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BULIMIA AND ANOREXIA NERVOSA AS MALADAPTIVE AND ADDICTIVE EATING DISORDERS
Abstract
The main aim of the research is to raise awareness of some of the most intractable eating disorders of the last two centuries – anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In accordance with this aim in mind, the following sub-aims were also pursued by the authors: 1) to highlight the most typical feature of both diseases, 2) to compare them with a view to establishing convergent and subevent features, 3) to track some of the possible causes and consequences of these disorders, 4) to suggest possible treatment, 5) to put the research into perspective and to outline some of the avenues for further research and investigation. The following methods were made use of: the method of introspection, the phenomenological-hermeneutical approach with a view to tracking the life-cycle of several female persons who have been kind and courageous enough to share their stories; the external, non-involved observation has been used with a view to a non-intrusive assessment and evaluation of eating disordered individuals. The research is also based on meta-analysis – collection and collation of both contradictory and converging data from many sources with a view to identifying typical features of anorexia and bulimia. In accordance with the above aim, the paper consists of 7 parts and follows the general-specific-general logic. In the introduction (1), some general facts about both disorders are given. The second section (2) outlines the background to the research and its methodological postulates. Some comparative data and statistics are summarized in the next section (3). After dwelling on the underlying assumption, namely that bulimia and anorexia arise as a result of insecure attachment types, the author goes on to differentiate between the two disorders, presenting an expose of their history, etiology, distant causes as well as highlighting some of the most salient cognitive, attitudinal and behavioral patterns of bulimics and anorexics (4). Towards the end of this section, it is claimed that despite the distinct status of both disorders, there is a lot of cross-over between bulimia and anorexia and that a female may fluctuate between one or the other during different stages of maladaptive behaviour. The next section (5) deals with possible treatment and outcomes of both disorders. After going through some of the best-known treatment of eating disorders, the author compares the benefits of them all, concluding that the optimal treatment should adhere to two principles: be chosen on a case-by-case basis and be the most cost-efficient. The results and discussion section (6) contains some generalizations about the symptoms and causes of bulimia and anorexia as well as summarizes some of the most prominent psychological attributes of bulimics and anorexics. In conclusion (7), some of the possible avenues for further research are suggested.
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