Rachelace said:

Reduced eating in particular seems to be a common comorbid condition. Is there published information / research for how best to treat anorexia for a female with PDA? Severe reduced eating, restricted foods, weight loss, loss of periods, sensory related issues, body image issues including growing up - such complex issues and further complicated with PDA. How well equipped is the system to support bearing in mind most NHS CAMHS do not diagnose PDA and some do not want to discuss it? How bad does a young person need to be before help is given? Any advice helpful. Thank you.

Rachelace said:

Thank you so much for your reply. Hearing about your son too at a whopping 6ft 5!! The reduced wearing hasn't affected his growth which is interesting. Great to hear he has accommodated the restriction into a functioning lifestyle and in social settings. It's a condition called can become extremely in PDA young people combined with highly controlled life styles (not leaving the house, or dressing or leaving bedroom...)

I'm working my way through the links. The first link had further links embedded at the bottom and it is the info I was seeking:- the difference between reduced eating and anorexia. I'm really grateful you sent this article with this info. Thank you. I've pasted it below for other peoples interest:-

Appendix
Appendix 1: DSM 5 Diagnostic Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa & Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)

Figure 1: Diagnostic criteria for Avoidant & Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

A. Eating or feeding disturbance (including but not limited to apparent lack of interest in eating or food; avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food; or concern about aversive consequences of eating) as manifested by persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs associated with one or more of the following:
Significant weight loss (or failure to gain weight or faltering growth in children)
Significant nutritional deficiency
Dependence on enteral feeding
Marked interference with psychosocial functioning
B. There is no evidence that lack of available food or an associated culturally sanctioned practice is sufficient to account alone for the disorder.
C. The eating disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa, and there is no evidence of a disturbance in the way of which one's body weight or shape is experienced.
D. If the eating disturbance occurs in the context of a medical condition or another mental disorder, it is sufficiently severe to warrant independent clinical attention.


Figure 2: Diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa

A. Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements leading to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health. Significantly low weight is defined as a weight that is less than minimally normal, or, for children and adolescents, less than that minimally expected.
B. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, or persistent behaviour that interferes with weight gain, even though at a significantly low weight.
C. Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
Restricting Type: During the last three months, the person has not engaged in recurrent episodes of binge eating or purging behaviour (i.e., self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas).

Date added: 24 May 2016