Compare and contrast anorexia nervosa (binge-eating/purging type) with bulimia nervosa. Discus the role of comprehensive assessment in the differential diagnosis with emphasis on how you would approach this assessment. Include a discussion of the contrast in the DSM-5 criteria, and how it can help you to distinguish between these two conditions. Be sure to include ethical/legal considerations in your response.
Anorexia nervosa is associated with intense fear of gaining weight, abnormally low body weight, and a distorted perception of weight. People with anorexia nervosa have an unusual appetite for controlling weight and shape and sometimes the efforts they put in affect their daily lives. Such people have strict restrictions on the amount of food they take and control the calories they take by vomiting after eating or exercising excessively
Compare and contrast anorexia with bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder. It is characterized by secretly eating large amounts of food with a loss of control over the eating and then trying to get rid of the extra calories in an unhealthy way. To get rid of extra calories the people engage in self-induced vomiting, the use of diuretics, fasting, and excessive exercise. It affects women and teenagers mostly and is influenced by the desire to imitate media personalities who have slim bodies.
Both patients with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa have an obsession with body image, self-esteem issues, and purging. Additionally, patients with both conditions share the pain of growing fat and believe that their bodies are flawed. Anorexia Nervosa involves deliberate starvation while Bulimia Nervosa involves binge eating followed by purging. Besides, people with Anorexia Nervosa are very thin and emaciated most of the time. However, Bulimia Nervosa have an average weight that is ideal for their height and age. Moreover, people with Anorexia prefer to starve or eat less food, whereas those with Bulimia eat heavy meals followed by purging. Additionally, anorexia increases the risk of developing conditions such as infertility, osteoporosis, and amenorrhea. However, prolonged Bulimia results in heart failure, tooth decay, and damage to the esophagus. APA