How Malnutrition Hurts Your Mental Health
Reviewed By: Kelley Johnson, LCSW
Written By: Daniel Mark Hipp
What is Malnourishment?
Malnourishment is defined as not consuming enough food to keep up with our body’s needs. When you start to think about what requires energy, you’ll come to realize that everything about you requires energy. The state of malnourishment affects all of the systems within the body.
Physical Complications Associated with Malnourishment
The development of osteoporosis is common when subjected to malnourishment for such large and extended amounts of time. Osteoporosis is just a fancy word for your bones have become brittle and weak. Commonly, we will hear that a deficit in calcium plays a major role in the development of osteoporosis. If you’re malnourished, you’re not just missing the calcium required, you’re missing all of the other relevant micronutrients and minerals associated with good bone health.
When we think of energy from a physics standpoint, we often think about it in terms of heat. When we are malnourished for extended amounts of time, our bodies want to compensate in order to achieve a state of balance. We prefer to sit at a body temperature of around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~37 degrees Celsius.
Clear Signs of Malnourishment
Since a patient suffering from an eating disorder goes extended amounts of time malnourished, they begin to grow hair in response to this dropping basal temperature. This hair, known as lanugo, is meant to trap in heat and help take off some of the brunt from the malnourishment. Not too effective however.
A common site to find on a patient who suffers from Bulimia Nervosa is a Russell Sign. The Russell Sign is named after the man who popularized Bulimia for the medical community to begin treating. The sign is a callous you can find on the back of the knuckles of a Bulimia patient. The sign comes from the forceful nature of self induced vomiting.
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illness (Auger et al., 2021). The number one cause of mortality is via cardiac issues. Those suffering from eating disorders will often have issues keeping their heart pumping at the rate at which it is intended. With all the lack of energy over time, it’s possible for the heart to fall out of sync from its natural rhythms, due to achieving such a low heart rate in a state such as sleep. This can lead to severe medical complications for the patient as a result.
Mental Health Problems From Malnourishment
When someone is malnourished, if they keep up this state and the behavior’s which perpetuate it, it will lead to significant weight loss over time. This isn’t to say that losing weight is bad, it’s to suggest that the rate at which these individuals are losing weight is not healthy. Malnourishment is not something to mess around with in order to have a few extra pounds come off.
Malnourishment Leads to a Decline in Your Thinking
When someone is malnourished for an extended amount of time, such as a patient with an eating disorder, they will find that they experience a decline in cognitive abilities. This is due to the fact that they are literally starving their brains. They lack the energy to run their bodily functions. Areas of concern include memory, learning, and organizational skills.
The ability to focus deteriorates as the brain is starved more and more over time. Although not proven whether or not it is irreversible, there are noticeable changes in sizes of certain structures within the brain when the patient suffers from an eating disorder that leads to severe malnourishment for extended periods of time. Brain starvation is a serious issue.
You Are More Likely to Develop Psychiatric Disorders if You Are Malnourished
When it comes to psychiatric disorders, comorbidity is a frequent occurrence. Eating disorders do not receive any special treatment in this situation. Comorbidity refers to having two or more disorders at the same time. It is common for patients with eating disorders to be diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or psychosis as well. These three likely play into the fact that suicide is the number two cause of death in patients with eating disorders.
The Healing Center Can Help You!
The Healing Center in Las Vegas provides tailored mental health services facilitated by a team proficient in addressing diverse cultural backgrounds. Certified therapists deliver in-person or remote sessions, aiming to reduce stigma and foster a mentally healthy community. Our Boutique Psychotherapy Center employs spiritually attuned counselors, employing various techniques to reconnect individuals with their inner selves and foster self-worth.
With holistic approaches, these therapists equip patients with strategies to navigate life's crises effectively.
For further information on their therapies or to schedule a consultation, please visit The Healing Center's website at https://www.thehealingcentervegas.com/.
Contact The Healing Center via phone (702)505-1280 or email TheHealingCenterOperations@gmail.com.
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