Eating Disorders: A Psychological Analysis

Eating disorders fit most suitably under mental illnesses, which are part of the psychological spectrum of disabilities. “Between 1 of every 200 girls will develop anorexia between the ages of 12 and 20” and the mortality rates are nearly “twice as high as any other psychiatric disorder” (Grothaus 1998). “Comorbid mental disorders” such as “mood disorders including substance abuse, anxiety and depression” (Curry 2010), give notion to the fact that these individuals are highly susceptible to exhibit one or more of the mentioned mental disorders in addition to their anorexia. It is widely believed that anorexia develops among three primary components “psychological, behavioral, and physical”, where each may “vary in kind, extent and intensity” (Maguire 2008). Psychologically, Anorexia is characterized by “an intense drive for thinness” that eventually develops into “an extreme fear of weight gain” (Maguire 2008). Perhaps the psychological factors carries a heavier account due to the account that the severity of the

psychological component “determines the severity of the behavioral and the physical disturbances” (Maguire 2008).

Anorexia can be targeted by many “biological, social/cultural, and familial factors”, notably the “promotion of thinness as healthy and a sign of success, perfectionism, competitive environments, loss in personal or familial relationships, low self-esteem, and heightened concern for appearance” (Curry 2010).
The greatest influence on anorectic behavior can be traced to the family. It has been observed that individuals with anorexia “cling rigidly to early childhood concepts”, internalizing their values and morals and adopting a “style of thinking comparable to a younger child” (Grothaus 1998). Although the development of eating disorders is unsure, it is widely assumed

that the etiology of eating disorders is caused by “cultural issues, dysfunctional relationships, traumatic experiences, identity formation difficulty” and even “biological and genetic predisposition” that makes these individuals susceptible to this psychological disability (Grothaus 1998). A feminist approach claims that societal sex roles that “exert a destructive influence on both men and women” along with the sociocultural impact “on the family [that] often results in an overprotective mother and absent father”, as well as family inconsistency with “problems about power and exceeding boundaries” are of faulty observations to reconsider (Grothaus 1998). Grothaus (1998) hypothesizes that not only does “overprotectiveness of children by parents” and “rigidity in the family value system” lead to the probable development of anorexia, but it may also result in “inadequate conflict-resolution skills” (p.148). It is important to note that familial support, identification and comprehension are essential to understanding and recognizing an individual with anorexia nervosa, as “households where appearance and body image are emphasized remain at heightened risk for developing an eating disorder” (Curry 2010). Curry (2010) also states that family, as well as friends are both responsible for recognizing these characteristics, as well as avoiding tumultuous relationships that exhibit “low levels of supportive relational communication” (p. 361).