What It Is

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Anorexia nervosa (anorexia) is a serious and life threatening illness in which a person aims to lose weight. People who suffer from anorexia may overexercise and restrict their eating. There are two types of anorexia. The binge/purge type of anorexia is when people often binge and then purge it after eating. Someone with this type of anorexia may purge by excessively exercising, throwing up, or abusing laxatives. The second type of anorexia is restrictive anorexia. People with this type of anorexia often restrict the amount of food they eat and the amount of calories they consume. They eat less calories than they need to maintain a healthy weight. This is a form of self-starvation.

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Warning Signs & Symptoms

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• chronic restrictive eating and dieting (beyond what is normal)

• quickly losing weight or being severely underweight

• obsessing over calories in food and the fat content of food

• having ritualistic eating patterns (cutting food into tiny pieces, eating alone, hiding food)

• a loss of menstruation or loss of 3 consecutive menstrual cycles

• depression and lethargy

• development of lanugo (soft, fine hair that grows all over the body)

• feeling cold, especially in extremities

• losing hair or thinning hair

• avoidance of social events, isolation and withdrawal

• irregular heartbeat

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Treatment

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The first step to getting treatment for anorexia is telling someone that you are struggling. It is so important to get help, even if you don’t think that you deserve it. Talk to your doctor about your eating habits and work with them to determine if you have anorexia. Your doctor will recommend treatment and may help you meet with a nutritionist and a therapist to help you recover. It’s important to remember that anorexia does not define you. You are more than your illness.

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Hotlines & Websites for Support

 

Adolescent Crisis Intervention & Counseline Nineline: 1-800-999-9999

 

crisistextline.org: text “START” to 741- 741

 

Eating Disorders Center: 1-888-236-1188

 

For help finding a therapist: 1-800-THERAPIST (1-800-843-7274)

 

National Eating Disorders Association: 1-800-931-2237

 

Teen Helpline: 1-800-400-0900

 

Youth Crisis Hotline: 800-HIT-HOME

 

nationaleatingdisorders.org – Provides support services and learning tools.

 

nami.org – NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) is an organization that provides information on mental illness and shares the stories of many

people. You can choose to share your story as well.

 

mentalhealth.gov – Provides U.S. government mental health information and support.

 

nimh.nih.gov – NIMH stands for “National Institute of Mental Health”. It has information about mental illnesses and promotes awareness about mental illness and disorders.

 

ok2talk.org – An online outlet for people to share their own stories and find support.

 

teenmentalhealth.org – Provides information about mental disorders and mental illness.