Case Study: Anorexia Nervosa

You are a nurse on an inpatient psychiatric unit. J.M., a 23-year-old woman, was admitted to the psychiatric unit last night after assessment and treatment at a local hospital emergency department (ED) for “blacking out at school.” She has been given a preliminary diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. As you begin to assess her, you notice that she has very loose clothing, she is wrapped in a blanket, and her extremities are very thin. She tells you, “I don't know why I'm here. They're making a big deal about nothing.” She appears to be extremely thin and pale, with dry and brittle hair, which is very thin and patchy, and she constantly complains about being cold. As you ask questions pertaining to weight and nutrition, she

Anorexia Nervosa is usually psychological as well as possibly an eating disorder which is life-threatening well-defined by a tremendously low body weight comparative to stature, great and needless weight loss, fear of gaining weight and distorted discernment of an individual’s self-image and body. There are several clinical factors of this eating disorder, and they are the following: the victim has a tendency of fearing his normal body weight where in this case, a person fears to be fat. In other words, the fear of normal body weight is very common in this eating disorder which is observed as a pathognomonic of the situation. In the case of Joshua, his parents should understand that he fears to get fat such that he already feels that his body

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is defined an eating disorder that is consists of abnormally low body weight. A person suffering from this disease typically has a body mass index (BMI) that is less than 85% of what is considered normal. Anorexics have a fear of being overweight and often

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves extreme weight loss, restricted food intake, and an intense fear of becoming fat. The American Psychiatric Association outlines four diagnostic criteria for anorexia. The first is refusal to maintain body weight. The second is intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. The third is denial of the seriousness of low body weight. The

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is categorized by severe food restriction, excessive exercise and body dysmorphia, which leads those that suffer from it to believe that they are overweight. Anorexia nervosa is commonly misunderstood by the general public. Research has disproved many of the previous thoughts about anorexia nervosa. According to the scientific research anorexia nervosa has a genetic factor, is not just a disorder of teenage girls, and that recovery is not simply gaining weight.

April was a 17-year-old high school freshman who presented with severe emaciation due to self-starvation and excessive exercise. Despite being severely underweight, April indicated an intense fear of gaining weight. She bragged about how much weight she had recently lost, though she indicated that her "butt was still too fat." She also reported that she was constantly fatigued, had become socially withdrawn and depressed, and that her menstrual period had become highly irregular. The clinician noted a provisional diagnosis of 307.1 Anorexia Nervosa (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000), as

The unrealistic body image leads them to the unhealthy eating habits. However, these things that a person with this eating disorder does in order to “avoid being fat” will not be fixed with weight loss. No matter how much fat is lost, a person with anorexia nervosa will view themselves as fat, even when they are dangerously underweight. The person may either feel fat all over or focus it on a more general region such as the thighs or the stomach (APA, 2013). Their body image issues could be evident by obsessive weighing or

Anorexia Nervosa is a DSM-5 psychological disorder characterized by energy restriction, weight loss and psychological comorbidities. The treatment of anorexia nervosa involves mainly medical and psychological interventions, and new treatments are being researched every day. Re-feeding is known to be the cornerstone, initial treatment. However, the specifics of treatment are not currently defined. Most therapeutic programs resort to a multidisciplinary treatment approach based off of clinical judgment and expertise. Treatment for anorexia nervosa is an ongoing challenge due to feeding complications and extremely high relapse rates. Future research is necessary to establish a gold standard initial treatment plan for anorexia nervosa and to continue finding new, more effective treatments.

The first part of the nursing process is assessment of the patient. Assessing a patient with anorexia nervosa encompasses many aspects. Getting a good health history will start to form a good picture of where the patient is at currently with the disease. You will need to ask the patient about their current eating habits and any weight changes. “A weight loss of 5% or more in 30 days, a weight loss of 10% in 6 months, or a weight that is below ideal may indicate malnutrition.” (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2016, pp. 1238-1246) The physical assessment is very important as well, you will be looking for nutrient deficiencies. “Inspect the patient’s hair, eyes, oral cavity, nails, and musculoskeletal and neurologic

Define: Anorexia Nervosa is the pathological thoughts and behaviours regarding food and weight, and it also includes emotions about appearance, eating and food. These feelings and behaviours lead to changes in body composition and functioning which is the result of starvation. In adolescents, anorexia nervosa affects physical, emotion and social development therefore it is an important mental health issue to address in order to improve the wellbeing of those who suffer from this mental and chronic illness.

Anorexia nervosa is psychiatric condition that is part of a group of eating disorders. It is associated with abnormally low body weight, extreme fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body image. Those with the disorder place a high value on controlling their weight to produce certain image. However, those suffering from the disorder more than likely use extreme efforts that tends to significantly interfere with their health and even normal activities or occupations in their lives. There is two forms of Anorexia, Anorexia Nervosa Binge is the type where an individual will purge when he or she eats. Restrictive Anorexia Nervosa is the form of anorexia nervosa where the individual will aggressively limit the quantity of food

In society today, eating disorders are rapidly gaining attention due to high fashion and tabloid glorification of it. The three main eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Each of these are disorders are extremely dangerous and can lead to not only physical problems, but psychological problems as well. The physical problems associated with these disorders can extend in their severity to the point of death. Eating disorders are more commonly seen in females, but men can suffer from them as well. Except for binge eating, this in terms of statistics is seen equally in men and women. There are varied treatment options for these disorders, including specialized hospitals, medication, psychotherapy, nutrition education and support groups. Eating disorders do not only take a great toll on the sufferer, but also on friends and family who surround that individual. Anorexia nervosa stands apart from the other two eating disorders aforementioned in the sense that this disorder is not solely about the food, but more so, an unhealthy way that an individual copes with emotional problems (Medline,2014).

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where people, who are underweight, see themselves as overweight. People with anorexia are obsessed with weighing themselves and eat small portions of a certain type of food. Some people can also have binge-eating disorder by self-vomiting, excessive exercising and extreme dieting. Anorexia is the fear of becoming fat and in order to stay thin, the person stops eating causing malnutrition and instead of becoming thin and they get skinny. Symptoms of anorexia include: extreme thinness, the intense fear of gaining weight, extreme restricted eating, and a self-esteem that is heavily influenced by body image. Other symptoms that

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders 5th edition defines anorexia nervosa as an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss; it is a serious and potentially life-threatening disorder. According to the DSM 5, the typical diagnostic symptoms of anorexia nervosa are: dramatic weight loss leading to significant low body weight for the individuals age, sex, and health; preoccupation with weight; restriction of food, calories and fat; constant dieting; feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss and fear about gaining weight or being “fat.” Many individuals with anorexia nervosa deny feeling hungry and often avoid eating meals with others, resulting in withdrawal from usual friends and activities

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that makes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height. (1Anorexia Nervosa MedlinePlus) They may be afraid of gaining weight, even though they are are underweight. They will have extreme control over their food and calorie intake, and exercise intensely. Individuals with this condition usually have low to extremely low weight, and body fat. Most patients are malnourished. Patients with this disorder have a disturbed body concept.