Anorexia Nervosa
*ANOREXIA NERVOSA* People with anorexia nervosa don't eat enough, usually because they feel that their problems are caused by what they look like. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by restrictive eating and an intense fear of gaining weight. While anorexia is often recognised physically through excessive weight loss, it is a serious mental health problem. Someone with anorexia often has an intense fear of gaining weight and for many people they judge themselves and their worth based on their weight. Anyone can be affected by anorexia. While statistics show that anorexia is more commonly reported by young females, anorexia is increasingly being reported by men and boys, women over the age of 40, and in children as young as seven. Behavioural signs: -Fear of fatness or pursuit of thinness. -Pre-occupation with body weight. -Distorted perception of body shape or weight, for example the person thinks they are overweight when actually they are underweight. -May underestimate the seriousness of the problem even after diagnosis. -May tell lies about eating or what they have eaten, give excuses about why they are not eating, pretend they have eaten earlier. -Not being truthful about how much weight they have lost. -Finding it difficult to think about anything other than food. -Strict dieting. -Counting the calories in food excessively. -Avoiding food they think is fattening. -Eating only low-calorie food. -Missing meals (restricting). -Avoiding eating with other people. -Hiding food. -Cutting food into tiny pieces – to make it less obvious they have eaten little and to make food easier to swallow. -Obsessive behaviour and rituals around eating. -Excessive exercising. -Social withdrawal and isolation, shutting yourself off from the world. Physical signs: -Severe weight loss. -Lack of sexual interest or potency. -Difficulty sleeping and tiredness. -Feeling dizzy. Stomach pains. -Constipation and bloating. -Feeling cold or having a low body temperature. -Growth of downy (soft and fine) hair all over your body (called Lanugo). -Getting irritable and moody. -Difficulty concentrating. -Low blood sugar INVICTUS NIGERIA Supporting People with Mental Health Illnesses.
