Pros And Cons Of Bulimia Nervosa

Both articles (Serpell, Treasure, Teasdale, & Sullivan 1999 and Serpell & Treasure 2002) raise the concept that there may be an upside to symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). This is very interesting and it has a number of implications for working with this population. Very often, symptoms do indeed serve a purpose—while the person experiencing them is suffering, they are also getting something out of their symptoms (this is seen all the time in addiction, for example). Part of treatment, I think, is identifying what positives, or secondary gains, the client is getting out of their symptoms. There have to be more “pros” for getting well than “pros” for staying sick, otherwise treatment will likely be unsuccessful. If clinicians can understand what clients are

Is there underlying trauma that needs to be addressed? Often, these themes seem to coincide with a history of trauma of some kind or another, perhaps early in life. It might be that if part of the treatment plan is to address whatever trauma underlies these themes, there could be a better long-term outcome. Certainly this warrants further study. Personally speaking, I am always very curious about what leads a person to develop a psychiatric disorder and/or other maladaptive behaviors. I suspect that it is almost always a unique and delicate combination of biology, genetics, circumstance, environment and timing. As I have said, I believe that very often trauma plays a key role in the development, course and presentation of symptoms. It is my contention that the “positive” themes identified by Serpell and colleagues (1999) indicate some underlying need that the client failed to receive during their