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Bulimia in Men

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Bulimia in Men
BULIMIA NERVOSA IN MEN PSYCHODYNAMIC EXPLANATION
MIQUELA WILSON
UMUC

Definition
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person alternates binge eating (usually of high calorie foods) with purging (vomiting or laxative use), fasting or excessive exercise. It may also be triggered by a weight loss diet. (Myers, 2013) According to (Crandall, 1988) Binge-purge eaters eat the way some people with alcohol dependence drink in spurts, sometime influenced by friends who are bingeing.
Psychodynamic Explanation
“To study the abnormal is the best way of understanding the normal,” proposed Williams James (Myers, 2013) Mental health workers view psychological disorders as patterns of thoughts, feelings, or actions that are deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional (Comer, 2004; Stein et al., 2010,Myers, 2013) The symptoms of eating disorders symbolize repressed conflicts and motives in the unconscious mind. A weak and fragile ego can control the id temporarily which results in an uncontrollable desire to eat. The superego punishes the ego for not controlling the id which causes the person to feel guilty and have anxiety over having eaten. Therefore the person begins purging to reduce guilt and anxiety.
Factors that Put Men at Risk for Eating Disorders
Diet
According to (National Centre for Eating Disorders, 2009) men are more likely to go on a diet to control their weight. The cycle usually begins with the pursuit for physical perfection which then leads to the restriction of foods. The disorder may not always be visible in males due to the fact that in the beginning stages they appear to be in good physical health. (National Centre for Eating Disorders, 2009)

Sports
Athletes who participate in sports with weight restrictions tend to put males at risk of eating disorder such as gymnast, jockeys, dancers and wrestlers. (Andersen, R.E., et al. (1995).
Media
We live in a society that puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of our appearance. The


References: Myers, D.G. (2013). Psychological Disorders. Psychology(pp. 604-640). New York, NY: Worth Publishers Crandall,C.S.(1988). Social interest as a moderator of life and stress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology(pp. 640) Andersen, R.E., et al. (1995). Weight loss, psychological and nutritional patterns in competitive male body builders. International Journal of Eating Disorders(pp. 18, 49-57) (2009)National Centre for Eating Disorders [Eating disorders in males] Retrieved from:http://www.eating-disorders.org.uk/eating-disorders-in-males.html (1992-2012)Psych Central [ Treatment or Bulimia] Retrieved from: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/treatment-for-bulimia/all/1/?lang=en_us&output=json Dawn Centre for Treating Eating Disorders Retreieved from: http://www.dawn-centre.ie/index.php?page=Page&op=show&id=85&lang=en_us&output=json
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