Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaitin
My roommate read this thread (more than me) and we talked. Now I wonder about BIID and anorexia. Doesn't people with anorexia think they are too fat? But no surgeon would do gastric bypass or give diet pills. Isn't anorexia a problem about body images? Are anorexia and BIID similar?
Thank you to any replies.
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No. Anorexia is an eating disorder, and is characterized by a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight. Obessive compulsive features, both related and unrelated to food, ar often prominent. An additional diagnosis of obesseive compulsive disorder is often found in individuals with Anorexia Nervosa. Other features that are often associated with Anerexia Nervosa include concerns about eating in public, feelings of ineffectiveness, a strong need to control one's environment, inflexible thinking, limited social spontaneity, perfectionsim, and overly restrained intitiative and emotional expression. A substantial portion of individuals with Aneorexia Nervosa have a personality disturbance that meets criteria for at least one Personality Disorder.
As you can see, the failure to maintain a minimally accepted weight is but a symptom of the actual disorder. One must treat the underlying illness; or in many cases, illnesses, in order to alleviate the symptoms.
In addition, Aneorexia Nervosa is a recognized and diagnosable mental illness under the DSM IV TR criteria. BIID is not. The deisre to become disabled is a manifestation of obsessive/compulsive thought patterns.
While I do not disagree that these individuals are extremely disturbed, the fact still remains that BIID is not a diagnosable disorder. That doesn't mean that they do not have a diagnosable disorder, it simply means that they are diagnosed with something other than BIID.