If you leave an eating disorder or anorexia nervosa untreated for a long time, it can cause severe damage to your body, including cardiovascular damage, bone issues, low blood pressure, constant tiredness, and irregular heartbeats.
Let’s explore it a bit more and see how you can recover from this.
What Happens if You Leave an Eating Disorder Untreated? Chronic Effects of Anorexia
If you leave an eating disorder untreated, it can cause you both physical and emotional damage in the long term.
Cardiovascular Damage
The cardiovascular complications from prolonged anorexia can be serious. The body starts breaking down its own cardiac tissue for energy. Blood pressure drops, heart rate slows dangerously, and electrical abnormalities develop.
While some heart function can improve with recovery, certain changes may be permanent. People who've had severe, long-standing anorexia often deal with cardiac issues well into recovery.
Bone Health Issues
If you are starving or are undernourished, it can cause a significant loss in bone density. Adolescents are at greater risk than younger children, as peak bone mass is disrupted, potentially causing lifelong fragility.
Even after recovery, many people face a lifelong increased risk of fractures and early-onset osteoporosis.
Damage to Brain Structure
Prolonged malnutrition shrinks cortical thickness, subcortical volumes, and surface area. It can cause more damage than depression or ADHD in severe cases.
The concerning point is that it also causes cognitive issues like difficulty concentrating, problems with decision-making, and mood regulation challenges.
According to the research, anorexia nervosa causes severe weight loss, which triggers more issues. You might struggle with cognitive functions, learning, memory, and social interactions, which can lead to long-term mental health issues.
Reproductive System Complications
For women, the consequences of long-term anorexia often include menstrual irregularities or complete loss of periods, reduced fertility, and increased risk of pregnancy complications even after recovery. For men, testosterone levels drop, affecting everything from bone density to sexual function.
Gastrointestinal Paralysis
The stomach muscles slow down significantly (delayed gastric emptying). This makes eating feel physically painful and leads to chronic bloating and severe constipation.
In the latest stages, the liver and kidneys can begin to fail as they are starved of the nutrients required to filter toxins from the blood. However, this occurs only in rare cases.
Does Your Body Ever Recover from an Eating Disorder or Anorexia Nervosa?
Yes, your body can recover from eating disorders to some extent. But it can take a long time. If you don't reconsider your eating habits, the damage will be severe.
According to the Massachusetts General Hospital longitudinal study conducted in 2017, more than 60% of patients with anorexia recovered.
The degree of recovery often depends on several factors: how severe the disorder was, how long it lasted, how young someone was when it started, and how comprehensive their treatment was.
What Are Some Early Interventions for Eating Disorders?
The most effective treatment options for eating disorders include Family-based treatment (FBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Immediate physical support is also necessary to ensure the body is safe.
If you are at an early stage of any eating disorder, you can take the self-help approach. It involves using workbooks or digital programs under the brief supervision of a healthcare provider.
Getting Professional Eating Disorder Therapy Near You
For adolescents, family-based treatment has shown a much higher recovery rate. You can also improve the environment to support the correct eating habits.
The body is more resilient when malnutrition has not been as severe or prolonged. So, addressing the issues early is important.
Boston Neurobehavioral Associates has professional healthcare experts to provide medical treatment for eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. You can book a consultation today and speak to the specialist for early care.