- Love Shines Bright
Anosognosia (Blind Starvation) – The first Eating Disorder word to understand
The most important term that everyone involved with Eating Disorders – Sufferers, Family, needs to read, understand, memorize, and go back to daily, is Anosognosia. It is a shame that it is such an un-friendly and hard to memorize word.
The definition of Anosognosia isn’t easy to find.
Checking the Merriam -Webster dictionary online for Anosognosia or Anosognosic (one who suffers from Anosognosia), the words are not found. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anosognosia
Wiki-pedia sort of defines it: “Anosognosia is a condition in which a person who suffers disability seems unaware of the existence of his or her disability. Unlike denial which is a defense mechanism, anosognosia is rooted in physiology (for example, damage to the frontal or parietal lobe due to illness and disease). This may include unawareness of quite dramatic impairments, such as blindness or paralysis. It was first named by the neurologist Joseph Babinski in 1914.[1] Relatively little has been discovered about the cause of the condition since its initial identification. The word comes from the Greek words “nosos” disease and “gnosis” knowledge (an- / a- is a negative prefix).”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosognosia
WebMD does not show a definition for the word Anosognosia.
So how would a normal person be aware of the definition of Anosognosia when it comes to Anorexia and other Eating Disorders?
A Leader in Eating Disorder Treatment, “The Kartini Clinic for Disordered Eating” defines Anosognosia as “Anosognosia is a fancy term for a feature of anorexia and related eating disorders (as well as of some types of stroke and brain trauma) that describes a change to how our brains process information. In brain conditions with anosognosia, the person’s perception of their own illness is affected. In fact, anosognosia often declares the illness to be gone or to have never been present. In anosognosia the brain does not perceive the extent of the illness, sometimes not even its presence.
The presence of anosognosia means an affected parent may not be able to recognize they are ill or that it matters.”
Eating Disorder Family Research Activist, “Laura (Collins) Lyster-Mensh” describes anosognosia in her popular blog:
“Anosognosia means never having to say “help”
“Everyone who knows me well knows my favorite word: anosognosia < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosognosia >.
It means the loss of ability to perceive the nature or severity of one’s medical condition. And it applies to eating disorders in a special way: because friends and family and even many eating disorder professionals can share that lack of awareness.
Are you shocked that I use a term more associated with head injury and schizophrenia? You shouldn’t be.
Eating disorders are more disabling and kill more people than any other mental illness. They destroy families, ruin careers, isolate loved ones, and waste the lives of precious loved ones. The issue needs to be treated with the seriousness it deserves, not pitied or shamed. And EDs are arguably no more a conscious choice than other brain disease.
The difference is that eating disorders can be successfully treated. But it requires seeing them for what they are: a real biological condition. Reparable brain damage which compels patients to behave and think in such a similar manner to one another while ill that it could come out of a playbook (one we can read in the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Study). A temporary set of thoughts and behaviors IF we recognize it and stop it.
And by “we” I mean parents and friends and clinicians and the media and the public – not the patients. Our job is: safety, nutrition, understanding, skills, love, time – listening to the needs of our loved ones, and not their words.”
Posted 20th November 2008 by Laura (Collins) Lyster-Mensh http://www.blogger.com/profile/17219492984914810944
In another post, Laura says: ”The dangers of anosognosia
Perhaps the most confusing thing about anorexia is that the patient can function so well in other areas of life: school and work, for example. Patients who are floridly ill can remain quite lucid and intellectually engaged on topics outside food/body. This confuses loved ones, as we expect all abilities to thrive or fail in tandem. This even confuses many therapists, especially those unfamiliar with eating disorders. It is hard to believe that what we are seeing are symptoms and not free will.
Patients with anorexia are often “anosognosic” – they truly do not feel ill and they experience their own behaviors and thoughts as normal. This is not a choice or conscious denial – it is a brain condition. This anosognosia is dangerous on many levels, but frightening when it guides policies or public opinion.
I am reading with amazement the fashion columnist Liz Jones speaking with such insight and compassion for others but seemingly entirely unconscious of what seems to be a very serious mental illness driving her behaviors and thoughts. Reading her description of her “experiment” in eating normally – and then going back – I feel helpless and horrified. She has an illness – but what’s OUR excuse? I want society to step up and get her help as we would if she was wandering in the street with a head wound. I want no one to be able to mistake what she is describing for a desire to be thin. I want her to be relieved of her post and brought to hospital.
And I don’t want this person to be discussing or guiding fashion. It scares me to think of how many people guiding and guarding that industry are actually ill.
Fatten me up! What happened when former anorexic Liz Jones had to eat normally for three weeks < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1191429/Fatten-What-happened-anorexic-Liz-Jones-eat-normally-weeks.html?ITO=1490 >
I weep when I realise how many other women starve themselves like me < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1193005/LIZ-JONES-FASHION-THERAPY-I-weep-I-realise-women-starve-like-me.html >”
Posted 16th June 2009 by Laura (Collins) Lyster-Mensh http://www.blogger.com/profile/17219492984914810944
Eating Disorder Leader Dr. Sarah Ravin, Psychologist mentions anosognosia as a symptom:
“Some mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anorexia nervosa, involve a symptom called anosognosia, which is a brain-based lack of insight. Because of abnormalities in brain function, individuals with anosognosia are unable to recognize that they are ill even when loved ones are extremely worried. For instance, a person with anorexia nervosa may feel great and perceive her body as normal and healthy, even when she is markedly underweight and clearly suffering from the physical and psychological effects of malnourishment. And an individual with bipolar mania may perceive himself as “on top of the world” and vehemently resist intervention as loved ones stand by and watch him make one self-destructive decision after another. Individuals with anosognosia should not be expected to seek treatment on their own, or to “want to recover,” because they will not have the insight to do so until they are well on their way to recovery.”
http://www.blog.drsarahravin.com/psychotherapy/insights-on-insight/
Thank you Kartini Clinic. http://www.kartiniclinic.com/blog/
Thank you Laura (Collins) Lyster-Mensh. http://www.laurassoapbox.net/
Thank you Dr. Sarah Ravin. http://www.drsarahravin.com/
Anosognosia (Blind Starvation) – The first Eating Disorder word to understand
Email: OneRebel@AnorexiaTreatmentExposed.com
Website & Blog: http://AnorexiaTreatmentExposed.com
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/karen-barber/46/5/557
Anorexia Suffering and Recovery:
http://paper.li/AnorexiaExposed/1319983956
Great job on this important topic Karen! I just learned of another death from eating disorders. I believe that agnosognosia played a very large role in the person not getting the help needed. The complete lack of acceptance of the seriousness of the illness on her part and that of the medical people she encountered made a big difference in the progression of the illness.
I cannot believe we have health providers who are unaware of this still to this day. I know my own child’s illness would have been diagnosed 2 years earlier had our pediatrician read this very article you wrote.
I’ll share a link to this on my blog at creating The Path To Wellness and do what I can to get the word out.
Thank you,
Becky Henry
Hope Network
Thank you Becky. Deaths and years of suffering by individuals and families. This one word. Officially I am going to start referring to it as Blind Starvation (anosognosia). I had no clue for years that my daughter had an eating disorder because she was so high-functioning in the world. Unfortunately the sufferer is blind to the fact of the seriousness or existence of their illness and possible death. I read and see this all the time. In the early stages of recovery it is hard to convince the sufferer that they are really on the road to death.
Let’s get the word out!
Thanks.
Karen
This term couldn’t be more inappropriate. At least, it’s inappropriate for a very large percentage of people with eating disorders.
They’re not blind to the fact that they’re ill and that their disease is killing them. They’re just more terrified of how it feels to stop doing it. It’s no different than an addict being fully aware that their drug of choice is killing their body and damaging their relationships– at least some or most addicts realize this. But withdrawals are not easy to tolerate.
Also, there’s a huge difference between someone being unaware of their problem and someone being unwilling to ADMIT their problem TO YOU.
Let’s stop making sweeping assumptions that aren’t evidence-based or factual.
Hi, First of all I am glad you are in Recovery. When I did the post on Anosognosia, this hit home with our family: “A Leader in Eating Disorder Treatment, “The Kartini Clinic for Disordered Eating” defines Anosognosia as “Anosognosia is a fancy term for a feature of anorexia and related eating disorders (as well as of some types of stroke and brain trauma) that describes a change to how our brains process information. In brain conditions with anosognosia, the person’s perception of their own illness is affected. In fact, anosognosia often declares the illness to be gone or to have never been present. In anosognosia the brain does not perceive the extent of the illness, sometimes not even its presence.” Thank you for your welcomed comment.