Anorexia Nervosa
General information – Anorexia nervosa is a psychological eating disorder in which a person refuses to eat adequately, in spite of hunger and they lose enough weight to become emaciated. The illness usually begins with a normal weight-loss diet. The person eats very little, and refuses to stop dieting after a reasonable weight loss. People most affected are female adolescents and young adults.
Causative factors – Unknown. However, all patients have family and internal conflicts, including sexual conflicts. Increased risk from peer pressure to be thin. History of slight overweight. Perfectionists, compulsive or overachieving personalities. Psychological stress.
Signs and symptoms – Weight loss of at least 25% of body weight without physical illness. High energy level despite body wasting. Intense fear of obesity. Depression, Appetite loss, Constipation, Cold intolerance, Refusal to maintain a minimum standard weight for age and height. Distorted body image. The person continues to feel fat – even when emaciated. Cessation of menstrual periods.
Hygiene notes – Confront personal problems realistically. Try to correct or cope with problems with the help of counselors, therapists, family and friends.
Anorexia Rubrics
anorexia, nervosa – alf., arg-n., ARS., calc., carc., caust., CHIN., hyos., ign., kali-p., lach., levo., merc., nat-m., perh., ph-ac., phos., puls., rhus-t., sac-alb., sep., staph., SULPH., syc., tarent., tetox., thuj., vanad., verat.
refuses, to eat – ars., bell., caust., cocc., croc., grat., HYOS., ign., KALI-CHL., kali-p., lach., op., PH-AC., phyt., plat., puls., sep., TARENT., VERAT., VIOL-O.
obsessive, compulsive disorder – anac., arg-n., ARS., aur., calc., CARC., HYOS., ign., iod., MED., merc., nat-m., nat-s., NUX-V., plat., psor., PULS., sil., staph., stram., sulph., syph., thuj., verat.
Anorexia Remedies
Arsenicum alb. – Extreme fastidiousness especially about germs and dirt. Anorexia coupled with fear of being poisoned. Fear of getting certain diseases so they starve.
Carcinosin – Obsessive compulsive disorder. Perfectionism, fear of becoming fat, fear of rejection. Etiology: abuse, grief or fears, often related to weight. Chronic insomnia, workaholics.
Hyosyamus – Anorexia plus mania, insanity, fear of being poisoned. Could have pathological jealousy, over concern about weight and getting fat.
Ignatia – Perfectionism, fear of becoming fat, fear of rejection. Hysteria – loss of control of emotions, fainting. Etiology: grief or big disappointment, often related to weight.
Natrum mur. – Most often indicated remedy in anorexia, a lot of guilt. Fear of being rejected, hurt easily, very self-conscious. Dry lips, emaciate, dry skin, constipated, loose appetite. Behind this is perfectionism and fear of becoming fat. Nat mur have more confidence.
Phosphoric acid – Etiology: grief with loss of appetite with emaciation, pining away from loss of love, second stage they get indifferent to all emotions and food. Deadness inside (Sepia, Aurum met). Grief – anorexia than some chronic disease.
Platina met. – Obsessed with their appearance, fear of becoming fat. Very obsessive and impulsive personality, egocentric and arrogant, all tied up with their sexuality, religious mania.
Pulsatilla – Feeling of worthlessness, unloved, loneliness, fixed ideas about. Food especially certain foods are bad, than amount of foods that are bad grows, fear of gaining weight, pulsatilla’s gain weight easily, they can eat a pastry and swear they gained weight. Ignatia, Pulsatilla and Nat. mur. are constantly weighing themselves. Scanty menses.
Sepia – Anorexia plus hormonal problems, nausea, sensitivity to smell. Disgust for food, worse since childbirth, hormones causes lack of appetite.
Stapysagria – Acute of Carcinosin, more visible, visibly upset. Carcinosin can control it more, Staphysagria may it more. Deep sense of worthlessness and depression, even suicidal. Humiliation, mortified, put down, criticized, zero confidence.
Tarentula – Mania could be religious mania. Underneath you have a fear of being poisoned. Obsessiveness about weight, very restless and hyper energy people, they do everything fast – talk, move.
Thuja occid. – Fear of being impure, dirty blood, anxiety about health, obsessed with idea of having to clean themselves out.
Veratrum alb. – Religious mania, loquacious, end of the world is coming. Punish themselves, fast to appease god. Behind this you see guilt.
Bulimia
General information – Bulimina. Binge-Eating Syndrome, Binge-Purge Syndrome, Bulimarexia. A psychological eating disorder characterized by an abnormal, constant craving for food and binge eating, followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative use. Body parts affected: Brain and central nervous system, kidneys, liver, endocrine system, gastrointestinal tract People most affected – Adolescents or young adults, usually female.
Causative factors – Unknown. The disorder often begins during or after stringent dieting and may be caused by stress related to insufficient food intake. Increased Risk from – Anorexia nervosa, Depression, Stress, including lifestyle changes, such as moving or starting a new school or job. Neurotic preoccupation with being physically attractive.
Signs and symptoms – Recurrent episodes of binge eating (rapid consumption of a large amount of food in a short time, usually less than 2 hours), plus at least 3 of the following: Preference for high-calorie, convenience foods during a binge Secretive eating during a binge. Patients are aware that their eating pattern is abnormal, and they fear being unable to stop eating. Termination of an eating binge with purging measures, such as laxative use or self-induced vomiting. Depression and guilt following an eating binge. Repeated attempts to lose weight with severely restrictive diets, self-induced vomiting and use of laxatives or diuretics. Frequent weight fluctuations greater than 10 pounds from alternately fasting and gorging. No underlying physical disorder.
Hygiene notes – Raise children in a wholesome family environment with emphasis on caring and good communication rather than on external appearances.
Bulimia Rubrics
bulimia – abies-c., abies-n., adam., agar., alf., anac., ang., ant-c., aq-mar., arg-n., calc., calen., CARC., caust., CHIN., CINA, ferr., fl-ac., graph., hell., ign., iod., kali-c., LYC., med., MERC., mur-ac., naja, nat-c., nat-m., nux-m., nux-v., op., petr., phos., pitu-a., plat., puls., raph., sabad., sac-alb., SEP., staph., sulph., thuj., VERAT., zinc.
obsessive, compulsive disorder – anac., arg-n., ARS., aur., calc., CARC., HYOS., ign., iod., MED., merc., nat-m., nat-s., NUX-V., plat., psor., PULS., sil., staph., stram., sulph., syph., thuj., verat.
Bulimia Remedies
Argentum nit. – binging especially with chocolate, fixed ideas, impulsive behavior, anticipation, overriding impulses for certain foods, chocolate, salty foods, they will eat a whole box of chocolates until they get sick.
Carcinosin – Obsessive compulsive disorder. Perfectionism, fear of becoming fat, fear of rejection. Etiology: abuse, grief or fears, often related to weight.
Ignatia – perfectionism, fear of becoming fat, fear of rejection. Hysteria – loss of control of emotions, fainting. Etiology: grief or big disappointment, often related to weight.
Medorrhinum – ups and down in the persons energy, very outgoing for 2 or 3 days than wiped out for several days and with that their diets fluctuate from good to binging. Bulimia also with alcohol and drugs.
Natrum mur. – Often indicated remedy in anorexia, a lot of guilt. Fear of being rejected, hurt easily. Very self-conscious of their weight.
Pulsatilla – Fear of being abandoned and unloved. Fixed ideas about food, their weight, they gain and lose weight easily, eat and binge to console themselves, binges out of loneliness, or depression, then they get quilt and fear about it and than suppress it.
Staphysagria – Binging out of quilt, depression. Poor confidence and worthlessness. It is out of self-denial, they don’t deserve that lemon meringue pie so they suppress their desire for it, then binge on it.
