Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders

Eating disorders-anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in particularare dynamic phenomena. The eating disorder patient maintains a distorted view of her body as either too fat or somehow defective (she may have a dysmorphic disorder). Many patients with eating disorders are found in occupations where focus is placed on the body type and appearance (e.g., ballet students, fashion designers, actors). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) IV-TR (2000) (pp. 584-5): (Patients with eating disorders display feelings of inefficiency, a strong desire to regulate their environment, inflexible thought, reduced social spontaneity, perfectionism, and overly controlled ambition and emotional speech (Bulimics have a greater propensity to have) impulse-control issues, alcohol abuse or other drugs, display mood lability, (have) increased suicide incidence).

Author(s): Sam Vaknin

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