How to Meet the DSM Criteria for Anorexia
The "Bible" of psychiatric diagnosis is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association. Because it is currently in its fourth edition, the acronym is often written as DSM IV. It is by the standards of this manual that American psychiatric patients are told what they "have." There are four DSM criteria for anorexia and two types of the disorder listed. A look at whether or not she meets these criteria can help even a layman to better understand her own or someone else's anorexia.
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Instructions
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Write down the symptoms of anorexia as you or someone you know experiences them.
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Write the letters A to D in a column under the symptoms.
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Find the list of DSM IV criteria for anorexia at Eatingdisorders.org (see Resources below).
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Look at the condition described at letter "A." Compare the person's weight with the normal weight range on the height-weight chart at I Love India (see Resources below). If weight is consistently less than 85 percent of normal and she refuses to gain any more, put a check mark by letter "A."
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Look at letter "B" concerning fear of gaining weight. If it applies, check "B."
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Examine letter "C" carefully. A good rule of thumb is this: if talk about food and weight dominates the person's conversation, or if she frequently complains about being too fat (especially if she is thin), then letter "C" applies.
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Mark letter "D," concerning missed periods, as true or false.
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Compare your list of symptoms with the mark you gave each letter. If the symptoms match two or more of the descriptions, the person should see a doctor.
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Tips & Warnings
To determine if any of the DSM criteria for anorexia apply to the person you are concerned about, you may need to gather some facts before you begin. You may need to find out the person's height and current weight, her attitude towards food and weight and, if female, the date of her last menstrual period. To meet criteria "B" and "C," you may want to think about a scale of one through five, five being most like the description.
It may be difficult to determine who can meet DSM criteria "B" and especially "C," since they have to do with inner thoughts and feelings. To decide these for anyone but yourself, you may need to ask direct questions.
