Anorexia Nervosa Essay

Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa is defined as “a disorder characterized by a pathological fear of becoming fat and manifesting an excessive restriction of food intake” (Cronin & Mandich, 2016, p. 323). Anorexia is diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM is a manual used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders (The Organization of DSM-5, 2013, p. 2)

There are many signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa that often can be confused with someone who is attempting to diet. Some of the signs and symptoms include restricted food intake, losing weight rapidly, eating alone, hiding food, the absence of menstruation, depression, obsessing over calories, excessive exercising, constant

The patient can learn to engage in an art activity when feeling stressed or depressed about their body instead of coping by not eating or excessive exercise. “Art serves as a very good indicator of both the issues and conflicts occupying the patient” (Wolf, Willmuth, & Gazda, 1985, p. 185). By the client engaging in art therapy it can allow the individual to express themselves and their internal feelings without having to verbally speak to someone. Art therapy allows the client to engage with different art materials that the therapist will encourage them to use. For example, the OT can give the patient a blank piece of paper and crayons and tell them to draw how they feel. Patient’s own associations to their art give some evidence to the meanings of their underlying issues (Wolf, Willmuth, & Gazda, 1985). Art therapy is a great thing that occupational therapist can use because it allows the therapists to interpret different things based off the colors the patient uses, how hard the lines are that they draw, and the image that they draw. “A symbolic image reflects core issues and it becomes a precious tool in the therapeutic process” (Luzzatto, 1995, p.