Psychogenic anorexia is a kind of eating disorder. The person with anorexia nervosa shows an excessive anxiety about his weight even when it is below normal and the individual seeks to lose weight in any way.
Research has shown that anorexia occurs in large numbers among girls aged 12-17 years or young women aged 18-24 years old. In the case of men, the occurrence of anorexia is less frequent. The main characteristics of anorexia are the following:
The patient
- is continuously engaged in his/her diet,
- follows a strict diet,
- intensively exercises to burn calories,
- reduces the amount of food containing carbohydrates and fat,
- overeats food in a very short time, usually in the evening, and then causes vomiting due to guilt and to the need to maintain weight,
- maintains low weight by avoiding meals, even, in some cases, throwing food away
- fears and worries about his/her weight and feels guilty when he/she eats,
- has depressed mood,
- shows reduced sexual interest,
- has peculiar eating habits
- does not have a realistic picture of his body and thinks he/she or some parts of his body arefat (e.g. his/her legs)
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- in women appears amenorrhea
- has gastrointestinal-digestive problems,
- has heart problems,
- has fatigue, muscle weakness and frozen limbs,
- feels dizziness, fainting, dehydration,
- has dry and yellow skin, brittle hair or intense hair loss,
- has insomnia,
- suffers from osteoporosis,
- has damaged denture,
- feels an intense need for independence and for controlling the environment and the self,
- has unhealthy interpersonal relationships,
- is isolated from the environment and avoids social events.
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It is important to note that the recognition of the problem by the individual is not easy and the search for help is rare.
In Veresies Clinic psychogenic anorexia is cured by combining pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Medication aims to address clinical symptoms such as the physical effects of the disorder. On the other hand, psychotherapy is aimed at restoring the weight and the attitudes associated with nutrition and at dealing with emotional and interpersonal problems
All Programs of “Veresies” Clinic are approved and supervised by the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (CNAA).
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