Some Psychology Behind EDs

[xxKadexx]

I'm taking an Abnormal Psychology class this semester, and I was doing some research and came across the section on eating disorders. I knew most of the stuff about the symptoms and everything, but this certain section just kind of struck me, because I hadn't really thought about it that way before, so I thought I'd share. It's just snipets of my textbook that I found interesting.

'[hilde Brush] argued that disturbed mother-child interactions lead to serious ego deficiencies in the child (including a poor sense of independence and control) and to severe perceptual disturbances that jointly help produce disordered eating.'

'Because they cannot rely on internal signals, these children turn instead to external guides such as their parents. They seem to be "model children" but they fail to develop genuine self-reliance and "experience themselves as not being in control of their behavior, needs, and impulses, and not owning their own bodies." ' <-----This explains a lot.....

'There is a particular contradiction--everybody thinks you're doing so well and everybody thinks you're great, but your real problem is that you think you are not good enough. You are afraid of not living up to what you think you are expected to do. You had one great fear, namely of being ordinary, or average, or common--just not good enough. This peculiar dieting begins with such anxiety. You want to prove that you have control, that you can do it. The peculiar part is that it makes you feel good about yourself, makes you feel "I can accomplish something." It makes you feel "I can do something nobody else can do." ' (Brush, 1978)

'Clinicians have observed that parents of teenagers with eating disorders do tend to define their children's needs rather than allow the children to define their own needs. When Brush interviewed the mothers of 51 children with anorexia nervosa, many proudly recalled that they had always "anticipated" their young child's needs, never permitting the child to "feel hungry".'

'Studies support Brush's argument that people with eating disorders rely excessively on the opinions, wishes, and views of others. They are more likely than other people to worry about how others view them, to seek approval, to be conforming, and to feel a lack of control over their lives.'



Just thought I'd share.

[SkinnyCow]

Thanks for sharing :-) I, too, never thought about EDs that way. I can relate so well to pretty much everything you wrote, especially the paragraph where you commented "<--this explains a lot."

[Katerina]

The third and fifth quotes are me all over! :O

Kat
Xxx

[JuliJ90809]

WOW, third and fifth quotes have me almost exactly.

[everett]

The third bit of information, about not wanting to feel ordinary is completely me. I have a fear of not being "great" like I planned on being. I can't be ordinary

[Jacklinger]

Uh oh, that sort of describes me also. But I wouldn't have said that 6 months ago. I better not read too much into that.

[jupiter]

Thanks for this Let me see...

"disturbed mother-child interactions" Check.
"poor sense of independence and control" Check.
"severe perceptual disturbances" Check.
"turn instead to external guides such as their parents... "model children"" Check.
"experience themselves as not being in control of their behavior, needs, and impulses, and not owning their own bodies." Check. I always feel like I'm doing what people expect me to do, responding to what they want. Partly why I chose acting as my career.
"you are afraid of not living up to what you think you are expected to do" Check.
"fear... being ordinary, or average, or common--just not good enough." Check. I was always the brightest, the prettiest. I was expected to go far and 'average' is a serious shaming thing in my household- as proven by my mother's reaction to my rather academically average sister.
"such anxiety" It definitely made me anxious.
"You want to prove... that you can do it." Check. I don't feel like I have a choice but to be successful and the best, there's nothing else I'm good at.
"it makes you feel good about yourself, makes you feel "I can accomplish something." Check, same as above.
"It makes you feel "I can do something nobody else can do."" Checkcheckcheckcheck. It makes me feel less average and stupid and boring.
"parents of teenagers with eating disorders do tend to define their children's needs" Check. I have painfully controlling parents who always think they know what's wrong with me and what is best for me.
"rely excessively on the opinions, wishes, and views of others...to seek approval" Check. I don't really know what I want, I feel like there's no point in me doing anything unless it's for somebody else's benefit because there's nothing I want. I feel like a robot, like I don't have a mind or a personality.
"and to feel a lack of control over their lives." Check.

This was pretty interesting.

[sadderstar]

Hits home. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing.