Psychodynamic Perspectives on Eating Disorders (Paperback)

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses and are some of the most difficult disorders to treat. Perhaps some of the difficulty in treating eating disorders is the result of a lack of understanding of the complex issues that contribute to the development and maintenance of the pathological symptoms and behavior. This book offers a comprehensive look at eating disorders from a psychodynamic perspective. There are three chapters dedicated to Bulimia, five chapters dedicated to Anorexia, and several chapters devoted to related issues and case presentations. The etiology, dynamics, and symptomology of eating disorders are considered in the context of faulty ego-functioning, separation-individuation issues, disturbed object relations, and underlying anger that results from traumatic early experiences and traumatic relationships with parental figures. The close relationship between eating disorders and self-mutilation is explored in detail. As the mothers of anorexics have been described as controlling and rejecting while the fathers have been described as absent and emotionally unavailable, their role in the development of anorexia is also discussed. Three final chapters contain case discussions that illustrate the typical patient presentation, transference and countertransference barriers, and the themes that arise in the lives of the patient and in treatment. The book ends with a summary from the editors and commentary on the pertinent issues related to treatment.