One day you wake up and see yourself in the mirror differently than before. The image has changed, nothing is the same anymore. You do not like the image that the mirror returns to you, and the sensation that your own body generates influences you when choosing the foods to consume. You don’t want to eat foods that provide few or large amounts of calories, even if they are healthy, since that would cause you to gain weight. Thus, your body weight begins to drop to unimaginable limits. However, you still see yourself with some extra kilos that cause you great concern. You have probably heard some testimony from someone who has suffered from this issue, or perhaps you have experienced it firsthand. Indeed, we are talking about anorexia. In any case, we should not confuse anorexia with anorexia nervosa. Being able to understand their differences will give us greater tools that we must take into account. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the 4 differences between anorexia and anorexia nervosa.
The cause
When we talk about the anorexywe are referring to a eating disorder characterized by loss of appetite against different foods. Thus, this produces a significant loss of body weight.
The emergence of anorexia can have various causes. On the one hand, there are mental disorders such as depression that can trigger this clinical condition. Beyond this issue, there are also associations between anorexia and medication consumption such as antidepressants, analgesics, among others. This type of condition also may be caused by organic diseases such as thyroid cancer, gastric cancer or heart failure.
Like anorexia, it shares the same qualities in terms of its mode of presentation. However, one of the most important points to take into account lies in the fact that there is an intense restriction on food intake for a fear of weight gain. In this way, when people who suffer from this pathology consume some food, they look for methods to compensate for the calories they have incorporated. For this reason, vomiting caused by the person, excessive use of diuretics and/or laxatives, and exacerbated physical exercise are usually common.
In this article, you will find more information about the .
Psychological aspect
The anorexy It is a disease that can be caused by organic factors such as intestinal disorders. In this sense, it is common for symptoms typical of anorexia to appear, such as a lack of desire to eat foods or drinks generated by certain previous organic-based diseases. In other words, it is possible for someone to present alterations in the functioning of the digestive tract and/or liver and this has consequences on the willingness to eat.
Refering to anorexia nervosathe crucial point is linked to the fact that it is generated by psychological factors associated with childhood traumas, distortion of body image, imitation of behaviors from close people, among others. In turn, the restriction carried out in food is not linked to any organic disease but with the purpose of achieving an ideal image that turns out to be unattainable.
Population type
Another difference that exists between anorexia and anorexia nervosa lies in the population that suffers from these disorders. In the anorexywe can mention that it can manifest itself in any kind of person because the causes are not specific to any particular age group.
With respect to anorexia nervosausually more common in young women who are going through puberty. However, this clinical picture may also be present in older women. In this article, we talk about .
Type of behaviors
One of the most important aspects that we must take into consideration when differentiating anorexia from anorexia nervosa is linked to the behaviors that are carried out. In the anorexy, this is loss of appetite caused by body problems. This produces that avoid eating food following this main reason.
In the anorexia nervosathere are avoidance behaviors such as leaving the table at mealtime, hide food and then throw them away and thus avoid their consumption. On the other hand, it can also happen that the person produces a forced vomiting to remove from your body what you have previously ingested. Furthermore, behaviors such as performing physical exercise compulsively until reaching excessive exhaustion or using diuretics or laxatives are characteristics that make a difference with respect to anorexia. Here you will find more information about the .
One’s own view of the body
In the anorexy, the person usually does not have a marked awareness about weight loss. As a result of this, it is common for there is no concern about body image.
However, in the anorexia nervosa type a is present alteration of body image due to the psychological causes that we have mentioned. Under these circumstances, the behaviors carried out by someone who suffers from this disorder have as their main objective a decrease in body weight. In any case, there is a difficulty here in registering one’s own body since the kilos that are lost have serious consequences for physical and mental health.
For the reasons that we have described, we must highlight the importance of assisting a health professional in the presence of any of the manifestations linked to anorexia and anorexia nervosa.
In the following articles, you will find more information about and .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Differences between anorexia and anorexia nervosawe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Bravo Rodríguez, M., Pérez Hernández, A., Plana Bouly, R. (2000). Anorexia nervosa: characteristics and symptoms. Cuban Journal of Pediatrics, 72 (4), 300-305.
- Spanish Association of Pediatrics. Eating disorders: Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Retrieved from: https://www.aeped.es/sites/default/files/documentos/anorexia_bulimia.pdf