Eating Disorders and Emotional Neglect: a Case Report

Eating disorders are psychiatric disorders presenting various problems in eating behavior and have biological, psychological, social factors as important causes. Personality features and traumatic experiences have significant role in its development. Psychiatric comorbidity and trauma history are frequently seen among eating disorder patients and are important matters affecting prognosis and treatment course. Trauma history is more frequently encountered among bulimic patients than in non-bulimic patients. Although initial studies about trauma have focused on sexual abuse, later studies have demonstrated that trauma spectrum in eating disorders range from sexual abuse to physical and emotional abuse, neglect and indifference. In this case report, a young female patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (binge eating/purging) that psychological factors and traumatic experiences have significant role in its development, is presented.