Essay about Anorexia Nervosa and Obsessive Compulsive...

Anorexia Nervosa and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder It has long been recognized that there are similarities between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Anorexia Nervosa. These similarities lie in the symptoms of the disorder. Many patients of both diseases report intrusive, fearful thoughts, a compulsive need to perform rituals, and an obsession with maintaining these rituals. In the case of anorexia nervosa these behaviors center on food and thinness whereas in OCD they are of a more general type. Past research has indicated that there is a higher prevalence rate for OCD among anorexia nervosa patients then in the normal population. The lifetime prevalence for OCD has been found to be around 3%. Conversely, the comorbidity†¦show more content†¦Anorexia is also defined by a distorted body image. This is harder to define but the patient usually experiences an intense fear of gaining weight. There is also a distorted way in which the body is viewed. Patients that have lost more than 85% of their body weight still feel that they are too heavy and must continue to lose. There are two subtypes of anorexia. The binge eating/ purging subtype does not seem to be linked to the ritualistic behavior of OCD. The restricting subtype is the one that has been found to have a high comorbidity with OCD. This subtype involves restrictive behavior to lose weight. The subject restricts their food intake and does not misuse laxatives or diuretics. The treatment for anorexia has usually been counseling. Sometimes the starvation is so bad that the patients must be hospitalized and fed intravenously or through a nasogastric tube. When they are well enough, counseling is begun. This may be individual or family therapy. The treatment process usually spans several months to several years. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) OCD patients have a pattern of distressing and senseless thoughts or ideas- obsessions- that repeatedly well up in their minds. To quell the distressing thoughts, specific patterns of odd behaviors- compulsions- develop. (Gee Telew, 1999) The patients are usually aware that their thoughts are irrational but that does not stop them from experiencing the anxietyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Anorexia Nervosa and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder3209 Words   |  13 PagesAnorexia Nervosa and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder often found in young adolescent women, that has been characterized by a distorted attitude towards weight and body image, a set of behaviors calculated to produce weight loss and other physiological and psychological symptoms. Physiological symptoms include (according to the DSM III- R criteria) starvation, amenorrhoea, and a refusal to maintain weight above 85% of their ideal weight. 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