Did You Know... MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

* ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER or (ADHD)
* CONDUCT DISORDER & OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER or (ODD)
* BIPOLAR DISORDER
* ANXIETY DISORDERS
* AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS or (ASD)
* BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER or (BPD)
* SCHIZOPHRENIA
* DEPRESSION
* DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
* POSTNATAL DEPRESSION
* STRESS
* ANOREXIA NERVOSA
* BULIMIA NERVOSA
* AGORAPHOBIA
* ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
* BODY DYSMORPHIA DISORDER or (BDD)
* DEMENTIA
* MUNCHAUSEN’S SYNDROME
* SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER or (SAD)
*SHOCK
* HEALTH BULLETINS
* NYC YOUTH VITAL SIGNS

ANOREXIA NERVOSA - Anorexia is a serious, life-threatening disease. Beyond drastic weight loss, there are other symptoms to look for, both physical and emotional. Signs of anorexia may not always be obvious. Ironically, as concerns grow over the rise in obesity, some people are intent on becoming too thin, sometimes to the point of self-starvation. People with the eating disorder anorexia are obsessed with food and being thin. They don't maintain a body weight that's normal for their age and height. Indeed, they may be skeletally thin but still think they're fat. To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with anorexia may starve themselves or exercise excessively. Although anorexia (an-oe-REK-see-uh) centers around food, the disease isn't solely about food. Anorexia is also a way to try to cope with emotional problems, perfectionism and a desire for control. People with anorexia often equate their self-worth with how thin they are. Anorexia may seem very common because of media attention and television specials, but in truth, its prevalence is hard to narrow down. Some estimates say only about 1 percent of American girls and women have anorexia. Others suggest that up to 10 percent of adolescent girls have anorexia. It may seem particularly common among teens because that's often when anorexia begins, and many teens do experiment with diets. Boys and men also can develop anorexia, but they do so far less often than women. Anorexia, technically called anorexia nervosa, can be chronic and difficult to overcome. But with treatment, people with anorexia can gain a healthier sense of their self, return to healthier eating habits and reverse some of the disease's serious complications. Anorexia can be categorized in two ways, although the categories often overlap and the lines between them blur. With each, the hallmark is being underweight or even emaciated.

The two categories of anorexia are:

• Restricting - People lose weight mainly through severely restricting the amount of food they eat. They also try to lose weight by exercising excessively.
• Binge-eating/purging - People try to control their weight by purging - that is, getting rid of food or calories by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives, diuretics or enemas. Some may binge, or eat excessive amounts of food, and then purge. Others may purge after eating only a small amount, such as a single piece of candy.

People with anorexia frequently move back and forth between these two categories, or they may adopt a combination of these behaviors. Anorexia, no matter which type, has a number of physical, emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms besides drastic weight loss.

Physical indications
Physical signs and symptoms of anorexia include:

• Thin appearance
• Abnormal blood counts
• Fatigue
• Dizziness or fainting
• Brittle nails
• Hair that thins, breaks or falls out
• Soft, downy hair covering the body
• Absence of menstruation
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Intolerance of cold
• Irregular heart rhythms
• Low blood pressure
• Dehydration
• Osteoporosis

Emotional and behavioral indications
Emotional and behavioral characteristics associated with anorexia include:

• Refusal to eat
• Denial of hunger
• Excessive exercise
• Flat mood, or lack of emotion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Preoccupation with food

Red flags to watch for
Signs and symptoms of anorexia may not always be readily apparent. People with anorexia often go to great lengths to disguise their thinness or other physical problems, or their disordered eating behavior.

If you're concerned about a loved one, watch for these red flags:

• Skipping meals
• Making excuses for not eating
• Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories
• Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as cutting food into tiny pieces or spitting food out after chewing
• Weighing food
• Cooking elaborate meals for others but refusing to eat them themselves
• Repeated weighing of themselves
• Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
• Wearing baggy or layered clothing
• Complaining about being fat