1. Eating Disorders Psychodynamic explanation
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

2. 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?

3. 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

4. Wonderlich et al (1996) Survey of 1099 American women
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

5. Eating Disorders General criticisms:
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.