Eating Disorders

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that eating disorders can be viewed as a survival mechanism; just as an alcoholic uses alcohol to cope, a person with an eating disorder can use eating, purging or restricting food to deal with their problems such as low self-esteem, identity concerns and an inability to cope with emotions. The author points out that a variety of psychological, genetic, biological, developmental and societal factors may contribute to the onset of this syndrome; an eating disorder is not necessarily about being thin but about gaining control over the sufferer's life by focusing on her or his weight. The paper states that the literature and research on eating disorders report that group therapy is an effective therapeutic tool for intervention.

From the Paper:

"Group therapy is used as a means of changing behavior and emotional patterns based on the premise that much of human behavior and feeling involves the individual's adaptation and response to other people. It is a process carried out in formally organized groups of three or more individuals who seek change. The therapist may be directive or nondirective, allowing the group to set their own agenda for discussion. The group becomes a "sample" of the outside world, reproducing conditions of interpersonal relationships; its members jointly participate in observing personal motivation and styles of interaction. They also participate in attempting new behaviors and dealing with the consequences of such behaviors, with the intended result being that they will eventually be able to employ these behavior patterns outside the group."

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