The Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental health condition with medical consequences that have the potential to become life-threatening. It has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. It is not a choice. At Reasons Eating Disorder Center, located in Greater Los Angeles, we understand the biological, psychological, and social contributing elements of this illness, and provide compassionate, holistic treatment.

Signs of Anorexia Nervosa include:

• Severe restriction of calories and fluids
• Following a severely limited diet
• Excessive or rapid weight loss
• Use of laxatives, diuretics, compulsive exercise, or vomiting
• Intense, frequent, and long periods of exercise
• Constant intrusive thoughts about weight and food
• Fear of eating in social situations
• Very specific eating behaviors, eating habits, and other rituals around eating, weight, exercise, and food preparation of meals and snacks
• Isolation from family and friends
• Lack of interest in relationships and activities
• Body hatred and body image distortion
• Intense fear gaining weight

These behaviors may look different from person to person, and throughout the life of the illness, behaviors will take different forms. It can also occur in individuals of all shapes and sizes, all genders, all races and ethnicities, and all levels of socioeconomic status. Someone suffering from anorexia may also go to great lengths to hide the severity of their illness. Keep in mind: no one can diagnose someone else simply by looking at them. This condition doesn’t always fit a stereotype.

Our Approach to Patient Care

We believe that eating disorders are driven by anxiety and profound disruptions to one’s sense of self. Our treatment programs offer our patients hope rooted in the belief that they are capable of living an authentic life of meaning and connectedness. Our goal is to create a culture that nurtures the integration of body and mind.

At Reasons, we tailor treatment plans to the individual for each level of care. Throughout your personalized treatment process, we collaborate with you in restoring physical and mental health and in discovering new ways to enjoy your life, spirit and physical self. From somatic therapies to individualized meal plans, our staff will customize a plan to help you toward wholeness.

Reason’s gender-inclusive programs help adolescents and adults across many levels of care – whether you’re seeking inpatient treatment, residential treatment, partial hospitalization treatment, or outpatient treatment. Our ability to handle acute medical issues and provide specialized nursing care differentiates our services from other anorexia treatment facilities in the region.