What does food have to do with it?

Abstract

The eating disorder subgroups addressed by this article include, predominantly, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. This article will reflect on how awareness of the attachment styles of patients across the subgroups of eating disorders helps to inform beneficial clinical decisions and the therapeutic process in general. Drawing from personal observations in therapy group settings as well as individual therapy sessions, this article discusses the similarities and differences between patients from the different subgroups regarding attachment styles, clinical presentation, features of the pathology and, especially, their recovery perceptions and aspirations. Often, patients of the different sub-groups envisage recovery in contrasting ways. Typically, anorexia nervosa patients aspire to free themselves from compulsive thinking and ritualistic behaviours but they remain acutely averse to changes to their physical appearance. Conversely, the bulimia nervosa and binge-eating patients, generally, wish to change their physical appearance but remain attached to established behaviours and lifestyle choices. The variances in the recovery approach across the subgroups will be discussed with regards to their underlying attachment styles.