Eating Disorders Psychodynamic explanation www.psychlotron.org.uk Psychodynamic explanation Psychological disorders are a manifestation of repressed emotional problems The symptoms of eating disorders symbolise repressed conflicts and motives in the unconscious mind
Anorexia Nervosa Conscious Unconscious www.psychlotron.org.uk Refusal to eat Desire to be thin A prepubescent body Lack of menstruation Desire to remain a child Fear of sex & adult sexuality Unconscious Traumatic sexual experience in childhood?
Bulimia Nervosa Conscious Unconscious www.psychlotron.org.uk Uncontrollable desire to eat Superego punishes the ego for not controlling the id Guilt and anxiety Purging behaviours Reduction of guilt and anxiety Weak and fragile ego can only control the id temporarily Id’s desire for gratification (physical) Overly controlling parents Unconscious
Wonderlich et al (1996) Survey of 1099 American women www.psychlotron.org.uk Survey of 1099 American women Sexual experiences during childhood Eating disorder symptoms Women with a history of sexual abuse had elevated risk of ED symptoms Some issues surrounding retrospective data, but has been confirmed in other studies
Eating Disorders General criticisms: www.psychlotron.org.uk General criticisms: Some support, mainly from studies of women abused in childhood However, not all abuse survivors develop EDs, and not all ED sufferers have been abused Many aspects difficult to test e.g. unconscious motives, repressed memories etc.