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NEDA TOOLKIT for Educators Glossary This eating disorders glossary defines terms you may encounter when seeking information and talking with care providers about diagnosis and treatment of all types of eating disorders. It also contains some slang terms that may be used by individuals with an eating disorder. Alternative Therapy  In the context of treatment for eating disorders, a treatment that does not use drugs or bring unconscious mental material into full consciousness. For example, yoga, guided imagery, expressive therapy, and massage therapy are considered alternative therapies. Amenorrhea  The absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles. Amenorrhea was a DSM-IV diagnostic criterion for anorexia, but was removed as a criterion in the DSM-5. Ana Slang.  Anorexia or anorexic. ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)  A nonprofit corporation that seeks to alleviate the problems of eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Atypical Antipsychotics  A new group of medications used to treat psychiatric conditions. These drugs may have fewer side effects than older classes of drugs used to treat the same psychiatric conditions. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder  A DSM-5 diagnosis, the primary feature of which is the avoidance or restriction of food intake, without evidence of a disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced. B&P  An abbreviation used for binge eating and purging in the context of bulimic behavior. Anorexia Nervosa (AN)  A disorder in which an individual refuses to maintain minimally normal body weight, intensely fears gaining weight, and exhibits a significant disturbance in his/her perception of the shape or size of his/her body. Behavior Therapy (BT)  A type of psychotherapy that uses principles of learning to increase the frequency of desired behaviors and/or decrease the frequency of problem behaviors. When used to treat an eating disorder, the focus is on modifying the behavioral abnormalities of the disorder by teaching relaxation techniques and coping strategies that affected individuals can use instead of not eating, or binge eating and purging. Subtypes of BT include dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), and hypnobehavioral therapy. Anorexia Athletica  The use of excessive exercise to lose weight. Binge Slang.  Binge eating episode or binge eating disorder. Anticonvulsants  Drugs used to prevent or treat convulsions. Binge Eating (also Bingeing)  Consuming an amount of food that is considered much larger than the amount that most individuals would eat under similar circumstances within a discrete period of time. Antiemetics  Drugs used to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting. Anxiety  A persistent feeling of dread, apprehension, and impending disaster. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including: panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social and specific phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Anxiety is a type of mood disorder. Arrhythmia  An alteration in the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. Art Therapy  A form of expressive therapy that uses visual art to encourage the patient’s growth of self- awareness and self-esteem to make attitudinal and behavioral changes. Binge Eating Disorder (BED)  A type of eating disorder that is characterized by recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures to counter the binge eating. Beneficiary  The recipient of benefits from an insurance policy Biofeedback  A technique that measures bodily functions, like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and muscle tension. Biofeedback is used to teach people how to alter bodily functions through relaxation or imagery. Typically, a practitioner describes stressful situations and guides a person through using relaxation techniques. The person can Page  | 31