Depression, anxiety, and anorexia nervosa are the most common forms of mental health disorders. All three showcase different features and characteristics but are similar in many forms. They are connected, and a person with one mental health problem can have the other one as well. Depression can lead to anxiety, and they both can be an outcome of anorexia nervosa.
In this article, we shall talk about the link between depression, anxiety and anorexia nervosa and how a patient can deal with them.
Depression
Depression is a mood disorder that characterises a loss of interest in daily life and unchanging feelings of sorrow and hopelessness. As many as 5% of people across the globe deal with no clinical depression. Females are more prone to this mental health condition compared to men.
Nervousness
Anxiety, on the other hand, showcases a sense of fear in the person dealing with it. It includes instant psychological arousal and nervousness of uncertainty. Also, never-ending fear of the future is a significant part of anxiety disorder. More people are affected by it compared to depression. According to studies, its rate of prevalence worldwide is around 30%
Anorexia Nervosa
Compared to the above-mentioned mental health disorders that are connected with the way a person feels or thinks, anorexia nervosa is related to diet and food. It depicts a constant fear of gaining weight, leading to excessive food restrictions and limitations. Most of the times ,anorexia meaning is the excessive fear of gaining weight, which leads to body dysmorphia. However, it is not as prevalent as other forms of mental health disorders. Only 0.5 to 1% of people across the globe are affected by eight.
Nonetheless, it is essential to mention here that it is a leading mental health concern that causes death. As the individual suffering from it goes on extreme diets, it starts affecting his body, eventually leading to death.
Symptoms
Let’s talk about the symptoms commonly associated with all these three mental health issues:
The primary symptoms of depression include a change in sleep patterns and excessive sleeplessness, a constant sense of sadness and aloofness, and a feeling of being worthless also develops in the personal dealing with depression.
On the other hand, the major symptom of anxiety is fear. The patient tends to feel uncomfortable in certain situations, which increases his heart rate and leads to palpitations. This can cumulate into panic attacks and, in some cases, cardiac arrest.
The anorexia symptoms are different from both depression and anxiety. Obsessive and excessive calorie count that leads to extreme avoidance of food is a major symptom of this mental health disorder. Individuals start avoiding food in fear of getting fat, so much so that it can even lead to their death. In the concept of anorexia vs bulimia, the former refers to self-starvation, while the latter is related to binge-eating!
Psychological Concerns
The psychological concerns connected with all these three mental health disorders are similar. The most prevalent of them is the low self-esteem. It causes depression and leads to anxiety in certain conditions. Low self-esteem is also connected with a lack of confidence in one’s physical appearance, which steers towards changes in diet. Individuals tend to stop eating altogether, hoping to appear thin and attractive. Resultantly, it leads to the obsession with getting leaner, which eventually causes intense health issues.
Negative thought patterns are another psychological concern associated with all these three mental health disorders. When these negative thoughts get intense, depression can turn into anxiety. The negativity linked with body shapes causes depression and anxiety. This is then extenuated with anorexia nervosa.
Biological Factors
All mental health disorders have biological factors accompanying them. An imbalance in the neurotransmitters leads to depression. It is also owing to the genetic predisposition. On the other hand, anxiety arises due to the overactive amygdala connected with the augmented level of cortisol hormone in the body. Genes also play a great role in the occurrence of anxiety in an individual.
As far as anorexia nervosa is concerned, it occurs owing to the changes in serotonin activity in the body alongside hormonal imbalances. Just like depression and anxiety, it also has a genetic predisposition to be blamed for its passing off from parents to kids.
Impact On The Physical Health
Just like all other mental health issues, these three also have a significant impact on the physical health of individuals. Firstly, they translate into the social withdrawal. It starts slowly but can eventually lead to being extreme. Sufferers of these mental disorders avoid social gatherings and prefer staying alone.
Those with anxiety issues tend to micro-manage everything to prevent any disruption of the routine. Individuals with anorexia nervosa tend to follow obsessive rituals in terms of diet and food patterns that are incredibly unhealthy and cause avoidance of social activities that involve food. They even avoid social media as it subconsciously forces them to get thin, and this further leads to trauma and never-ending anxiety.
Treatment
Heading towards an expert psychologist or psychiatrist is the right step to take in the presence of any of these three mental health issues. Alongside this, social support is necessary for the patient to avoid aggravation of these problems. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes are recommended treatments for these problems.
SehatYab assists the sufferers in this regard by connecting with them the best psychologists and psychiatrists of Pakistan. This online consultation platform lets the sufferers of these three mental health issues have easy access to the experts at a minimal fee.
In Pakistani society, taboos attached to mental issues tend to make things worse. Awareness drives that promote knowledge regarding them can significantly aid in letting everyone know about the gravity of these issues.