Breaking Down Anorexia Nervosa
Photo by Siora18 on Unsplash
Last week, the media was in a frenzy over a 37-year-old woman, Rachael Farrokh. At roughly 40-pounds and suffering from a severe form of anorexia for more than 10 years, Rachael’s physical appearance is alarming. After taking to YouTube to explain her condition and plea with her audience for assistance, Rachael received $120,000 in donations on a GoFundMe page to cover her medical costs.
Many people question why Rachael simply chose to dismiss the option of admitting herself to a hospital or “just start eating” – but her condition is much more serious than that. Rod Edmondson, Farrokh’s husband, explains on their GoFundMe page that hospitals have refused to treat his wife because she doesn’t meet the minimum weight requirement. For over ten years, Farrokh has undergone blood transfusions, had blood clots and suffered heart, liver and kidney failure.
Dr. Tim Walsh, an eating disorder specialist at New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University, stated that general refeeding is effective, but it would have to be done under experienced care at a facility – “In treatment, first the calorie intake must be increased. It must be done very gradually and carefully so a patient doesn’t experience complications that can occur during refeeding. One of the main complications is cardiac-related, including heart failure which can be fatal.”
What is anorexia nervosa?
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by abnormal eating behavior, severe self-induced weight loss, and psychiatric comorbidities. Furthermore, people with anorexia are extremely fearful to gain any amount of weight and will go to extreme measures to make sure that does not happen.
Breaking Down Anorexia Nervosa
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center
Possible Causes
Medical experts agree that several factors work together in a complex fashion to lead to the eating disorder. These may include:
- Severe trauma or emotional stress (such as the death of a loved one or sexual abuse) during puberty or pre-puberty
- Abnormalities in brain chemistry. Serotonin, a brain chemical that’s involved in depression, may play a role
- A cultural environment that puts a high value on thin or lean bodies
- A tendency toward perfectionism, fear of being ridiculed or humiliated, a desire to always be perceived as being “good”, and/or a belief that being perfect is necessary in order to be loved
- Family history of anorexia – about one fifth of people with anorexia have a relative with an eating disorder
Possible Signs of Anorexia Nervosa
- Excessive weight loss
- Absent menstrual periods
- Thinning hair
- Dry skin
- Brittle nails
- Cold or swollen hands and feet
- Bloated or upset stomach
- Fatigue
- Distorted self-perception
- Refusal to eat
- Obsessive-compulsive behavior
- Depression
Diagnosis (differs depending on the person)
“People with anorexia may think they are in control of their disease and don’t need help. But if you or a loved one is experiencing signs of anorexia, it’s important to seek help. If you are a parent who suspects your child has anorexia, take your child to see a doctor immediately. He/she will order several laboratory tests and perform a psychological evaluation.”
Possible Treatments (differs depending on the person)
“The most successful treatment is a combination of psychotherapy, family therapy, medication and even hypnotherapy. It is important for the person with anorexia to be actively involved in their treatment. Many times the person with anorexia doesn’t think they need treatment. Even if they know they need treatment, anorexia is a long-term mental illness with an impact that lasts a lifetime. Anorexic individuals remain vulnerable to relapse when going through stressful periods of their lives, or simply through certain triggers at any point that may cause them to return to unhealthy behavior.”
Rachael’s goal is not only to recover from anorexia. “I want to bring awareness to this disease because it’s going unnoticed and there’s a lot of shame around eating disorders right now,” she said. “It’s inspiring me to want to get better — I want my struggle to help other women know that they aren’t alone. This terrible disease should not be kept in the closet of shame.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, there is help – you are not alone. Call the confidential National Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-800-931-2237 or the 24/7 National Crisis Line at 1-800-273-TALK, or Chat Confidentially Online.
Sources: http://www.cnn.com, University of Maryland Medical Center
Share your story below – Are you or someone you know suffering with Anorexia? What forms of treatment are you/they receiving? How did you/they know they had Anorexia?
This article actually contains a multitude of myths about anorexia. It would be greatly appreciated if you could do more research before trying to write about this subject. For example, it is not true that all people – female or male – who struggle with anorexia experience extreme weight loss. In fact the most recent update to the DSM-V dropped that criteria. While a preoccupation with food intake or body image may predominant, severe weight loss does not necessarily follow. Most individuals who struggle with anorexia never reach anywhere near as low a weight as Rachael Farrokh. Many do, yes, experience dangerous weight loss. But others pass as “normal weight” individuals on the street. The absence of a menstrual period was also eliminated as a symptom of anorexia from the DSM-V.
In addition there is no proven, evidence-based treatment for anorexia. Family based therapy has shown some success with adolescents, but not adults. Michael Strober, of UCLA’s Eating Disorders program, has also cautioned that too much emphasis has been placed on FBT, when not enough research has accumulated to support its efficacy.
Finally, in regards to Rachael Farrokh, the way in which she has posted video and photos of herself has HURT not HELPED those struggling with anorexia. I discuss this in a column on my web site, which you can read her: http://bit.ly/1F7hht6 . The extremely emaciated body she has publicized to millions is very triggering to some of those who struggle with anorexia, as well as those of us trying to maintain or achieve recovery. It also only reinforces and exacerbates stigma surrounding anorexia in adult females. The media’s coverage of her case has been irresponsible in the extreme. And, the way in which she has raised an enormous amount of money, but still will not enter a treatment center – despite numerous doctors specializing in EDs stating it is extremely dangerous to receive care at home – is suspect. Her case is a tragedy, and her brain is clearly too malnourished and cognitively impaired to make healthy decisions right now. What is so upsetting is her family is not making those for her. I encourage both the authors of this article as well as any readers to look at my story, which discusses the problem with the Rachael Farrokh fundraising campaign, her media coverage, and her refusal to enter a program such as Denver Health’s ACUTE program.
Hi Jeanene! Thank you for your comment and for reading our article. For this article, we have taken information from http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/anorexia-nervosa (The University of Maryland Medical Center). Rachael Farrokh’s story has gone international (for many reasons) and because of that, anorexia as a general condition has also gone international. Many times, the media does miss or alter story lines purely for audience engagement and social media “clicks”. However, for us here at InVite Health, we decided to publish an article based on general information on anorexia. While it is true that this disorder affects everyone differently – as you mentioned, some may suffer extreme weight loss and for others it may be more of a mental issue – in the case of Rachael Farrokh, she is battling anorexia nervosa AND extreme weight loss.
As far as the “myths” mentioned (therapy and an absence of a menstrual period) we have done further research and have found many studies that list both of these factors as support methods/symptoms of anorexia. (See: http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Eating-Disorders). As previously mentioned, some factors, symptoms and treatments may not work or be seen in every person diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa. But, when generally writing about anorexia, we felt it was fair to mention these possible symptoms and treatments.
By writing this article, we do not wish to offend or add to myths/stigmas surrounding this disorder. This is why we gladly accept any and all feedback from our readers. It is very important to hear both sides of the topics we choose to publish.
We thank you for your comment and overall feedback.