Types Of Anorexia (symptoms, Causes And Characteristics)
Anorexia nervosa is one of the best-known eating disorders with the greatest media exposure. However, it must be taken into account that this alteration does not consist of a set of symptoms that always appear together in the same way.
That is why, if we want to be more specific and describe in greater detail the way in which this affectation is expressed, We must talk about types of anorexia nervosa.
But, before focusing on this classification, let’s go to the most basic thing: the definition of this disorder.
Etymologically, the term “anorexia” means “lack of hunger”. This fact is already giving us a clue about the nature of anorexia nervosa; It is an eating disorder whose main symptoms are the lack of intake of food and drinks beyond water.
Thus, the word anorexia refers to lack of appetite, a symptom present in the typical clinical picture of several disorders and diseases, while anorexia nervosa It is a specific eating disorder, not a symptom. Specifically, anorexia nervosa is a disorder characterized by an interest in losing weight and body volume taken to a pathological extreme, materialized in the constant refusal to eat in order not to gain weight.
Thus, regardless of the type of anorexia nervosa we are talking about, this disorder causes people to become so thin or to have a diet so poor and harmful that your health is in serious danger.
The symptoms that characterize the different types of anorexia nervous system (regardless of which one is present in each case) are the following:
Types of anorexia nervosa
Now that we have seen the basic characteristics of the disorder, let’s move on to the types of anorexia nervosa and their characteristics.
Fundamentally, there are two types of anorexia: purgative anorexia and restrictive anorexia.
1. Purgative anorexia
Purgative type anorexia nervosa It is characterized by presenting purging stages which normally consist of vomiting and, in some cases, the use of diuretics or laxatives.
Before the purging phase, there is a phase of binge eating that is experienced as an uncontrollable impulse that leads to eating quickly and chewing little.
The typical profile of purgative anorexia patients is female adolescents with a tendency toward impulsivity and to thoughts of constant self-evaluation based on one’s physical appearance.
The difference between purging anorexia and bulimia, which is a very similar eating disorder, is that in the former, the body weight is below what is indicated for a person with these characteristics, and is more prone to falling into malnutrition.
2. Restrictive anorexia
In this type of anorexia, purging does not occur. Instead, there is constant resistance to the act of eating. The latter is a possibility that is often seen as something repugnant, since it is associated with the process of gaining weight.
Thus, this type of anorexia is more typical of methodical and perfectionist people, rigid with rules and capable of extreme self-control and do not present the impulsive profile of purgative anorexia patients. However, both the sex and the typical age range are the same as in the other type of anorexia nervosa.
It is estimated that both types of anorexia nervosa have a multicausal origin, they do not depend entirely on genetics or the influence of the environment. The factors that most influence its appearance are these:
1. Family factors
The presence of family members with mental disorders or neurological disorders who live with the person increases the chances of them developing anorexia nervosa. This occurs especially during youth, a time when one is more dependent on the family and is more susceptible to imitating behavioral patterns. Likewise, a family environment in which there is great pressure towards perfectionism also contributes to its appearance.
2. Cultural factors
These are factors related to the type of cultural influences to which the person is exposed. Both the media and the Internet They can show role models who are characterized by extreme thinness, something that is very evident in some social media accounts.
Furthermore, through social networks it is common for images of extremely thin young people to be used as references, and there are even accounts on social networks dedicated to using these photographs to “motivate” others to follow the same steps and resist eat.
3. Individual factors
Heritability plays a role in the risk of developing any of the types of anorexia, and the same goes for other aspects that are not strictly genetic, such as the presence of other diagnosed disorders. The clinical conditions most related to anorexia are major depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
