Question

Initial Post Instructions
As a medical professional or counselor, there are times when you might encounter adolescents who are suffering from anorexia or bulimia. Come up with a patient profile including the following:

• Patient's age, weight, BMI
• Daily eating behaviors
• Possible causes of their anorexia or bulimia

As a follow-up to your initial post, your response post can propose a treatment plan.

• Diet
• Individual therapy
• Biological therapies (medications)
• Family therapy

Answer 1

Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, a form of self-starvation; bulimia nervosa, in which individuals engage in repetitive cycles of binge-eating alternating with self-induced vomiting or starvation. A patient's profile suffering from anorexia or bulimia should include-

Patients age- 15 F

Weight- 30kgs BMI- 14.27kg/m²

Daily eating behavior- Constant worry about food and the close monitoring of calorie intake are common characteristics of anorexia. People with anorexia might record every food item they consume, including water. Sometimes, they even memorize the calorie content of foods.

Worry over gaining weight contributes to obsessions with food. Those with anorexia may decrease their calorie intake dramatically and practice extreme diets. Some may eliminate certain foods or entire food groups from, such as carbohydrates or fats, from their diet.

If someone restricts food intake for a long period, it can lead to severe malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies, which can alter mood and increase obsessive behavior about food.

Possible causes- The exact cause of anorexia is unknown. As with many diseases, it's probably a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.

Biological. Although it's not yet clear which genes are involved, there may be genetic changes that make some people at higher risk of developing anorexia. Some people may have a genetic tendency toward perfectionism, sensitivity and perseverance — all traits associated with anorexia.

Psychological. Some people with anorexia may have obsessive-compulsive personality traits that make it easier to stick to strict diets and forgo food despite being hungry. They may have an extreme drive for perfectionism, which causes them to think they're never thin enough. And they may have high levels of anxiety and engage in restrictive eating to reduce it.

Environmental. Modern Western culture emphasizes thinness. Success and worth are often equated with being thin. Peer pressure may help fuel the desire to be thin, particularly among young girls.

Treatment plan-

Diet- Restoring a body malnourished by anorexia nervosa may take many months or even years. Patients with anorexia nervosa should generally be under the care of a treatment team, which commonly includes a medical doctor, a registered dietitian nutritionist, a psychotherapist, and a psychiatrist.

Anyone beginning nutritional rehabilitation must be aware of the potentially fatal refeeding syndrome. This article begins with the necessary precautions to avoid this potential side-effect. It then offers strategies for outpatient nutritional rehabilitation, suggested meal plans, additional weight gain strategies, and suggestions for overcoming common challenges to recovery.

Treatment can involve medication, psychotherapy, family therapy, and nutrition counseling.

It can be difficult for a person to accept that they have anorexia, and it can be hard to engage them in treatment, as the resistance to eating is hard to break.

The patient may fluctuate in their level of cooperation and acknowledgment that there is a problem.

A comprehensive plan must be tailored to meet the individual’s needs.

The goals of treatment are:

To restore body weight to a healthy level

To treat emotional problems, including low self-esteem

To address distorted thinking

To help the patient develop behavioral changes that will persist in the long term

Treatment tends to be long-term, and relapse is possible, especially during times of stress. Support from family and friends is crucial to successful and lasting outcomes. If family members can understand the condition and identify its signs and symptoms, they can support their loved one through the process of recovery and help prevent a relapse.

Psychotherapy- Counseling includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing the way the person thinks and behaves. CBT can help a patient to change the way they think about food and body weight, and to develop effective ways of responding to stressful or difficult situations.

Medications- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used as antidepressants, but patients can only take them when their body weight is at least 95 percent of normal for their height and age. Nutritional supplements may be needed.

Research has indicated that the antipsychotic drug, olanzapine, may help patients reach a higher body weight, after which they can use an SSRI.