Anorexia Athletica
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Anorexia Athletic, also known as Athletica Nervosa, is a condition in which an individual exercises compulsively, or is addicted to exercise, and experiences clinically significant consequences resulting from compulsive exercise. The frequency, duration and intensity of exercise exceed that of an individual who exercises for recreation and health. For individuals with Anorexia Athletic, exercise interrupts their daily routine, impinges upon usual responsibilities and obligations and may be done in inappropriate places at inappropriate times. Anorexia Athletica is characterized by feeling pressured to exercise, over-exercising, having anxiety and negative feelings associated with exercise and exercising beyond the point of fitness benefit to negative psychological, emotional, social and physical consequence or self-injury.
Contents |
Anorexia Athletica and Eating Disorders
Individuals with Anorexia Athletica may meet the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia nervosa and/or Bulimia nervosa, but present with multiple and notable symptoms specific to exercise and fitness related activities and beliefs that individuals with the other disorders do not have to such a degree. Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are not exclusively driven by fitness concerns, but more typically present with symptoms and behaviors designed to target obesity or prevent weight gain.
Anorexia Athletica is often considered to include symptoms and dynamics found in, or similar to, the Eating Disorders of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Characterized by the self-perception of needing to lose weight—often despite normal or low body weight—Eating Disorders and Anorexia Athletica do involve distorted body-image, severe anxiety related to a need to alter the body through diet and exercise, compulsive activities designed to accomplish these goals and obsessive thinking related to these.
Like Anorexia Nervosa, Anorexia Athletica often involves a compulsive drive to achieve or sustain an abnormally low body weight that is health endangering and for some individuals, life threatening. Anorexia Athletica may include many of the same preoccupations and behaviors with food and eating that are found in Eating Disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa. There is a persistent and incapacitating inability to perceive the negative impact of compulsive behaviors in both Eating Disorders and Anorexia Athletica (denial) that frequently results in the need for treatment to interrupt and repair the progressive process of both.
Characteristics of Anorexia Athletica are also similar to the behaviors, symptoms and dynamics found in individuals who have Bulimia Nervosa, particularly Bulimia Nervosa Non-Purging Type. In the disorder of Bulimia Nervosa, affected individuals use compensatory behaviors such as excessive exercise to prevent weight gain, are preoccupied with body-image and engage in compulsive activities that are driven by body and weight anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Anorexia Athletica as a Diagnosis
The condition is considered to be a progressive one which worsens over time and manifests with a variety of cognitive, emotional, physical and social symptoms. These symptoms typically lie along a continuum of severity. Anorexia Athletica is now widely acknowledged as a diagnostic category with specific symptoms and dynamics; however it is not yet formally included in the DSM or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual used to categorize and describe psychiatric conditions such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and other similar eating, addictive and compulsive disorders.
Symptoms of Anorexia Athletica
Anorexia Athletica as a disorder includes a cluster of symptoms that indicate a preoccupation with compulsive exercise and a clinically significant impact of such behavior. Some of the primary symptoms of Anorexia Athletica are the beliefs about self, body, weight and physical fitness that are beyond the scope of usual fitness concerns.
Cognition
Some of the cognitive symptoms that may manifest in Anorexia Athletica are:
• obsession with exercise
• obsession with weight
• obsession with diet
• dissatisfaction with exercise related performance
• dissatisfaction with exercise related results
• dissatisfaction with body image
• preoccupation with extreme exercise related activities
• preoccupation with exercise related results
• belief that over-exercise will ‘fix’ problems
• belief that extreme exercise activities are healthy
Perceptual Distortions
Individuals with Anorexia Athletica have perceptual distortions related to the condition of their bodies, the appearance of their bodies, their beliefs about themselves as people and about their own behaviors. Some of these beliefs include distorted body-image and self-image that are markedly different than the perceptions others have of them. These distortions can include such beliefs as the following:
• one requires compulsive or even self-injurious exercise for beauty and/or fitness
• one's body is not adequately responsive to normal exercise for fitness
• one's worth and self-esteem are dependent upon compulsive exercise
• extreme physical demands may not be sufficient to achieve fitness
• one’s body size or shape is unacceptable and requires more exercise or restricted diet to correct
• one’s athletic accomplishments are not good enough
• the negative consequences of exercise activities are non-existent or inconsequential.
Impact of Anorexia Athletica
Anorexia Athletica interferes with overall daily functioning and can cause one to alter daily routines, forego usual obligations and responsibilities and alter behavior in relationships in order to accommodate compulsive exercise. These problems can manifest as the tendency to:
• interrupt daily obligations to exercise more
• forego usual social interactions and responsibilities
• fail to fulfill role obligations
• exercise in secret
• lie about amount, intensity or duration of exercise
• exercise despite negative consequences of exercise
• exercise despite injury, fatigue, sickness or other common reason to interrupt exercise
Physical Consequences of Anorexia Athletica
Anorexia Athletica can have multiple physical consequences that are often denied or ignored by the individual with this condition. These are direct results of chronic over-exercise done without attention to the body’s actual condition and needs. Some of the physical problems common in Anorexia Athletica are:
• injury
• dehydration
• loss of bone density
• vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• suppressed immunity
• muscle loss
• muscle weakness
• joint damage
• stress fractures
• dry skin
• dry hair
• hair loss
• insomnia
• amenorrhea
• exhaustion
• digestive problems
Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Anorexia Athletica
Emotional and psychological symptoms in Anorexia Athletica can include:
• severe and persistent anxiety
• depression
• anhedonia
• irritability
• guilt
• shame
• anger
• excessive fear
• excessive worry
Treatment of Anorexia Athletica
Anorexia Athletica is a compulsive disorder that progressively consumes one’s daily functioning to become the central focus of each day. Considered an addictive process, Anorexia Athletica is often treated with individual and group counseling, support groups and cognitive behavioral techniques much as substance and eating disorders are.
Some individuals may require an inpatient setting for treatment if the psychological distress and physical complications are severe enough to warrant immediate medical attention and psychiatric support to prevent self-harm.
Outpatient treatment typically involves individual and group counseling to address the related depression, anxiety, guilt, shame, anger and issues of control associated with compulsive behaviors. Cognitive and behavioral techniques are often used to identify the thinking and perceptions associated with dysfunctional behaviors and to identify healthier coping skills.
Self-help groups and support groups are available and often include individuals with a variety of compulsive and/or addictive issues including eating, exercise and other addictive processes.
