Childhood Bulimia Nervosa

Any victim of sexual abuse faces the chance of having their development impacted. This is especially true amongst children. Studies have proven that children who have been sexually abused by a female offender often have different developmental experiences (T.A. Gannon, 2008, p. 356). Mental illness is yet another impact that victims face. Many sexual abuse victims transpire into states of depression, rage, and suicide; they even have strained relationships with certain individuals (Denov, 2014, p.

Many people are unaware of the background of eating disorders. Women are more likely than men to develop an eating disorder and they usually develop in childhood before the age of 20 (Ross-Flanigan 1). Women as well as men can develop an eating disorder; it is just more likely for a woman to develop one. Eating disorders are usually developed in adolescent or childhood years when a person is influenced the most. Also “Eating disorders are psychological conditions that involve overeating, voluntary starvation, or both. Anorexia nervosa, anorexic bulimia, and binge eating are the most well-known types of eating disorders” (Ross-Flanigan 1). Many people assume that an eating disorder is when a person staves themselves; they do not realize that it can involve overeating as well. Some eating disorders also involve purging, but not all. People with an eating disorder fear gaining weight even when they are severely underweight. They do not lack an appetite (Ross-Flanigan 1). These people are

In a study by Marchi and Cohen (1990) maladaptive eating patterns were traced longitudinally in a large, random sample of children. They were interested in finding whether or not certain eating and digestive problems in early childhood were predictive of symptoms of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa in adolescence. Six eating behaviors were assessed by maternal interview at ages 1through 10, ages 9 through 18, and 2.5 years later when they were 12 through 20 years old. The behaviors measured included (1) meals unpleasant; (2) struggle over eating; (3) amount eaten; (4) picky eater; (5) speed of eating (6) interest in food. Also data on pica

At present, these eating disorders have an effect on roughly 25 million Americans, of which almost 25% are of the male gender. Out of all the psychological disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. The whys and wherefores include malnourishment, substance abuse and reckless suicides. Eating disorders can happen to anyone; no matter whether they’re male or female, rich or poor, old or young. According to many researchers, eating disorders are caused by more than just food. There are numerous

“Twenty million women and ten million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life”(What are Eating Disorders, 2016). What can cause a person to develop an eating disorder? The type of significant amount of eating would include bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder. There are other eating disorders that cause dramatic weight loss such as anorexia nervosa. “According to the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action, the risk of developing an eating disorder is from fifty to eighty percent determined by genetics” (Parks 46). Thirty percent of people develop an eating disorder through a traumatic incident such as rape or abuse. There can be other causes to developing an eating disorder. This can be biological factors, sociological factors, and psychological and emotional health. Biological factors can include a person’s brain chemistry, age, gender and genetics; the genes passed on from one or both parents. Adolescents and females are most

The possible relationship between sexual abuse and the development of an eating disorder has gained attention over the last few years. Researchers have attempted to clarify this potential link using a variety of population samples and research methodologies. As will be shown, the results of these investigations are rather diverse and sometimes inconclusive. In the following review of the literature, the complex relationship between sexual abuse and eating disorders will be examined while also discussing the methodological limitations of the various designs.

In a national study of adults who were physically abused during childhood, data was recorded from the 2000-2001

For some, the world can be a lonely and scary place. When an individual is challenged with a life altering experience, such as recovering from childhood exploitation, rape, incest, or being held up at gunpoint, it is almost always difficult to improve without any guidance. Occasionally, a person can be resilient, while others countlessly suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and develop self destructive behaviors such as an eating disorder. When in harm’s way, you have two responses, commonly known as “flight-or-flight.” You are either going to avoid danger or face it head on. With PTSD, this recoil of a decision is altered or impaired. PTSD is established when a terrifying incident places you in jeopardy of being harmed, which later interferes with a person’s life or health. With many PTSD patients, they have developed eating disorders because they find that this is the only way to control their physical and emotional manifestations. Studies have shown dramatically the relation between patients who suffer from PTSD and those who develop eating disorders. In Timothy D. Brewerton’s “The Links Between PTSD and Eating Disorders”, he shares some statistics. “74% of 293 women attending residential treatment indicated that they had experience a significant trauma, and 52% reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of current PTSD based on their responses on a PTSD symptom scale.” What are the effects that PTSD have on eating disorders? It is important to keep in mind

A positive correlation between child sexual abuse and disordered eating behaviors has been identified, as has a positive correlation between child sexual abuse and having a diagnosis of a clinical eating disorder. Child sexual abuse has been associated with the increase in displaying disordered eating behaviors and/or symptoms. Abuse experiences contribute to a woman’s development of bulimia, possibly because the woman is utilizing bulimia as a coping mechanism and an attempt to manage the emotional fallout from the abuse. Abuse survivors are

This paper reviews the relationships among eating disorders, trauma, and comorbid psychiatric disorders, with a particular focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There have been a number of significant conclusions in the literature, applicable to clinical practice, which are essential to the understanding of the relationships between generic eating disorders and some types of trauma. These are summarized as follows: a) children's sexual assault is a non-specific risk factor for most eating disorders; b) the level of trauma linked to those eating disorders has been extended from the child's sexual assault to include a multitude of different forms of assault/abuse and; c) trauma is much more common in bulimic eating disorders compared to a non-bulimic disorder; d) As such, those findings linking eating disorders with traumatic ones have been extended to both male and female children and adults with eating disorders; e) findings linking eating disorders with trauma have been extended to both male children and adult males with eating disorders; f) several episodes or types of trauma are associated with eating disorders; g) All trauma is not always associated with severe eating disorders; h) trauma is associated with greater comorbidity (including

"Eating Disorders in children and adolescents represent potentially life-threatening, debilitating conditions that impede physical, emotional, and behavioral growth and development. If treated soon after onset, childhood and adolescent eating disorders have a relatively good prognosis; however, if not treated, they may become chronic conditions by adulthood with devastating and sometimes irreversible medical, behavioral, and emotional consequences (Robin, Gilroy, and Dennis, 1998, pp421)."

Eating disorders has become a major health problem in the United States. They have been characterized as abnormal eating habits, involving insufficient or excessive consumption of food. Some of the common eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. In anorexia nervosa, a person tends to find starving themselves as a way of dieting. In bulimia nervosa, an individual may tend to eating excessive amount of food and later discards its contents by purging. Among the United States population,

When an abuser calls the victim certain things, such as “fat” and “unwanted”, it often leads to eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa.

Research clearly indicates a link between self-harm and sexual abuse in childhood and was particularly marked in women who had been subjected to severe, frequent abuse. Further studies confirmed that the more severe, more prolonged, or a longer duration of sexual abuse was associated with an increased risk of engaging in self-harm as an adult.

However, there is environmental causes, such as the stress due to living with anorectic or bulimic family member, that seem to accompany the genetic predisposition, presenting the importance of both factors. In addition, previous research has suggested that childhood adversities may be associated and contribute to triggering eating disorders. Regarding this, it is difficult to distinguish if the disease is primarily genetic or if it’s a result of a stigmatization of search of a socially constructed