THE PROBLEM OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA DIAGNOSIS: A CASE STUDY
Journal Title: Acta Neuropsychologica - Year 2014, Vol 12, Issue 4
Abstract
Background: Studies point out to the fact that 62% of people with eating disorders, before they turn up at a psychiatrist’s, are treated by a gastroenterologist or general practitioner, 46% of them take drugs improving the peristalsis of the digestive tract and 38% undergo profound gastroenterological diagnostics. In 50-80% of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa (AN) disturbances of the digestive tract occur. Mortality in AN is up to 18% in the group of female patients aged 20 -30. Somatic complications and suicides are the main reason of deaths in those suffering from AN. Anorexia is a disease which is difficult in therapy due to the frequent lack of cooperation and true motivation to recover, rejection of obvious contents concerning the disease, manipulating family and therapists as well as using the help of various specialists. Case study: In our work we are presenting the process of accurate diagnosing, on the basis of the case study of a 28-year-old woman, who before she ended up at a psychiatrist’s, had been treated gastrologically and surgically because of AN complications for many years. The psychiatric examination confirmed the existence of AN for 13 years. Gastrologists requested the patient to perform newer and newer, more detailed and invasive tests. The patient was advised to be on a diet and pharmacotherapy was introduced. All those activities had confirmed her in belief that her disorders were of a somatic nature, which considerably delayed the introduction of an appropriate treatment.Conclusions: All doctors should be equipped with basic knowledge on, and the ability to recognize, eating disorders. Every patient and young women in particular, with low body weight complaining about digestive ailments should raise a GP’s and gastroenterologist’ s vigilance and suspicion of AN. Each clinician should bear in mind that symptoms such as body weight loss, refusal to take meals, pain ailments and vomiting may occur in a number of disorders of both a somatic nature (for instance, Crohn’s disease, hyperthyroidism, Addison’s disease, diabetes) and a psychic (anorexia nervosa, depression, schizophrenia).Each patient, and young women in particular, with low body mass and the digestive tract disturbances should raise the vigilance and suspicion amongst general practitioners, internists or gastroenterologists as to the existence of AN.
Authors and Affiliations
Aneta Tylec, Halina Dubas-Ślemp, Marcin Olajossy
Keywords
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