Bulimia Nervos A Case Study On Tanya's Story

This study is going to explore Bulimia Nervosa with accordance to a case study on Tanya’s story, within this study we are going to look at the background of Bulimia Nervosa, the psychological theories and explanations, followed by treatments for this disorder. Bulimia Nervosa is defined as an eating disorder that is a form on psychopathology. ‘Psychopathology is maladaptive behaviours that create distress to individuals which is brought by a psychological disorder’- Nolen Hoekesma 2004. The vulnerability stress model- Nolen Hoeksema 2004 states there are three causes for Bulimia Nervosa; biological, social and psychological. However, there is four psychological theories that administer treatments; Psychodynamic Theories, Behavioural Theories,

Chassler (1998) states that bulimic nervosa sufferers turn to food to alleviate their negative emotions, as food gives them distraction from their problems and comfort, which results to bingeing episodes. Women whom suffer with Bulimia Nervosa are extremely anxious and worried about their body shape and weight before developing this disorder and throughout. Individuals who develop this disorder are dissatisfied with their bodies resulting to them developing low self-esteem and believing that the reason for this stems from the way they look. Benninghoven, Raykowski, Solzbacher, Kunzendorf and Jantschek 2007 found that cultural and societal norms promise women greater self-worth to women whom are thinner, resulting to women with Bulimia Nervosa deeming that men only find thinner women attractive, causing them to want to fulfil that expectation. Herzog, Keller, Sacks, Yeh, and Lavoril (as cited in Blinder, Cumella & Sanathara, 2006) found that 60% bulimia nervosa sufferers also had a co morbid Axis I diagnosis. Blinder, Cumella and Sanathara (2006) discovered that the disorders most co morbid with bulimia nervosa are mood disorders, substance abuse (mostly alcohol abuse) disorders and anxiety