Nervosa Social Identity

In this paper, I am going to demonstrate the key components on how the application of Existentialism Theory/Therapy can be utilized when counseling clientele with Anorexia Nervosa. I am going to focus on the following components related to Existentialism, “life and meaning,” “authenticity” vs. “inauthenticity,” “setting free,” “aloneness,” “freedom,” and “understanding life.” I will accentuate a detailed description of Existential Theory and identify the major theorist’s that is suitable for this specific psychological disorder. I will provide feedback that conceptualizes Existentialism and how it originates towards individuals suffering with Anorexia Nervosa. I will deliberate a comprehensive overview why I choose this type of therapy/theory

The Inpatient Program “medically stabilizes young people with serious eating disorders” through medical monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation, psychiatric consultation and group programming (SickKids, 2014). The Outpatient Program involves family therapy with a therapist and consultation with a dietitian, along with medical monitoring. For children younger than 13 years of age, an additional support of therapy is offered—multifamily groups and separate groups for the parents and their child. The Day Hospital offers care to patients with severe eating disorders who were already in a program and would need longer term intensive support for recovery. This long-term support operates five days a week, and treatment runs for an average of six months. Additionally, the programs offer a two-part family education series for families participating in the treatment programs. Topics covered include: information about eating disorders, medical complications, approach to nutritional recovery and describes treatments offered. Part two focuses on how parents can support their child with an eating disorder to resume normal eating (SickKids, 2014). The hospital is a good resource because it uses an interdisciplinary approach to treat children and youth who suffer from the disorder. It also involves families in patient

Eating disorders can be viewed as multi-determined disorder. Multi-determined disorders can conclude of various factors to the cause of one’s eating disorder. Each factor produces stressors to which “initiates dieting, weight loss, and the pursuit of thinness” (Diaz, 2017). A multi-determined disorder would be anorexia nervosa. These multi-determined factors leading to eating disorders may include socio-cultural, competitive environments, interpersonal, family, etc. Those who have eating disorders are diagnosed with more than one causing factor. With such stressors occurring to the self, leads to the self concept of when one has little memory of positive schemas. He or she is then unable to cope with challenges, thus feeling unworthy to his

There are behavioral similarities among individuals suffering from Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa such as feeling they are in control where they may have lacked power or control in their lives, feeling more confident, and the ability to avoid uncomfortable emotions through disordered eating behavior. However, there are also significant differences. According to the articles, those who suffer from AN consistently communicate this disordered eating behavior makes them feel more attractive, increases confidence and elicits a feeling of superiority, where as those who suffer from BN more often communicate a negative self-image and feelings of shame and defectiveness. BN patients also conveyed their desire to keep their illness a secret whereas AN patients are generally more concerned with their thinness being obvious to others and gaining attention. BN is frequently accompanied by depression, and feelings of self-loathing indicating a high prevalence of comorbidity, and those suffering from this illness experience a disturbance in feeling satisfied with a

This paper will talk about some of the things that people with eating disorders go through in their daily lives and give a general description of what exactly an eating disorder is and why it is important. Schwitzer Alan M., Bergholz Kim, Dore Terri, and Salimi Lamieh all talk about a few things that they did in order to prevent eating disorders among college woman as well as some of the treatment methods and preventative measure someone can take in order to prevent something like this from happening again. It will also talk about something called the “three-legged stool” which was created by Sackett et al. in 1996. The “three-legged stool” is a treatment method for eating disorders which considers research evidence, patient preference and values, and clinical expertise. There will also be some evidence included to explain why those three things are important in treating eating disorders. Carol B. Peterson, Carolyn Black Becker, Janet Treasure, Roz Shafran, and Rachel Bryant-Waugh all mention how these things will help optimize treatment of eating disorders because patients won’t be forced into doing something that they don’t enjoy in order to overcome their eating disorder. The last thing that will be talked about is a case study conducted by Joanna Steinglass, Karin Foerde, Katrina Kostro, Daphna Shohamy, and Timothy Walsh. This case study attempts to develop a new paradigm

In my research, I explored the world of eating disorders. I wanted to see if there was anything specifically encouraging eating disorders and if there was a way to stop it. Eating disorders affect the community greatly because often times, they go unchecked or unrecognized. As a recovered anorexic, I feel it’s very important to address this issue. It’s a very big problem that is often not addressed at all, or is seen as normal, like counting calories. I hoped to find a way to improve the way that eating disorders are viewed and explain to people about what defines an eating disorder, because many people will never know if it is not explicitly explained to them. My study’s purpose is to bring light into the dark world of eating disorders

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that consists of self-regulated food restriction in which the person strives for thinness and also involves distortion of the way the person sees his or her own body. An anorexic person weighs less than 85% of their ideal body weight. The prevalence of eating disorders is between .5-1% of women aged 15-40 and about 1/20 of this number occurs in men. Anorexia affects all aspects of an affected person's life including emotional health, physical health, and relationships with others (Shekter-Wolfson et al 5-6). A study completed in 1996 showed that anorexics also tend to possess traits that are obsessive in nature and carry heavy emotional

Eating Disorders are conditions in which involves irregular eating habits, either insufficient or excessive food, that affects inimical the body’s image and mental health (Wikipedia). It affects men and women of all ages, but it has a greater impact among adolescences and young adults. In the United States, 24 million Americans are battling eating disorders, in which 1 million are males and 23 million are females. An individual who portraits this condition may have an irrational self-image thought that impinged on an individual’s life and affects their health by disrupting body functions and daily activities (National Eating Disorders Association).

     “Self-esteem is how you think and feel about yourself-how you regard yourself.' ; (McWilliams and Roger, 361) Most people have a healthy level of self-esteem, but in the case of anorexics and “people with low self-esteem [they] don’t think they’re worth taking care of.'; (Johnson, 122) This pattern of thinking develops into a lifestyle in anorexics. The anorexia is

(2014, p.276). Comer states that, “According to cognitive theorists these deficiencies contribute to a broad cognitive distortion that lies at the center of disordered eating, namely, people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa judge themselves – often exclusively – based on their shape and weight and their ability to control them (Murphy et. al., 2010)” (2014, p.276). Upon further research, I found a study that is consistent with this claim. This study, “examined and compared perceptions of illness in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and lay men and women” (Holliday et. al., 2004, p.50). The results of this study showed that participants found their conditions highly distressing, but something that they had little control over (Holliday et. al., 2004 p.50). This is where I feel a misconception may be made by the general public. In my case I feel that many people thought that I was choosing to be overly thin, and that I was choosing to be “anorexic” even though I was not choosing to do either. I am not sure if this a common feeling among people in society, but I feel that if we view people with eating disorders as choosing to live this way then we are not really taking the time to understand their conditions; we are basically saying that is their fault they see themselves the way they do. This negative perception that I believe is held by some is unfair, and does not help people combat these disorders.

As a person who personally was diagnosed with Anorexia (AN), I’ve experienced just how detrimental it can be to one’s family. “With 2,000,000 adolescents and young adults affected, AN is the third most common chronic condition among adolescent girls, behind obesity and asthma” (Carlton & Pyle, 2007, pg. 9). Not only does this disease affect women, it also affects men. Through the Parent Education and Support Program, COPE intervention, and accepting the many environmental, psychological, and sociocultural influences, the number of cases of AN can dramatically decrease. In addition, many lives can be saved because of these three interventions.

Paulson-Karlsson, G., & Nevonen, L. (2012). Anorexia nervosa: treatment expectations – a qualitative study. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 5, 169–177.

32). By comparing people struggling with anorexia to a group of patients with psychiatric disorders, Zonnevylle-Bender et al. was able to determine that decreased emotional functioning is found not only in patients with anorexia nervosa but many people struggling with a general psychiatric disorder. “Emotional Functioning in Adolescent Anorexia Patients” is directed towards psychiatrists, psychologists, and other professions that play a main role in treating anorexia nervosa patients. By directing this study toward mental health specialists, Zonnevylle-Bender et al. is providing information that can increase the quality of care that is administered to those struggling with eating disorders. Zonnevylle-Bender and her colleagues are reliable because they all have Ph.D.’s in a variety of health science categories. Specifically, Zonnevylle-Bender works at the Rudolph Magnus Institute of Neuroscience and specialize in psychiatry. Overall, Zonnevylle-Bender and his coauthors write in a scientific tone, providing numerous definitions and in-depth data into emotional functioning and how it is

The purpose of this this study is to examine the psycho-social aspect of AN and how this new knowledge could possibly improve the effects of intervention, and reducing relapse after patients had completed the intervention program. Individuals that suffer from anorexia nervosa typically experience body dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction is considered negative body image, and it worsens the disease. Ideally if it is possible to improve the body image of those with AN, then it is possible to lessen the affects of the disease which could lead to a cure. It is hypothesized that women’s negative body image as portrayed in the media exacerbates anorexia nervosa in those who already suffer from AN preventing successful recovery. The specific aims of this study is to reduce cognitive distortions related to

Low self-esteem plays a prominent role in many multifactorial theories of the etiology of eating disorders.