Mental health is crucial; it has an impact on everything. It impacts our ability to overcome stress, solve problems and adapt to challenges. It also affects our ability to be content, productive, and well-adjusted. Mental health is a topic that is frequently misunderstood and stigmatized in our society. In this essay, I will be talking about the deadliest mental illness.
Contrary to popular belief, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are not the mental illnesses with the highest death rate every year. Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia kill around 350,000 people every year. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder in which individuals have a distorted body image and perceive themselves to be overweight even if they are extremely underweight. They drastically restrict their food intake due to their intense fear of gaining weight.
The effects of eating disorders are very destructive to the body. Malnutrition can cause electrolyte disturbances, including hyponatremia (low blood sodium) and hypokalemia (low blood potassium). Electrolyte disturbances can cause several heart problems like irregular heartbeats and heart attacks. Rapid weight loss introduces the risk of liver damage and disrupts natural fatty acid levels in your body. The stomach may shrink, which in turn makes reintroducing food even more difficult. Anorexia Nervosa can have a detrimental impact on the skin, hair, bones, and joints. Hair and nails become weak as a result of this condition. Nails can get discolored over time. Hair loss is possible. The joints may also swell. A fixation on body image and constantly feeling fat while being in denial of how thin they are will ultimately lead to not just physical effects, but negative psychological effects as well. Irritability, fatigue, depression, and anxiety are just a few among the many effects that people with AN suffer from daily.
I believe ending the stigmatization of eating disorders as well as providing the proper information could decrease the fatality rate of people with eating disorders and possibly help them recover.
This essay covers how the internet is also pushing the agenda to stay thin and why that is dangerous: Anorexia Statistics & Facts (americanaddictioncenters.org)
Sources:
The Deadliest Mental Health Disorder | The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol Rehab
Anorexia nervosa – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
What Are the Consequences & Health Risks of Anorexia (americanaddictioncenters.org)
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Very good article. I know of a very nice lady who suffered with AN and nearly died. She ended up in a mental institution for many years. Not only did it affect her but affected her children as well with seeing their mom like that and being shuffled around from home to home.
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