unsure

[freakinheat]

im a 30 year old man who has been very skinny his whole life. recent events in my life have caused me to reevaluate everything. I realized i had a problem when i didnt eat a single thing for 4 days. i told myself i was just to emotional to eat. but looking back i now realize that i make excused not to eat on a regular basis. its gotten to the point that some members of my family think im a drug addict because of my low body weight. im not sure what to do. and thats why im here.[/b]

 

[Daniel E.]

Have you seen a therapist before, especially a therapist with experience treating male anorexia?

 

[ThatLady]

Sounds like you could benefit from both a full medical evaluation and a psychological evaluation, hon. There are so many things that could be involved here, that it would be best to get both the medical and psychological sides looked into.

 

[Daniel E.]

Yes, there are at least two major reasons to get a full physical workup with lab tests, etc.:

1. Symptoms that resemble an eating disorder can be at least partly due to one of many medical problems:

A wide variety of medical problems can masquerade as eating disorders. Hyperthyroidism, malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease, immunodeficiency, malabsorption, chronic infections, Addison's disease, and diabetes should be considered before making a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Most patients with a medical condition that leads to eating problems express concern over their weight loss. However, patients with an eating disorder have a distorted body image and express a desire to be underweight.

--from Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Primary Care

2. Obviously, inadequate nutrition can lead to medical problems.


On the psychological side, symptoms resembling an eating disorder can co-exist with depression, anxiety, OCD, etc.:

Psychiatric comorbidity is extremely common; illnesses such as affective disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, somatization disorder, and substance abuse must be considered when patients present with such symptoms.

Major depression is the most common comorbid condition among patients with anorexia, with a lifetime risk as high as 80 percent. Anxiety disorders, especially social phobia, also are common. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has a prevalence of 30 percent among patients with eating disorders. Substance abuse prevalence is estimated at 12 to 18 percent in patients with anorexia and 30 to 70 percent in patients with bulimia.

----from Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Primary Care

 

[Diana]

Sometimes situations cause people to lose their appetites. However, if this is a reaccuring thing, then it might mean that you have problems with your relationship with food. For me, the anorexia started out as a body image thing. However, maybe for some some people, eating disorders can manifest themselves in numerous ways. The point is, you're concerned about it so I would think the best thing to do would be to talk to a therapist. Even if you don't have anorexia you could have emotional problems that are causing you to lose your appetite and perhaps be harming you physically. Good luck.

 

[freakinheat]

i appreciate your input, thanks