Anorexia Nervosa

People with anorexia see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight, and many engage in other techniques to control their weight, such as intense and compulsive exercise, or purging by means of vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas and diuretics. Girls with anorexia often experience a delayed onset of their first menstrual period.

Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. In addition, people who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure, which may lead to death. Recognition of eating disorders as real and treatable diseases, therefore, is critically important.

Symptoms

Psychotherapy can help people with anorexia overcome low self-esteem and address distorted thought and behavior patterns. Families are sometimes included in the therapeutic process.           Ask for help, now.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by recurrent periods of binge eating, where large amounts of food are consumed in a short period of time. In some cases, as much as 3,400 calories may be consumed in a one and a quarter hours, and in eight hours, as much as 20,000 calories may be consumed. People with bulimia often know they have a problem and are afraid of their inability to stop eating. Often, binges are followed by self-induced vomiting, abuse of diuretics or laxatives or fasting in an effort to purge their bodies. The behaviors of binging and then purging are often performed in secrecy, and are accompanied by alternate feelings of shame followed by relief.

As a result of their purging, people with bulimia are usually within a normal weight range for their age and height. But unlike most others, they are intensely satisfied with their bodies and have a great fear of gaining weight.

Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, psychosocial interventions, nutritional counseling. Ask for help, now.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are drugs that cause hallucinations—profound distortions in a person's perceptions of reality, including delusions and false notions. In this state, people see images, hear sounds and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Hallucinogens produce rapid, intense mood swings with transitions so fast the user may feel several emotions simultaneously. Hallucinogens cause physiological symptoms such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, and may induce convulsions and seizures when used at high doses. The effects of hallucinogens are more unpredictable than those of other drugs and vary greatly from person to person. The range of effects depends on a variety of factors: the amount ingested; the user's personality, mood and expectations; if the person is alone or with others; and whether more drugs or alcohol are taken. There is no evidence that hallucinogens increase creativity or have therapeutic value. Hallucinogens are not generally life threatening, but the user may end up killing herself while under a hallucination.

LSD is the abbreviation of the German words for lysergic acid diethylamide. It is the drug most commonly identified with the term hallucinogen and the most widely used in this class of drugs. It is considered the typical hallucinogen, and the characteristics of its action and effects apply to other hallucinogens. All LSD manufactured in this country is intended for illegal use, since LSD has no accepted medical use in the United States. Hallucinogens that are manufactured chemicals and not found in nature are:

LSD, also called acid

MDMA, an amphetamine, called ecstasy

PCP (phencyclidine), often called angel dust

Ketamine

DXM (dextromethorphan, found in cough medicines)

All of these agents act as neurotransmitter mimics, often as agonists or antagonists at neurotransmitter receptors. These agents cause their effects by disrupting the neurotransmission and interaction of nerve cells.

Symptoms

Drug addiction is a serious, though treatable disorder, requiring both physiological and psychological treatment. Ask for help, now.

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Alcohol AbuseOpioidsAmphetamines NicotineObesityCocaineCompulsive OvereatingSedative-Hypnotics