorexia is treatable and is a medical
condition. If you don't feel comfortable
trusting your primary physician, try to
seek the counsel of a trusted person. The
point is that you need treatment and
admitting that there is a problem present
is the first step toward recovery. Expert
help can be sought from a mental health
professional (like a psychologist or a
psychiatrist, or a treatment center
specializing in eating disorders). But
you must be ready to take the first step,
which is "telling on yourself." Only then
can others help. Additionally, you can
use the community on ehealthforum as
support and seek opinions from women or
girls who have recovered from anorexia.
DISCLAIMER:
"Ask a Doctor" Questions are answered by Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov, General Practitioner. Dr. Gjuzelov practices medicine for the general public and is affiliated with the Republic of Macedonia Public Health Institution. For more information about Dr. Gjuzelov or other eHealthForum.com medical experts, please visit our About Us page. You may also visit our Eating Disorders Forum, for moderated patient to patient support and information.
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