Anorexia Case Study Essay

1140 Words3 Pages

702172798 Psych 139 Spring 2016 Case Study #2 Case Study: After stressful changes young adult suffers from anorexia nervosa Jody is a 19-year-old female who has been through a lot of change: she has completed her freshman year of college miles away from home and her parents recently became divorced. Due to high conflict throughout the divorce Jody’s anxiety levels have heightened, especially when thinking about or talking to her parents and Jody’s grades also began to decline. She has been seeking help from the school-counseling center and with her free time plays club volleyball. Jody started going to the gym more to get into shape and started liking the results, which escalated into working out more than necessary, and restricting her diet. …show more content…

Anorexia nervosa has many different symptoms. Some of those include restriction of food intake, intense fear of gaining weight, disturbed perception of weight/shape or lack of recognition of seriousness of current low body weight. Jody has all of these. She has failed to see how serious her weight loss has been. She is also restricting her eating to only 400 calories a day. As a result of always been over weight Jody has become more confident because of the compliments she has been receiving. Anorexia has developed as a result of all of the stress that she has been put under. It is typical for a teenager to undergo a great deal of changes at the age of 19. Jody recently moved away from home for college and her parents were going through a divorce. After the time she found out about the divorce, it seems that her exercising habits increased. After receiving compliments for the weight she has been losing and her increased stamina. Looking at her symptoms it appears that she has a restricting type as opposed to binge eating and purging. This just means that rather than having behaviors that are compensatory from eating too much she doesn’t eat enough. I diagnosed Jody with anorexia because this eating disorder does not have much to do with food but rather than emotional problems. She believes that by being skinny that she would be able to feel better about …show more content…

Biologically Jody can be prescribed antidepressants or can go to a refeeding program. Before she goes through all of this she needs to be hospitalized because of her low body weight and her inability to exercise without being dizzy within a minute. This shows signs of serious medical complications. Jody is extremely underweight and now refuses to eat. This can cause serious medical complications such as anemia, dermatological problems, heart irregularities, menstrual irregularities, muscular weakness, GI problems, dizziness, hypotension and even death. Jody has been suffering from menstrual irregularities, dizziness and muscular weakness. Medical complications are deemed to be serious and medical assistance is needed immediately. Since she has these medical complications there is a possibility that she will have many other underlying ones. Jody needs to go to the hospital immediately because her life could be in danger. It is extremely important that this is the first step taken so we know how to further the treatment that she receives. She can also go through a form of therapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy. I believe that Jody should attend therapy. This therapy will allow her to receive the exposure to food that she truly needs. It will also challenge any maladaptive thoughts that she may have. She should also put on antidepressants because she suffers from anxiety because of

Show More
Related

  • Anorexia Nervosa and Anxiety: A Case Study of Molly Greenwell

    1910 Words  | 4 Pages

    Through assessment, I have come to the understanding that these symptoms come from an underlying issue of abandonment. She is experiencing a negative cognitive shift where she has trouble seeing anything positive about herself leading to a lack of appetite. She is showing significant symptomology of an eating disorder, this coinciding with her high levels of irrational thoughts and faulty cognition (Lask, 2000). Her eating disorder has led to the problematic behaviors of panic disorder and it has to be dealt

    Read More

  • Bulimia Nervosa Case Study

    1517 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sara is a thirty three year old lesbian black female. She reports that she was 5’9” in eighth grade and has always been larger than everyone. She also reports that her grandmother was present in her life and would control her diet with slim fast starting around eighth grade, and her brother lived with her as well. Sara has stated that growing up, she did not feel safe, and that there has been trauma causing her life struggles. Her close friend, Julie, reports that she is aware of Sara’s condition but only because she has brought it up when something apparent relates, but declines to discuss in any further detail. Julie states that it is hard to believe Sara is struggling with such a condition and for so long because

    Read More

  • Anorexia Nervosa Case Study

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anorexia Nervosa may be described directly as an eating disease classified by a deficit in weight, not being able to maintain weight appropriate for one’s height. Anorexia means loss of appetite while Anorexia Nervosa means a lack of appetite from nervous causes. Before the 1970s, most people never heard of Anorexia Nervosa. It was identified and named in the 1870s, before then people lived with this mental illness, not knowing what it was, or that they were even sick. It is a mental disorder, which distorts an individual’s perception of how they look. Looking in the mirror, they may see someone overweight

    Read More

  • Case Study Of Anorexia

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    The lecture discussed a single case study of sixteen-year-old girl who was dealing with anorexia. The speaker, Fisher, stated that he spoke to her parents only twice over the span of four and a half years that he worked with the girl. The initial meeting was to get some background information before the sessions started and the other was further into the sessions. During the only face to face meeting with the parents, he found that there were no outstanding issues in the family that could have caused the eating disorder, anorexia. In the first sixteen years of her life, she was a good daughter who seemed to be almost too good. She was obedient and kind and never got in trouble. She was an honor roll student who was in clubs that were considered

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders Case Study

    1254 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders can be viewed as multi-determined disorders because there are many different factors that can play into a person developing an eating disorder. Each case is different and to get a clear picture of the disorder it must be looked at from numerous angles because often times it is a combination of different issues that contribute to someone developing an eating disorder.

    Read More

  • An Overview of Anorexia Nervosa

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    Out of all mental illnesses found throughout the world, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Anorexia nervosa is one of the more common eating disorders found in society, along with bulimia nervosa. Despite having many definitions, anorexia nervosa is simply defined as the refusal to maintain a normal body weight (Michel, 2003). Anorexia nervosa is derived from two Latin words meaning “nervous inability to eat” (Frey, 2002). Although anorexics, those suffering from anorexia, have this “nervous inability to eat,” it does not mean that they do not have an appetite—anorexics literally starve themselves. They feel that they cannot trust or believe their perceptions of hunger and satiation (Abraham, 2008). Anorexics lose at least 15 percent of normal weight for height (Michel, 2003). This amount of weight loss is significant enough to cause malnutrition with impairment of normal bodily functions and rational thinking (Lucas, 2004). Anorexics have an unrealistic view of their bodies—they believe that they are overweight, even if the mirror and friends or family say otherwise. They often weigh themselves because they possess an irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming obese (Abraham, 2008). Many anorexics derive their own self-esteem and self-worth from body weight, size, and shape (“Body Image and Disordered Eating,” 2000). Obsession with becoming increasingly thinner and limiting food intake compromises the health of individuals suffering from anorexia. No matter the amount of weight they lose or how much their health is in jeopardy, anorexics will never be satisfied with their body and will continue to lose more weight.

    Read More

  • Co-occurrence of Anxiety Disorders and Eating Disorders

    3077 Words  | 7 Pages

    The DSM-IV outlines four criteria for anorexia nervosa (APA, 1994). One, a refusal to maintain body weight over a minimal normal weight for age and height (i.e., weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight less than 85% of that expected). Two, an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. Three, a disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight, size, or shape is experienced (i.e., denial of the seriousness of current low body weight, or undue influence of body shape and weight on self-evaluation). Four, in post-menarcheal, amenorrhea (the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles). Two types of anorexia nervosa are defined. The binge eating/purging subtype means that the individual engages in recurrent ep...

    Read More

  • Anorexia And Bulimia Essay

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the years the rise in body image dissatisfaction has grown as both male and female progress to adulthood. This factor can be contributed to societal standards that the media presents to the public daily. These standards continue to rise making the body image more difficult to attain. With these standards comes the push to seek the “perfect body”. This myth of true beauty commonly found in today’s society, is the price that adolescents buy into often sacrificing their health. The perfect body can often present a distorted view of one-self leading to unhealthy methods of weight reduction. The most common methods for weight reduction are the diseases Anorexia and Bulimia. The similarities and differences between Anorexia and Bulimia will be used to prove that the society’s pressure to fit a certain mold contribute to the onset of the disease.

    Read More

  • Essay on Eating Disorder - Anorexia Nervosa

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    There may be murmurs about that girl who only fixes herself a salad with only vinegar at dining services or suspicious glances at someone who spends 45 minutes on the treadmill and then switches to the stair stepper at the rec. On-campus eating disorders are talked about everywhere and yet are not really talked about at all. There is observation, concern, and gossip, but hushed conversation and larger scale efforts to help and change never seem to earn public attention.

    Read More

  • Anorexia Nervosa

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anorexia Nervosa has three Diagnostic Criteria. One is refusal to maintain body weight at or above normal. The other is, intense fear of becoming fat, even though under average weight. The last one is, Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self- evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of low body weight (Long 15).

    Read More

  • My Personal Health Change: A Change Of Health

    1238 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout every person’s life, there will always be moments in time where change will take place. This could range from a variety of events such as changing schools, jobs, or even one’s own home. However, there are some habits that help one stay healthy if they remain consistent. This can consist of altering one’s diet to a healthier one or even enhancing the number hours of sleep one gets per night. A health change behavior goal that I have taken the time to evaluate and accept is necessary will be composed of a ten day exercise program in order to completely change my physical fitness habits. Selecting this health change behavior was the best choice due to the fact that after starting my educational career here at UCI, I had abandoned the active lifestyle that I once had before college. For the past two

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders In Sports Essay

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    Athletes often go through sever psychological and physical stress while participating in sports that could possibly be due to poor coaching, anxiety, and the athletic competition. Athletes maintain a healthy lifestyle because they are constantly training and working to stay in shape. They need certain foods to fuel their bodies so when they are exercising they have enough energy to perform a task. However, athletes begin to develop eating disorders when the pressure of athletic competition is put on an athlete plus the cultural emphasis on thinness. An eating disorder is a condition characterized by a reoccurring disturbance of eating or an eating-related behavior that significantly harms physical health or psychosocial functioning.

    Read More

  • Weight Management Case Study Essay

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    Susie is a 51-year-old female. She is 5’5” and weighs 202 pounds. Susie has always struggled with her weight and has tried several fad diets over the years only to end up gaining more weight in the end. She recently had a doctor’s visit, at which she was told she is hypertensive with elevated LDL levels. The doctor prompted her to improve her health through diet and exercise. Susie is frustrated and does not understand why she cannot lose weight. She drives an hour to work both ways and has a desk job. In her free time, she enjoys knitting and cooking. A quick 24-hour recall reveals the following pattern of intake:

    Read More

  • The Most Important Event in My Life

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the next couple of months, my family and I saw a change in Becky. She was losing lots of weight and we questioned her and she just claimed she was on a diet, so we thought nothing of it. We also noticed another change in Becky, she not only lost about 30 pounds in a couple of months, but every time we talked to her she had this look on her face that she was about to fall asleep, or at least pass out. She then proceeded to claim that she was tired, so again, there was nothing we could do.

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Weight

    1790 Words  | 4 Pages

    At this point right now as I type this paper I weigh two hundred and ninety five pounds and a body mass index of 29.5 and am, by definition overweight, so the specific target behavior I am choosing to change is my weight. Now I know this may sound broad, but since starting this Kinesiology class I have learned so much in dealing with physical as well as mental health and how it affects one’s body. Things like stress can cause one to be in mental despair and change their daily habits which adversely affect their health, and I feel at this moment in my life, with sports no longer being an option for my future, I see no reason to be at my current weight and I have decided to do something about it. I know this is an uphill battle but after 15 weeks I plan on being in the best shape in my life, to beat the odds of getting a disease that has plagued my family, and to help pave the way to a healthier future for myself and the ones who care about

    Read More

More about Anorexia Case Study Essay

Open Document