Anorexia/Eating Disorders/Anorexia and hair loss

Advertisement

Expert: Jeanne Rust, PhD - 4/9/2011


Question
I have anorexia and have done for a long time, my BMI is really low and recently I have started to notice my hair is falling out, its really thin and wiry, and I have patches at the back, and it looks horrible, and its distressing me so much, I dont know what to do? Is there anything you can suggest? Apart from eating. Thank you.

Answer

Jeanne Rust, PhD
Dear Sam,

I'm sorry that you'll so thin and ill!  Anorexia gets to the place where it's simply not worth it any longer.  Hair loss is one of the medical consequences for anorexia and bulimia.  If the body is not getting the nutrients it needs, you will begin to have medical consequences -- such as hair loss, very dull and thin hair, your color will be bad, you'll no longer have any muscle mass.  The body literally begins to feed upon itself, muscle mass, heart, brain, and all your major organs.

Here's some statistics you might find interesting and I'm hoping they'll be able to cut through the anorexic that has taken over your body --

Physicians need to know that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.  Research reports that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover.  The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old.  20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems.

Keep in touch and let me know how you do.  I'm happy to help you.


Warmly,
Jeanne Rust, PhD
CEO/Founder
Mirasol, Inc.
888-520-1700
www.mirasol.net
www.edrecovery.com
888-520-1700

Jeanne Rust, PhD

Expertise

I have been treating eating disorders for over 25 years and I have a doctorate in clinical psychology. I am an expert in anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders and in co-occurring disorders as well -- depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc. I was the official eating disorder therapist for the University of Arizona athletic department and love working with girls and women of all ages! 12 years ago I started my own treatment centers in Arizona where we treat adolescents and adults. I love working with people and have been helping people online since 1994. My hearts go out to the people out there who are unable to find help, who aren't sure whether they need help, and who don't have much of an understanding of the terrible consequences, emotionally and physically, that go hand in hand with the eating disorder. I view eating disorders as coping mechanisms that people use when they are under stress. I believe that eating disorders most times have many similarities whether it is anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. The good news is that people can heal from an eating disorder and learn to create the lives they would like to live.

Experience

I have 25 years of experience in treating eating disorders of all kinds. I also do consultations for people who are starting treatment centers.

Education/Credentials
Northwestern University -- BA Masters in Counseling Doctorate in Clinical Psychology -- Saybrook institute

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.