Eating disorders in adolescents: anorexia nervosa. Case study

Autorët

  • Brunilda Laboviti
  • Elina Veizi
  • Stelina Taraj

Abstract

Unhealthy eating behaviors and preoccupations with body size and shape can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by low body weight, which is based on a distorted body image, with individuals suffering from this disorder having an irrational fear of gain- ing weight. Anorexia nervosa is not about food per se. It represents an unhealthy way of coping with emotional problems. Treating this disease in time can be very effective, as not catching it in time can lead to death, as a result of heart failure, or in many cases suicide. Given the importance of the disease, its prognosis and the frightening statistics we face, early detec - tion and identification of cases of patients with anorexia can be of vital importance, therefore this paper aimed to clarify the problem we face, explain the symptoms and signs that appear in patients with anorexia nervosa, with a focus on adolescents and discuss the effectiveness of logotherapy in the treatment of a case of an adolescent with anorexia nervosa, to understand more about the character - istics of anorexia nervosa.

Keywords:

anorexia, adolescent, diagnosis, case study, etc. CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterized by the presence of behavioral, psycholog- ical, and physiological manifestations. The former involves a refusal to maintain a minimum body weight for one’s age and height, the latter involves changes in the perception of weight and body image. Initially associated with the middle and upper classes of metropolitan areas, the disease is now considered global and affects people of different races, social classes, genders, and ages. The specific characteristics of these patients are: high levels of self-demand, the constant search for perfection in everything they do or are, a strong tendency to follow the family line, an extreme fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body image because even when they are underweight, they see themselves in the mirror as being healthy and overweight. On the other hand, in relation to the family of these patients, it is generally seen that they are family systems that have a high level of demands, mainly with that child in particular, they are families that have experienced dramas or traumatic life events or that have encountered or faced patterns of eating

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Published

2025-12-01

How to Cite

Laboviti, B., Veizi, E., & Taraj, S. (2025). Eating disorders in adolescents: anorexia nervosa. Case study. Optime, 17(2), 146–150. Retrieved from https://www.albanica.al/optime/article/view/9385

Numër

Vëll. 17 No. 2 (2025): Optime

Section

Social Sciences

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