What Is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental illness that belongs to the group of eating disorders.

With anorexia, a person gradually stops eating. Their daily calorie intake falls to a level that is critical for the body. On average, an adult needs at least 1,500 calories a day to live. This amount is enough to survive, but often not enough to stay healthy. A person with anorexia does not stop at 1,500 calories a day and keeps lowering the bar, up to refusing food altogether. During starvation the brain releases endorphins, and the person literally becomes hooked on this state, as if on a drug.

You do not need to be a doctor to foresee what happens next. One third of patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa die of exhaustion. It is essential to recognise the illness in time and to provide qualified psychiatric care. Anorexia is different from deliberate fasting. A person with anorexia cannot return to normal eating on their own. Only timely therapy can bring the patient back to health. The earlier treatment begins, the greater the chance of a full recovery. In complex and advanced cases, unfortunately, the changes in the psyche remain permanent.

Causes of Anorexia Nervosa

Women develop anorexia three to four times more often than men. The causes of the illness can be broadly divided into social and psychological ones.

Social causes of anorexia:

  • Pressure from the media and the pursuit of imposed ideals of beauty
  • Social pressure within the family: conflicts with relatives, arguments at mealtimes
  • Excessive parental control

Psychological causes of anorexia:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • A lack of love, tenderness and attention
  • The after-effects of sexual abuse suffered in childhood

In schoolgirls, anorexia can begin with an ordinary wish to be slimmer. Girls who do not match their peers’ standards of beauty may be bullied, mocked and harassed by classmates. This motivates them to go on a diet. It is important to notice the moment when weight loss turns into an illness. Any proper diet must contain the full range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals the body needs.

How to Help Someone with Anorexia Nervosa

The only effective help for an illness such as anorexia nervosa is to seek the help of a psychotherapist. The areas of the brain responsible for satiety are altered in a person with anorexia and do not work properly. The patient simply does not feel hunger, even when their body is critically depleted. For a person with anorexia, food is the enemy; they hate it. Force-feeding, persuasion and the tears of relatives cannot make the patient eat. A return to health requires a course of psychological and physical therapy. Rehabilitation can take from one to two years.

Integrative Medicine: a New Approach to Treating Eating Disorders

Dr Claudia Elsig, a doctor of medicine, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, has specialised in the treatment of eating disorders for more than 15 years. She sees her patients at CALDA, a premium psychiatric clinic in Zurich.

CALDA follows a new approach to treating psychiatric illness: integrative medicine. It combines the methods of traditional psychiatry, alternative practices and the latest medical advances. Dr Elsig focuses on the hidden psychological issues that led to anorexia, going beyond the elimination of symptoms alone.

How Anorexia Nervosa Is Treated at CALDA

Treatment follows an individual plan and takes place in strict confidentiality. With international patients, Dr Elsig most often works intensively for two to three consecutive months. The patient attends six to eight personal sessions with a psychotherapist each week. A personal psychologist is assigned to the patient and monitors their meals continuously. CALDA brings the fullest possible range of resources to bear during therapy. The patient’s family and loved ones are involved. The support of those around them is very important and brings positive results.

Treatment includes restoring mental and physical health, in particular the brain’s ability to respond appropriately to food.

CALDA creates optimal conditions for the treatment of mental illness. The clinic is located on the shores of Lake Zurich, surrounded by the Alps. Luxury apartments, nature, the right therapy and constant support help people regain their mental and physical health.

Take care of yourself and those close to you. Timely help saves lives.