Anorexia: what it is, the first signs in men and girls, how to treat the disease

Anorexia is a fairly common mental disorder that is characterized by refusal to eat and significant weight loss. This disorder is more common in girls who consciously induce this condition in themselves to lose weight or to prevent excess weight gain. The causes of the disease include a distorted perception of personal, physical fitness and unsubstantiated anxiety about weight gain. The general prevalence of the disease is as follows: 80% of patients with anorexia are girls from 12 to 24 years old, 20% are men and women of mature age. Anorexia and its history stretches back to ancient Greece. The literal translation means the absence of the urge to eat. Often, young people went on a diet to achieve a standard figure. The diet gave the desired result and over time, anorexia set in - exhaustion.

This disease is quite insidious and does not want to let go of the person who has fallen into it. Society's demand for emaciated bodies has also provoked anorexia in men. Bringing yourself to the point of exhaustion is no longer so difficult. The Internet is full of deadly diets.

Victims of anorexia are torn between intensive care and a psychiatric hospital. Their life is devoid of all colors, and the painful perception of themselves as fat slowly kills, turning people into skin and bones.

Anorexia Nervosa: Symptoms and Signs

To understand what we are talking about, it is necessary to name the main signs of anorexia nervosa:

Refusal to eat. It can be gradual, when others do not immediately notice the alarming sign. In the final stage, the patient drinks only water.
Loss of external attractiveness. The skin becomes pale, hair and nails become brittle.
Dizziness and even fainting.
Tachycardia, shortness of breath.
Persistent feeling of cold. A person hides his hands in his pockets even in a warm room, wraps himself in scarves and bulky items, but at the same time continues to freeze.
All chronic diseases enter the acute stage.
In the later stages of the disease, menstruation disappears.
Painful sensitivity to any physical influence. You hear from a person all the time: “don’t touch me,” “don’t touch me.”
Mood swings, apathy, depression, thoughts of suicide.
Loss of strength, drowsiness.

In essence, we are talking about mental illness (read the article “Nervous System”). When a person says: “I don’t get better with anorexia nervosa” and presents it in a positive way, others should be wary. It is no coincidence that anorexia nervosa is today considered the most dangerous disease, because of which people die who did not receive the necessary help in time.

How to suspect the disease: early symptoms

The first symptoms of anorexia development manifest themselves in changes in a person’s behavior. He suddenly shows increased interest in diets, weight loss and weight control techniques, and therapeutic fasting. Even with a normal weight, the patient considers himself overweight and unattractive. In this case, the patient is often depressed due to his imaginary excess body weight.

Patients at the initial stage of anorexia wear loose-fitting clothes, hiding the “flaws” of their figure, and use cosmetics with a tightening effect. Women use “slimming” underwear sets. They often examine themselves critically in front of the mirror.

The key to recognizing the early signs of anorexia is identifying biased attitudes towards yourself.

Causes of Anorexia Nervosa

According to the psychoanalytic approach, anorexia nervosa occurs due to a pathological fear of becoming fat. This fear is especially acute in adolescence. The changes occurring in the body do not coincide with the idea of one’s own “ideal” body, causing the desire to get rid of “extra” centimeters by any means.

In more serious cases, the patient simply does not “see” the true picture of his appearance. It seems to him that there is a lot of excess weight, when in reality thinness has long crossed the threshold of normal and turned into painful.

Experts distinguish several causes of anorexia. One of them: overprotection on the part of the mother. Against this background, hysterical character traits easily develop. Even modest remarks from others cause an inadequate reaction, obsessive fears, and phobias. The source of fear can be people from the immediate environment, “idols”.

Reasons for the development of anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is based on psychological factors. First of all, this refers to acute stress exposure. Among the common provocateurs are:

violence;
death of a loved one;
divorce;
loss or change of job.

Stress gives rise to a feeling of anxiety and instability in a person. In some cases, patients imagine that they are losing control. In such a situation, controlling food intake becomes a suitable replacement option.

If we approach the occurrence of the disorder from the other side, then it is definitely worth mentioning the requirements and limits established by the environment. In the modern world, thinness is held in special esteem, which forces women (sometimes men) to resort to extremes.

Annie, 19 years old. The disease first appeared at the age of 14. It all started with giving up carbohydrates and engaging in intense physical activity. Following fashion trends, the girl set beauty parameters for herself: the absence of fat. Her goal at that time was skinny legs and a flat stomach. Now the patient’s mind was occupied by only a few things: counting calories, the length of training. This took all my strength; there was no energy or time for other things.

The thought that Annie managed to maintain a “proper” diet all day brought pleasure. The rest was of little interest. Even meeting with friends was not enjoyable.

Relatives were concerned about the girl’s condition and forbade her to train. Then she began going to the gym secretly. Annie masked her reluctance to eat with illness. The girl began to think that she needed the help of a specialist when she developed amenorrhea.

The question arises: why are some people able to withstand the pressure of circumstances while maintaining self-control, while others are not? The answer is simple: it's all about predisposing factors.

The family environment plays a special role. If a family member suffers from an eating disorder, the risk of developing it increases for other members, especially girls. The situation is also aggravated by loved ones with depression, alcohol and drug addiction.

It has been established that in disharmonious families, where parent-child and parent-parent relationships are quite complex, where misunderstanding, lies, and indifference reign, fatal cases of anorexia are most common. The reason is a late request for help. As a rule, in such a family the phrases are heard many times: “I promise, I will eat,” which are blindly believed.

During the research, scientists noticed that in a large number of cases, people with anorexia nervosa lived with overprotective mothers. In such a situation, the child lost the ability to psychologically separate from his mother. Since adolescence is a time of establishing one’s own self, distinguishing the child as an individual, during this period anorexia nervosa becomes an unconscious way to isolate oneself from an overprotective mother, no matter what the cost. In this case, by destroying your own body.

On the other hand, the desire for pathological thinness may express an unconscious desire to maintain a connection with father and mother. The girl subconsciously believes that thinness will not allow her to turn into a mature woman, and she will remain the little, beloved girl of her parents.

Age is also a fairly significant factor for the disorder. As already mentioned, teenage girls, as well as females under 40 years of age, are more susceptible to the disease. Recently, there has been a tendency towards a decrease in the age of manifestation of anorexia nervosa: there are cases where girls as young as 9 years old were affected by the disease.

Increased attention is paid to personality traits. Among the dangerous personality characteristics are:

excessive punctuality;
assertiveness;
accuracy;
pronounced pride;
low self-esteem;
avoidance of responsibility;
comparing oneself with others;
ignoring one’s own desires, living by someone else’s rules;
inability to cope with difficulties;
hysteria;
lack of flexibility in character;
the desire for perfectionism. “I strived to be the best in everything. Constantly comparing myself to others, experiencing chronic stress. All my thoughts were consumed by thoughts about weight and food.” This is how Maria tells her story. It brought great pleasure to the girl to see that she was slimmer than her friends. Against this background, the patient continued to lose weight, which led to the development of anorexia nervosa.

A genetic predisposition is also possible. The serotonin receptor gene and the neurotrophic factor gene are considered susceptible to anorexia nervosa. They regulate eating behavior and the level of neurotransmitters, fluctuations of which can also cause disease. Predisposing factors such as stress, a certain personality type, combined with susceptible genes may well trigger the development of the disorder.

It’s a shame, but a large number of cases of anorexia among teenagers arise against the backdrop of comments made to them about excess weight and disproportionate figure.

Nadezhda, 16 years old. The reason for losing weight was ridicule from classmates at school. Then the girl had a desire to look perfect. The “marathon” for losing excess weight began with proper nutrition, which I adhered to for three months. As a result, I lost 7 kg. But her classmates did not leave Nadya alone. The girl tightened her food restrictions and adhered to the strictest diets. The overall result is that from 65 kg with a height of 172 cm, I lost weight to 39 kg in 9 months. It all ended in a hospital bed.

Stages of anorexia nervosa

The classic scheme for the development of the disease includes several stages:

Dysmorphomanic stage. This is the first stage when a person is only visited by thoughts about his own physical inferiority. The dysmorphomanic stage of anorexia nervosa is characterized by increased attention to appearance and weight. All kinds of diets are tested, preference is given to those in which fasting is practiced.
Purgative or anorectic stage. Previous diets are discarded as ineffective, and the method of long hunger strikes is adopted. By this time, the weight is already 20-30% lower than before, but the patient begins to introduce sports training in addition to fasting, which causes tachycardia, a drop in pressure, and tissue breakdown begins in the body.
Cachectic stage. It occurs after 2 years of the previous condition. The cachectic stage of anorexia nervosa is characterized by a complete lack of appetite, a gradual cessation of all body functions, and subsequently death. Doctors are unable to stop the disease at the cachectic stage.

What else causes anorexia

The disease can be provoked by certain substances. The anorexigenic effect is characteristic of some antidepressants and tranquilizers. Much less often, lack of appetite is caused by sedatives. Pathology is also often found in people who abuse caffeine cocktails. Regular intake of high doses of caffeine into the body provokes a decrease in appetite. Manifestations of anorexia in drug addicts are common. Amphetamine is considered the main provocateur in this category.

Much less often, anorexic conditions accompany chronic diseases. High risk factors are considered:

endocrine disorders (diseases of the hypothalamus and thyroid gland);
diseases of the digestive tract (cholecystitis, pancreatitis, tendency to constipation);
prolonged hyperthermia in infectious diseases;
chronic pain;
poor dental condition.

In childhood, anorexia can be caused by hypothalamic deficiency, a nuclear form of early autism (Kanner syndrome). Sometimes the disease is provoked by parents by overfeeding the child.

Psychologists do not deny the importance of the hereditary factor. More often, anorexia occurs in people whose families have various eating disorders.

Types of Anorexia Nervosa

To establish an accurate picture of the disease, the doctor prescribes a course of special diagnostics to the patient, which includes the following studies:

Blood test: general and detailed biochemical.
Analysis of urine.
Test for thyroid hormones.
CT scan of the brain.
Ultrasound of the digestive organs.

These studies give the doctor a picture of the condition of all internal organs and systems. In a particular case, additional studies may be required taking into account concomitant chronic diseases. Based on the data obtained, the specific type of disease is determined.

Thus, in the international classification of diseases, atypical anorexia nervosa occurs in 1% of women and 10 times less often in men, and we are talking about young people from 13 to 20 years old. Its peculiarity is that a person cannot refuse meals, and after eating food he artificially induces vomiting (bulimia). (Read the article “Bulimia Nervosa”).

According to a recognized expert in this field, M.V. Korkina, anorexia nervosa requires a differentiated approach to diagnosis and treatment, depending on who the patient is: a child, a teenager, an adult, an old man. Gender must also be taken into account.

Symptoms of anorexia

Signs of anorexia include: the patient’s feeling of being fat, denying the problem of anorexia, splitting food into several meals, eating while standing, sleep disturbances, fear of getting fat, depression, expression of anger, touchiness, passion for diets and cooking, collecting recipes, manifestation of culinary abilities without attachments to meals, changes in family and social life, refusal to participate in shared meals, long visits to the bathroom, fanatical exercise.

Symptoms of anorexia include decreased activity, sadness, irritability, periodically replaced by euphoria.

Signs of the disease manifest themselves in social fears and are therefore confirmed by the inability to share with others their attitude towards food.

Physical disorders include problems with the menstrual cycle, cardiac arrhythmia, muscle spasms, persistent weakness, and algomenorrhea. His self-esteem depends on the patient’s weight, and weight assessment is biased. Losing weight is perceived as an achievement, and gaining weight as a lack of self-control.

This attitude continues until the last stage. Self-prescribing and taking hormonal drugs poses a health hazard. These cases cannot be treated.

Treatment of anorexia nervosa at different ages

A phenomenon not of a mental, but of a biological nature is anorexia in older people. It occurs due to the fact that old people have a decreased appetite due to an increase in the level of certain hormones. After the first spoonful of any food, a person feels like he has overeaten. As a result, this leads to energy imbalance and disease develops. Treatment of senile anorexia consists of systematic hormonal therapy.

A similar picture is observed in children, when biological factors lead to abnormal thinness at a very early age. Doctors distinguish two types of disease:

Somatogenic anorexia nervosa in children. The child violently refuses to eat, and it is very difficult to feed him. The reasons may be different: inflammation of the digestive system, intoxication, allergies, helminthiasis, chronic diseases. Treatment in this case is prescribed after identifying the cause of the disease.
Functional-psychogenic or neurotic anorexia. The doctor will settle on this diagnosis only after all somatic signs are rejected based on the diagnostic results. Treatment will primarily be psychotherapeutic and, if necessary, medication.

In other words, the symptoms and treatment of childhood anorexia are so varied that it is not always obvious how exactly to help the child. A preliminary diagnostic course is required.

A different picture is observed among adolescents. In the 21st century, the problem of treating anorexia in adolescents has become global, because according to statistics, it is observed in a mild form in no less than 1% of all girls and boys in the world. For example, in Germany there are 700 thousand such patients registered. And if in young children the cause of the disease often lies in physiology, then treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents requires the mandatory intervention of a psychotherapist, and sometimes a psychiatrist.

Society persistently creates and imposes utopian ideals of beauty, which are adopted by the fragile minds of young people. At the same time, none of the young followers of the cult of hungry weight loss even thinks about such amendments as “Photoshop”, propaganda, and the commercial interest of commodity producers.

According to WHO statistics, 25% of all officially diagnosed cases occur in men. Today, anorexia nervosa in men is a serious mental illness, the causes of which are often associated with psychopathy, schizophrenia, neuroses, and other deviations. Identification of symptoms and treatment of anorexia in men is for the most part the prerogative of specialized specialists who are able to comprehensively assess both the physical state of health and the classic signs of the disease.

Anorexia in men

Recently there has been talk about male anorexia. Men are mostly categorical and often do not admit their problems. Their fixation on their forms takes on a manic character. They exercise frequently to achieve their goals; control the amount of calories consumed, consciously refuse food, arrange fasting days, and constantly weigh themselves. The age of incidence in men has also become younger. Medical staff are sounding the alarm over the significant decline in students' muscle mass.

Anorexia in men is marked by the addition of schizophrenia, psychosis, and neuroses. Exhaustive sports can also lead to terrible exhaustion. Modeling has also affected male anorexia. In treatment, it is important to restore a positive attitude towards food and your shape. If difficulties arise in self-treatment, you should contact a specialist.

Bulimia and anorexia - these conditions are related to a nervous breakdown. Patients feel that they ate a lot during meals. Each act of emptying the stomach is accompanied by a feeling of guilt, which contributes to the development of psychosomatic disorders. Relatives should be attentive to the sick, show tolerance and help solve psychological problems.

Bulimia and anorexia - these two conditions are caused by the desire to keep weight under constant control. The patient artificially induces vomiting after each meal using improvised means. The desire to get rid of a full stomach appears in patients with anorexia immediately after eating.

Treatment of anorexia nervosa at home

It is important to understand: treatment of anorexia at home is possible only until persistent signs of the purging or anorectic stage appear. After this, only a doctor can help the patient.

Treatment of anorexia at home in children consists primarily of identifying the cause that caused weight loss. A very alarming signal is the loss of menstruation in girls. The easiest way is to establish and take into account physical prerequisites (disease, intoxication, helminthiasis) based on the results of an initial examination by a pediatrician. At the appointment, the doctor needs to outline the reasons for concern and give the dynamics of changes in weight and height.

Forcing a child to eat is not a solution, like any violence. It is necessary to identify together the reason for refusing to eat, because it is possible that there is no refusal at all, and losing weight is the most dangerous symptom of a completely different disease. If the reason lies precisely in the fact that the child is afraid of gaining weight, it is worth visiting a nutritionist together with him in order to jointly develop an optimal nutrition strategy.

Treatment of anorexia at home in adolescents is observation and observation again! Secretiveness is typical for the initial stage. Refusal of high-calorie foods, cleansing procedures (vomiting, taking laxatives), skipping meals are not displayed publicly, so if you don’t specifically pay attention to this, you may not notice anything for a long time. Psychological support is very important. It is necessary to consolidate the idea in the minds of a teenager: no matter how much he weighs, no matter what he looks like, he will always be loved in the family. Remarks about appearance, even harmless ones, must be excluded from speech. And it’s even better to become an example for your child - both in terms of proper nutrition and in terms of regular (but not excessive) physical education or sports.

Treatment of anorexia at home in adults requires an integrated approach. The following activities will be useful:

Teas based on herbs: mint, lemon balm, motherwort will help remove nervousness (a constant companion of the first stage of the disease). (Read the article “How to get rid of stress”).
Stimulate hunger through physical activity. In this case, the more varied the load, the better: walks, hikes, general cleaning, going to the pool or gym, group dancing classes, team sports.
The diet must be compiled taking into account taste preferences together with a nutritionist in order to compensate for the lost kilograms not with fat, but with muscle tissue.
Refuse the classic three meals a day, replacing it with six meals a day. This helps keep weight from increasing unevenly.
Dosed physical activity on a schedule. 2-3 classes a week are not enough - ideally 4-5 times.
Take up your free time with a pleasant activity: hobbies, going to the theater or cinema, meeting with friends, going on excursions.
Pay special attention to replenishing vitamin deficiencies. The diet should be varied. It's time to start trying everything that you once wanted, but never happened. Fruits, berries, nuts, lean meats, fish, and herbs should be on the menu every day.

Predisposition to disease

Here we will consider at what age there is a greater predisposition to the disease in girls and women, the problems of anorexia in girls in adolescence.

In most cases, the disease affects girls who are going through puberty.

This puberty period covers the age from 12-16 years in girls and from 13-17(18) years in boys.

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A feature of puberty, regardless of gender, is characterized by the fact that a teenager’s attention is focused on his appearance.

During this period, many physiological processes occur that disrupt the harmony of appearance.

At the same time, the psyche of this period directs the teenager’s thoughts into the sphere of self-knowledge, the development of self-esteem in connection with the opinions of others.

At this stage, adolescents are very sensitive to third-party assessments and statements in their direction from the reference group of people. That is, people who are of significant importance in the child’s perception, and whose opinion is very significant for them.

Accordingly, a careless joke can give rise to a teenager’s enormous worries about his own significance, reasonableness, and attractiveness.

Since girls are more susceptible to the topic of appearance, they are hostages of self-depleting ideas.

At the same time, the girl perceives slight excess weight either on an exaggerated scale or completely far-fetchedly, and as a result, painful thoughts fill all the hours that could be occupied with developmental activities.

The perception of her body changes dramatically - a girl weighing 38 kilograms “really” feels like 80 of herself.

Naturally, no arguments from loved ones can change this. A mirror reflecting what the girl thinks is an ugly body becomes her worst enemy.

Many researchers agree on the idea that the prerequisite for the development of thoughts about one’s own “ugliness” in a child is formed by parents in early childhood.

When food becomes the main instrument of reward/punishment, the girl develops the idea that food is a kind of trophy that she can reward herself with in the future.

However, social standards, which parents agree with, do not welcome “fat” people. The child cannot understand this duality and, feeling guilty, seeks ways to resolve this already intrapersonal conflict.

Anorexia nervosa: treatment

Modern treatment of anorexia involves an integrated approach in several key areas, namely:

Development, together with several specialists (nutritionist, psychotherapist, neurologist, sports doctor), of a therapy method aimed at restoring physical and mental health. It is important to eliminate the consequences of prolonged fasting and choose a general strategy - how to treat anorexia nervosa.
Formation of normal eating behavior, which the patient will adhere to throughout the rest of his life. Anorexia nervosa and eating disorders are synonymous concepts; the disease cannot be cured without eliminating its preconditions.
Correction of distorted perception of one's own appearance. This is the most difficult thing, because patients often simply do not trust others. You can understand how to cure anorexia nervosa if you determine the turning point after which the “point of no return” came and the person stopped perceiving reality soberly and adequately.
Treatment of concomitant mental disorders: depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety. Methods of psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa such as family, individual or group are used.
Social adaptation. The patient must be taken out of his “world” and choose ways that are comfortable for him to expand his social circle. (Read the article “How to restore the nervous system?”).

A correctly chosen treatment strategy is already half the success. Further, the speed of healing and the effectiveness of the measures taken depend only on the patient himself and his loved ones. Anorexia before and after treatment are two diametrically opposed pictures, because in the first case we have a sick person, and in the second a healthy one.

Determining risk factors

Now we move on to the more determining factors of anorexia: family microclimate and special personal characteristics that predispose a girl to this state of the body.

Childhood experiences in a person's life have a dominant influence throughout life.

Many researchers and practitioners agree that many mental illnesses are the result of a dysfunctional family situation, including schizophrenia, neurotic disorders, and depressive-manic predisposition.

Anorexia is no exception. Without insisting on the truth of the descriptions of family members of anorexic girls, through long studies of patients, the following characteristics of their parents were revealed.

The mother of such a girl is usually despotic, with her dominant position she deprives the child of all initiative and constantly suppresses his will.

Usually such women hide their desire for self-affirmation behind their hyper-concern. They, having not realized themselves in their time, try to make up for lost time at the expense of their family members.

At the same time, they have sufficient energy reserves and emotional strength, which has such a terrifying effect on the “victims”.

The spouses of such wives, respectively the fathers of the girls, play secondary roles.

They usually have passive characteristics:

not active;
lack of sociability;
gloominess.

Some researchers define them as “tyrants.” However, there are also oppressive fathers, as part of this disease, who play an overly active role in the child’s life and his treatment system.

In conclusion of this subsection, it must be said that often a child, seeing a dysfunctional situation in the family, from childhood tries in every possible way to normalize the relationship between parents.

Often this method is “the child going into illness.” According to the logic of a child’s still immature consciousness, parents will become one team in saving their child, they will forget grievances and complaints against each other, help the child and ultimately become a happy family.

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In some families that reject both their own feelings and the experiences of other family members, food for the child becomes the main means of communication with parents, in particular with the mother, where love and respect can be expressed through an empty plate. Sad.

It seems very cruel to bring a child to such a selfless decision, because experience shows that family problems only get worse.

Drug treatment for anorexia nervosa

When changes in the body become irreversible, home treatment will no longer help. Indications for hospitalization for anorexia nervosa are not only the general symptoms of the disease, but also the results of the examination. So, if a doctor diagnoses stage 3-4 of the disease (cachectic stage), treatment in a hospital cannot be avoided.

Today, drugs for the treatment of anorexia are widely used in medical practice:

Alprozolam. Anxiolytic that suppresses anxiety.
Amitriptyline. Antidepressant that increases appetite.
Grandaxin. A tranquilizer that stimulates mental work.
Mexiprim. Anticosidant, helps to understand your condition.
Diazepam. A heavy tranquilizer, necessary to eliminate the patient's resistance to treatment (used in psychiatry).
Vitamin complexes to replenish micronutrient deficiencies.
Dietary supplements to normalize digestive processes.

Drugs for the treatment of anorexia nervosa are selected individually, taking into account age, health status, and causes of the disease.

Can mental illness be cured?

Anorexia is extremely difficult to treat. The result of therapy depends on the patient himself, but anorexics stubbornly do not admit the presence of a psychological disorder (like drug addicts and alcoholics). Accordingly, they refuse to undergo treatment.

At this stage, the help of a psychotherapist will be required who can convince the patient that he is sick and needs help, that his life depends on it. An important point is to work with the patient’s environment. Relatives should be aware of the seriousness of the situation and the degree of risk to the patient’s life, and support him in following the recommendations. Relatives need to monitor the treatment process.

Basic treatment

The main treatment for anorexia is psychotherapy. The patient will require a course of consultation with a psychologist, the duration of which depends on the severity of the condition at the time of diagnosis. From 3 months to a year, a specialist works with the patient:

identifies obsessive states;
eliminates the patient's fixation on the issue of appearance and food;
corrects complexes;
motivates the patient for personal development;
creates a sense of self-respect;
teaches the patient to accept the world and himself in it;
provides psycho-emotional support.

For anorexia in adolescents, family therapy gives good results, when all family members undergo consultations with a specialist, learn to interact with each other, seek support and understand each other.

Symptomatic treatment

This type of therapy is designed to stop the process of exhaustion and provide the body with the necessary amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. For symptomatic therapy, the patient is prescribed:

restorative diet (with a predominance of protein foods);
drugs for the correction of endocrinological disorders, nervous disorders;
multivitamin complexes.

Treatment is impossible without proper psychotherapeutic support.

Hospital treatment

Advanced and severe forms of anorexia are treated in the hospital. If the patient is admitted in a semi-conscious or unconscious state, with signs of exhaustion and symptoms of heart failure, solutions are urgently administered to correct the electrolyte balance and restore heart function. Once the condition has stabilized, the rehabilitation process begins. If the patient refuses to take medications and food, they are administered in the form of infusions or injections. In this way, the patient is supported until he begins to consciously follow the doctor’s recommendations.

To motivate the patient for treatment, the doctor determines a reward system for him (subject to timely consumption of food and weight gain). This could be walking outside, chatting with friends or relatives.

Such measures are carried out strictly on a voluntary basis, after agreement with the patient, however, they are not always effective. The key role belongs to the work of the psychologist. The success of treatment depends on the degree of mental disorders.

Less than half of patients with an officially established diagnosis are completely cured of anorexia. Often, therapy leads to an improvement in the patient’s condition and the disappearance of the risk to life. After some time, a relapse may occur. After this, the rehabilitation course begins again. Such people need constant attention from their family and their control over the emotional state of the anorexic. Depression or prolonged apathy may indicate a relapse of the disease.

Actress Anna Khilkevich

Anna gained 18 kilograms during pregnancy and after giving birth she retained the “unnecessary” 11 kilograms, and the girl began to struggle with them. But the war turned into a limitless battle: Anna was uncomfortable at the 51 kilogram weight that she had before pregnancy and childbirth. Today, the actress’s weight is 46.5 kilograms, and Khilkevich believes that this is the ideal weight, given that, at eighteen, her weight dropped to 43 kg. By the way, Anna’s path to losing weight is quite easy: complete and persistent fasting.

Symptomatic picture

Symptoms of anorexia are conventionally divided into psychological and somatic. In the first stages of the development of the disease, psychological symptoms appear, forcing the patient to refuse to eat. Late somatic manifestations of pathology are considered the most dangerous.

There are two forms of anorexia: restrigenic (restrictive) and bulimic (a combination of periods of restriction and gluttony).

Anorexia can cause the following symptoms:

Constant worry, anxiety about potential weight gain;
Restriction in food is often combined with periods of overeating followed by rejection of food, causing vomiting. Over time, the gag reflex develops to the point of automaticity;
Much attention is paid to sports;
Dissatisfaction with one's own appearance;
Constantly weighing or, conversely, avoiding knowledge of weight;
“Mirror symptom”—frequently looking at oneself in the mirror;
Avoiding conversations about weight with people around you;
The desire to prepare food and feed it to your family members;
Loss of interest in people, apathy;
Insomnia or, conversely, prolonged sleep;
Dizziness and fainting;
Paleness of the skin;
Intrusive thoughts;
Loss of large amounts of hair and brittle nails;
Prolonged absence of menstruation;
Fatigue and weakness;
Defecation disorder;
Suicidal behavior;
Social isolation;
Decreased libido;
Unmotivated anger, irritability.

As already mentioned, anorexia has a progressive course, so over time, new negative signs of the disease may appear. It is important to pay attention to the first symptoms of an eating disorder in time and begin therapy.

Signs of anorexia

The disease can be recognized by the following signs:

A person's weight is less than normal.
Fear of weight gain, which sometimes causes a person to behave absurdly during meals. Thus, patients can even count the number of grains of rice in their plate.
Weigh yourself frequently throughout the day.
Counting calories and other rituals related to weight loss take up all my free time. A person constantly limits himself in food.
Dissatisfaction with one's weight and obvious thinness.
Use of emetics or laxatives.
Frequent training, despite weakness.
Refusal of meat and fatty foods, gradual transition to fruits and vegetables.

In addition to the main symptoms of the disease, a person suffers from the following disorders:

sleep disorder;
general weakness;
muscle spasms;
the patient’s muscles become flabby and atrophy;
pigment spots on the skin;
sunken eyes;
sunken stomach;
tooth loss;
dry hair;
pallor;
Bad mood;
low pressure;
menstrual irregularities in women;
fainting and dizziness;
vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.

The disease develops gradually. First, a person who is dissatisfied with his reflection in the mirror becomes convinced that he is overweight. Then he tries by any means to lose weight, even refusing to eat.

When the first results in weight loss are achieved, a person feels light and elated, which makes the negative consequences of disorders, such as brittle nails, dull skin and dry hair, invisible.

In addition to the fact that the patient limits food intake, he begins to actively engage in physical activity. This quickly exhausts the body. If the process lasts about a year, then the person already looks haggard. The patient needs urgent medical attention.

Diagnostics

To detect anorexia, the patient can go to a public clinic or a private center. During the initial appointment, the specialist will ask about complaints and study anamnestic information to identify risk factors. Already at the interview stage, a doctor or psychologist may suggest the presence of the disease, but anorexia can be definitively diagnosed only after a detailed examination.

Diagnosis criteria:

Detection of signs of malnutrition during physical examination. Doctors pay attention to the skin, nails, hair and the volume of subcutaneous fat. The early stages of anorexia do not always have somatic manifestations;
Assessing the performance of internal organs to detect the negative consequences of anorexia. Specialists examine the cardiovascular system, kidneys and other organs. Laboratory tests that help quickly diagnose anemia are also important;
Clinical psychiatric research, with the possible use of special questionnaires and tests.

In addition to the above examinations, the doctor can conduct neurological diagnostics to rule out various forms of brain damage. In rare cases, anorexia occurs solely against the background of organic processes in the central nervous system.

Recovery period

To restore the body after anorexia, you should stay in bed. The body is greatly weakened by exhaustion, so it needs rest. The recovery period will last as long as the body weakens, and temporary relief can be deceptive.

You should not neglect nutrition during recovery. During this period, you need to eat more often, up to 6 times a day, and eat high-calorie foods. If you follow all the doctor’s instructions, you can gain up to 3 kilograms within a month.

Many patients are assigned to groups that provide psychological assistance. Such support helps to cope not only with the consequences of the disease, but also with its causes, which is very important for preventing a relapse of the disease.

During the recovery period, the main task is to learn how to treat your body and nutrition correctly. It is also important to learn to perceive your appearance.

In many ways, the results depend on the behavior of the relatives who surround the patient. Therefore, for a successful recovery, they should also receive consultation from a psychologist in order to behave correctly with the patient in the future.

How to avoid relapse

To avoid relapse of the disease, the patient should adhere to the following rules:

take medications in accordance with your doctor’s recommendations;
do not follow diets, but adhere to the principles of proper nutrition;
eat small portions and eat frequently;
do not watch fashion shows and do not compare yourself with models;
pamper yourself not with food, but with other pleasant things;
communicate with loved ones;
avoid stress;
do what you love.

Singer MakSim

In the summer of 2019, the performer suddenly announced that she was deciding to take an indefinite leave for health reasons. Due to severe illness, she decided not to perform at the planned concerts, thereby upsetting many fans. However, Marina soon decided to honestly report what happened, so that her case would make it clear to other girls that fasting and dieting are not the best solution. As the performer says, in a month she got rid of 10 kilograms and, as a result, the mark on the scales stopped at 43 kilograms.

The source of the problem was frantic exercise in the gym and an almost complete refusal to eat.

Today, Marina eats right and leads an active lifestyle, mainly devoting her attention to her beloved daughters - 10-year-old Alexandra and 4-year-old Maria.

Actress Tara Reid

Due to the fact that Tara is active on her social networks, her fans immediately noted that the actress was clearly not healthy and suspected anorexia. According to Reed’s acquaintances, relatives and friends, the performer had a phobia of gaining excess weight from an early age.

Due to the fact that Tara followed diets and took special diet pills, she gradually developed a disease, which is distinguished by the fact that as soon as thoughts about gaining weight came, a complete refusal of food occurred. With constant unexpected weight fluctuations, the actress’s hormonal balance was disrupted. Meanwhile, Tara dismisses all rumors of illness, saying that she is completely healthy and has the same figure. However, the photos won't hide anything.

However, Tara Reid does not understand everyone's concern and happily shows off her emaciated body by wearing tight clothes. At the same time, in new photographs of the famous personality, you can see that her stomach is literally “swollen from hunger.” At this stage it is worth considering, and we hope that Tara will pull herself together and see a doctor.

Proper nutrition for anorexia

At the beginning, nutrition for anorexia is not aimed at gaining weight, the main thing is to restore metabolism in the body. You should start with low-calorie foods:

fruit or vegetable juices
jelly
jelly
porridge with milk
low-fat meat and fish broths (can add cereals)
baby food
cottage cheese

After a week, you can include in the menu:

boiled fish
jellied dishes
pates
salads
boiled poultry (grind to porridge)

TIP: To increase your appetite before meals, you can drink an infusion of wormwood, a little fruit juice, or suck on a slice of lemon.

The list of undesirable products includes:

pork, lamb
eggplant, spinach, radish, city
fatty rich broths
mushrooms
confectionery with cream
coffee

It should be remembered that all cases of anorexia are individual; the correct diet for anorexia should be agreed with your doctor or nutritionist.

List of symptoms

Early detection of the problem will allow you to begin treatment faster and get rid of it with fewer consequences. Most symptoms are associated with an eating disorder and are easily detected with careful observation:

The desire to lose weight at any cost, even if the weight is already too low. Most often, unhealthy methods are chosen: suspicious diets with a minimal amount of food (for example, 2 apples a day), serious physical activity.
Fear of being overweight, fear of gaining weight, development of a phobia.
Refusing to eat or seriously limiting the amount of food, deceiving the family (“have already eaten”, “not hungry”), throwing away food and leaving a dirty plate.
A sharp narrowing of interests: a person begins to be interested only in food, diets, calorie counting, and physical exercise.
Turning every meal into a ritual: setting the table beautifully, chewing food thoroughly, cutting it into small pieces, using the smallest plates.
Refusal to visit people or cafes where there will be food. In a cafe, a person can only order water, tea or coffee.
Sometimes the patient begins to cook fanatically for the whole family, trying to feed everyone. He himself refuses to eat what is cooked.
Constant physical activity, sometimes quite heavy (several hours a day). At the same time, food remains just as meager.
Choosing loose, baggy clothes to hide weight loss. An anorexic person believes that in this way he hides folds and fat.
Using tricks: drinking plenty of water, coffee and tea (to stave off hunger), drinking cold water and opening windows when it's cold (to burn calories to warm the body), sucking on ice (instead of ice cream). An anorexic person may also start smoking or increase the number of cigarettes, or take certain medications (to reduce appetite or have a laxative effect).
The desire to be alone, to engage in creativity to kill time. This can be writing stories or drawing; the main character is often a girl who was initially thin or has lost a lot of weight. Sometimes the heroine is Ana or Anorexia, who “helps” the heroine become ideal or is a motivator. Communication can move to the Internet, support is provided by friends from thematic sites and groups on social networks.
The feeling that all efforts are in vain, that nothing will change, loss of control over life. At the same time, most of the problems are associated with “excess” weight: absence of a loved one or friends, problems at work.
Refusal to admit your illness: a person considers himself fat even if he is severely underweight. If you ask him to draw himself, the anorexic will draw a figure several times thicker than himself and will deny it when trying to prove him wrong. At the same time, beliefs are defended fiercely, irritably, even to the point of aggression.

In addition to mental and behavioral signs, there are also physiological ones. The latter include:

Weight reduction by more than 30% of normal. The figure “40 kg” often appears - most patients strive for it.
The appearance of soft vellus hair on the body.
Frequent dizziness, weakness, fainting.
Sleep disturbance - a person either sleeps too much or suffers from insomnia.
Apathy, depression, decreased performance, inability to concentrate, preoccupation with self-care and one’s problems.
Disorder of the menstrual cycle (up to complete disappearance and subsequent infertility), decreased sexual desire.
Poor blood circulation, low body temperature, feeling of constant cold, pallor, bruising. Fingers may acquire a “marbled” (bluish) tint due to a lack of blood in small vessels.
Dry skin, problems with hair (brittleness, dryness) and nails (weak, constantly peeling), tooth decay, bad breath.
Prolapse of the kidneys, liver and genital organs, dystrophy of internal organs and muscles.
In some cases, there is a desire to punish oneself for “extra” food or lack of exercise. This could be an increase in load or self-harm: cuts, burns, injections.

Such signs become stronger over time, which indicates the development of diseases. As a result, the anorexic may die from cardiac arrest, depletion of the heart muscle, or complications in the functioning of any organ caused by a lack of nutrients.

Types of disease

Despite the same result, anorexia is divided into several types. Depending on the classification, treatment methods are also distinguished.

According to the mechanism of development, they are distinguished:

Anorexia neurotic: lack of appetite is caused by overexcitation of the cerebral cortex. The latter is most often caused by the experience of strong, usually negative, emotions.
Neurodynamic: the cause is inhibition of the part of the brain responsible for appetite. Usually caused by severe irritation of a non-emotional nature, such as severe pain.
Neuropsychiatric: this is anorexia nervosa. The patient, by force of will, refuses to eat or severely limits his diet. This is the most dangerous variety, which requires the intervention of a psychologist .

The reasons are distinguished:

Primary anorexia (or true): due to some external factor, the patient actually has no desire to eat, the functioning of the digestive center in the brain is disrupted. In other words, a person understands that he needs to eat, but cannot do it even by force.
Secondary (or false): a person has convinced himself that he does not need to eat. This is often due to imposed ideals, the desire to reduce body weight and get closer to the canons of beauty.

Causes of primary anorexia

They can be any disease that affects the appetite center of the brain, which is why the patient does not want to eat. Food becomes disgusting to him . These include:

Cancer (any).
Tuberculosis or other chronic infections.
Chronic pain syndrome.
Diabetes.
Various gastrointestinal diseases.
Pernicious anemia.
Chronic renal failure.
Malignant blood diseases (leukemia, lymphoma).
Brain tumors, injuries, vascular diseases, eclampsia (cerebrovascular accident).
Mental disorders (psychosis, depression, schizophrenia) and neuroses (anxiety, phobia).
Some diseases of the teeth and oral cavity.
Alcoholism and drug addiction.
Previous operations on the brain and spinal cord.
Vitamin deficiency, poisoning, taking certain medications (sex hormones, sedatives, antidepressants, psychostimulants).
Prolonged coma.

False variety

There are usually several such reasons, and they manifest themselves in complex ways. These include:

Personal factor: among patients with anorexia, there are often perfectionists (striving for ideals in all areas), insecure people or people with low self-esteem, who have painful pride. They often display neatness, pedantry, inflexible thinking and a refusal to compromise. People who have difficulties in love often suffer from anorexia: they believe that no one will love them if they are imperfect (i.e. overweight), including their parents.
Surrounding culture: imposing beauty standards on models, spreading stereotypes about the beauty of a thin body.
External influence: experienced violence, severe stress, for example, from the death of a loved one. The patient may choose anorexia as a slow method of suicide, punishing himself for something, or as a protest. For example, not wanting to grow up, an anorexic strives to remain a small child requiring protection.
Family: If a person's close relatives are obese, alcoholic, drug addicted, depressed or have an eating disorder, there is a high chance that the person will experience anorexia. An example of Isabel Caro's model also speaks of another impact: if parents are afraid that the child will grow up and leave them, he may limit himself in food so as not to become an adult and not upset the mother and father.
Age: Young people are most often at risk. This is due to the fact that they are more suggestible and cannot always understand the danger of their actions and calculate the risks of an incorrect diet.
Genetics: patients have the 1p34 gene in the 1st and 13th pair of chromosomes. Their action is activated by stress or poor diet.
Biological: early onset of menstruation, excess weight, dopamine or serotonin dysfunction, deficiency of any substances (for example, zinc). All this can lead to problems with eating behavior or aggravate an existing illness.

Valeria Levitina (25 kilograms)

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For a long time, Valeria Levitina was considered one of the thinnest women in the world. With a height of 171 centimeters, she weighed only 25 kilograms. It all started with jokes from classmates and constant control from my mother. It was her mother who constantly impressed upon Valeria that she needed to watch her weight. The girl followed a strict diet since adolescence and once won a city beauty contest. Apparently, considering that she owed this success precisely to her thinness, Levitina decided to become even “slimmer.” By the age of 20, the girl developed anorexia. Valeria struggled with this disease for 19 years. Until the last day she hoped for a favorable outcome. The “living mummy,” as Valeria’s mother nicknamed her, received piles of letters from teenagers and young women who dreamed of losing weight. However, Valeria Levitina answered everyone with only one thing: “I don’t want to teach anyone to die.” These words turned out to be prophetic: in December 2013, Valeria died.

Forecast

With timely medical care, doctors are able to normalize the patient’s condition and restore the functions of vital organs. A high mortality rate is observed with the protracted nature of the disease and the lack of psychiatric care. It is not always possible to eliminate all psychological complications of pathology even several years after the start of therapy, but working with a psychologist can significantly improve the quality of life.

Thus, eating disorders are serious illnesses. Anorexia should not be underestimated, since complications of this disease can even cause death. Timely contact with a specialist helps improve the prognosis.

The connection between bulimia and anorexia

There are several common eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. Patients often confuse the signs of these diseases. First of all, it is worth noting that bulimia is a less dangerous mental disorder, since girls suffering from such an illness rarely lose weight to the stage of cachexia. Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge eating and induced vomiting.

Anorexia and bulimia have the following similar symptoms:

Marked fluctuations in body weight with the development of pathology;
The appearance of anxiety and persistent depression of mood;
Dissatisfaction with appearance;
Psychological distress;
Eating disorders;
Obsessive ideas;
Irritability and dysphoria;
Decreased libido and apathy;
Predominant occurrence in women.

Thus, anorexia and bulimia share some common symptoms. However, the prognosis for anorexia is less favorable due to progressive dystrophy and damage to internal organs.

Model Victoria Beckham

From the very beginning of her career, the creator of the Spice Girls approached the actress and advised her to lose a couple of kilograms in order to fit harmoniously into the group. Victoria began to fight and went too far. At the beginning of the 2000s, she was always reproached for the spread of morbid thinness and anorexia. As a result, the model came to her senses and hired a personal chef, who still prepares her a balanced diet and prepares the right food.

Stages of the disease

Domestic scientists distinguish 3 stages of the disease, which are presented in order of deepening of the disease in the girl’s body.

Stage 1 - dysmorphophobic (lasts 2-3 years).

At this stage, the girl has a clear conviction, a logically justified attitude that her body is full.

Characteristics of the stage:

high sensitivity to the assessments of others;
cutting food into small pieces, chewing it for a long time;
Daytime fasting can be combined with nighttime overeating.

Stage 2 – dysmorphomanic.

At this stage, girls begin to take active steps to reduce their weight:

they pretend to eat their food (in reality they spit it out, feed it to the dog, after eating the food they induce vomiting, etc.);
enthusiastically study recipes for various dishes, while overfeeding loved ones;
during sleep they lie down in the most uncomfortable positions;
dependence on appetite-reducing pills develops;
drink a lot of coffee and smoke cigarettes to prevent sleep.

Stage 3 - cachectic.

The body is deeply exhausted:

the skin loses elasticity and flakes;
subcutaneous fat disappears;
there is a failure in the perception of their body (having lost half of their previous weight, they continue to perceive themselves as full);
deformation of the gastrointestinal tract;
pressure and temperature decrease.

Treatment options

Treatment of anorexia must be done under the supervision of doctors; it is impossible to cope with the disorder on your own. Dealing with anorexia requires a comprehensive approach. Initially, a diagnosis of the whole body is carried out to exclude pathologies. After diagnosis, it is necessary to normalize the patient's weight.

The treatment methods used at TsIRPP allow psychotherapy and restoration of normal weight to be carried out simultaneously.

Medication

Hospitalization and drug treatment are required if weight loss is more than 50% of normal body weight, the patient categorically refuses to eat, and the functioning of internal organs is impaired. Depending on the symptoms, medications are selected individually for each patient. For anorexia, medications are used to combat vomiting and dehydration, as well as to improve fat and protein metabolism. To cope with the disorder and normalize the emotional background, antidepressants, tranquilizers and other medications are used that are prescribed by a psychiatrist.

Help from a psychiatrist

With anorexia, the help of a psychiatrist is mandatory. His participation is indispensable for relatives of patients, building healthy family relationships, and building self-esteem. Also, only a psychiatrist can prescribe medications. He resolves issues regarding the prescription of drug therapy. Even at the initial stage of treatment, consultation with an experienced psychiatrist is important. There is always a risk that another illness is hidden behind the struggle with weight. The psychiatrist conducts diagnostics to exclude such a possibility.

Help from a psychologist

The help of a psychologist in the treatment of anorexia is necessary, since patients experience not only low weight, but also problems with self-esteem, thoughts of their own inferiority. The doctor will help you work through your fears, get rid of imposed beauty standards, learn to love and accept yourself, change your behavior and attitude towards the disease. Depending on the cause of the disorder, the optimal treatment option is selected. Today there are many schools and directions that show the effectiveness of combating a particular problem. The patient will:

individual treatment - he communicates one-on-one with a doctor;
Group classes are a great way to see how others struggle with the disorder and gain support and understanding;
multifamily psychotherapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

To cope with the symptoms of the disease, psychiatrists actively use cognitive behavioral therapy in treatment.

It allows you to work out two factors:

restoration of conditioned reflexes - the patient must learn to eat when he feels hungry;
correction of erroneous ideas about one’s weight and appearance - a psychiatrist works with attitudes that provoke a passion for diets and hunger strikes.

In the process of this therapy, the patient gets rid of the fear of obesity, obsessive thoughts, and learns not to associate success and happiness with beauty standards.

Body-oriented method

This approach to treatment allows the psychiatrist to teach how to avoid potentially “dangerous” situations. The body-oriented method allows the patient to overcome the fear of dining together and not strive for social isolation.

In recent years, psychiatrists have been actively using body-oriented treatment methods aimed at self-acceptance. Body tension and habits speak of a person’s fears and lack of self-confidence.

The “mirror” exercise is also considered particularly effective. The patient and the psychiatrist are in a room with mirrors. He examines and studies his body, talks about bodily and emotional sensations. All impressions are discussed and worked through with a specialist. The approach helps the patient accept himself as he is. Therapy teaches you to find beauty in yourself and others, regardless of physical shape or compliance with certain standards or norms.

Art therapy

Creative activities with an experienced psychiatrist are very useful for treating patients with eating disorder. This approach allows:

the doctor can understand the internal state of the patient, because a person cannot always explain his condition with help;
prepare working data for prescribing further therapy;
free the patient from blocked emotions and feelings - it is through creativity that it is easiest to reveal anger and resentment;
the patient to look at his inner world from the outside.

Art therapy is useful if the patient refuses direct contact with a psychiatrist and rejects help. Veiled tests make it possible to conduct a full assessment of the mental state and find an approach to the patient.

Famous actress Angelina Jolie

In 2019, the whole world began to discuss Angelina Jolie's extremely low weight.
According to certain information, with a height of 170 centimeters, her weight was about 36 kilograms. Then all that was left of the incredibly charming and beautiful actress was skin and guests, it was scary to watch. Protruding veins on the arms and legs, sharp cheekbones, sunken cheeks, bruises under the eyes, lethargy and dullness of the skin meant only one thing - Angelina had anorexia. Most likely, the disease was caused by severe surgical interventions and the recovery process after removal of the mammary glands and ovaries, which brought severe depression to the actress.

However, Jolie claims she has lost a lot of weight due to a tense divorce and child custody case.

The film actress has another incomprehensible fear - she does not eat in public, since photographers can capture her at any time. So she doesn't eat anything outside her home.

Causes

Unfortunately, the etiology of anorexia is not well understood. To date, specialists know only the forms of predisposition to the disease and key risk factors. It is possible that in many patients anorexia may occur due to endogenous disorders in the brain, but psychological factors are much more important.

Known Causes:

Physiological influences. Certain types of hormonal disorders may be responsible for the occurrence of anorexia. You should also take into account changes in brain biochemistry, which are characteristic of many mental illnesses;
Genetic changes. Pathological sections of DNA molecules cause changes in neurons and parts of the brain. Genetic mutations are inherited;
Psychological factors associated with the peculiarities of emotional reactions, the formation of personality in childhood and interaction with other people;
Social environmental factors. With anorexia, the role of generally accepted standards of beauty in society is taken into account. Psychological violence in various groups has a particularly negative impact on a child or adolescent.

Thus, anorexia is a polyetiological disorder. Further study of the physiology of the nervous system will help specialists develop effective therapy for the disease.

Causes of the disease

Factors that provoke the disease can be biological, psychological or social. Each group of reasons should be described in more detail:

physiological characteristics (overweight, early onset of menstruation, dysfunction of neurotransmitters that regulate eating behavior);
psychological trauma (the presence of relatives or friends suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, obesity, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, depression, any stress, episodes of sexual or physical violence in the past);
socio-cultural factors (living in an area where thinness is considered an integral sign of female beauty, popularization of models, adolescence and young adulthood);
heredity (the desire for thinness on the verge of a mental disorder can be transmitted from parents to children, this is a genetic predisposition that manifests itself in an unfavorable situation, a certain chromosome is responsible for it);
personal factors (obsessive-perfectionist personality type, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence).