Nutritional disorders in a psychoanalytic sense

According to Freud, the refusal to consume food was a symptom of hysteria stemming from sexual molestation. In later works, the founder of psychoanalysis abandoned this view in favor of fantasies of sexual abuse. The cultural taboo surrounding sexual abuse continues to pose challenges in interpreting this phenomenon within the context of eating disorders. H. Bruchart, one of the most renowned authors on psychoanalytic eating disorders, argues that their causes are multifaceted. The disorder affects not only the patient but also their family and immediate surroundings. Currently, it is accepted that eating disorders are closely linked to dysfunctions in self-concept and body image. Particularly significant are the mother-daughter relationships in the patient's early years. In these relationships, the mother's inadequate recognition of the child's needs and inappropriate reactions take center stage. The child's needs are interpreted through the mother's expectations and desires, leading to difficulties in perceiving and correctly interpreting their own feelings. Consequently, the boundary between mother and child becomes blurred. As a result, the sense of boundaries and body image become disturbed and distorted. This issue becomes evident during adolescence and the further development of the child's physical self. Individuals with anorexia experience a strong drive for perfection. Such behaviors serve as a defense mechanism for their fragile self and a response to severely diminished self-esteem. The rigidity of behaviors, particularly regarding eating, can be interpreted as an attempt to cope with feelings of helplessness. The symptoms of anorexia thus become an effort to maintain control over one's life or regain significance. Food refusal is seen as the most accessible form of resistance against parental expectations that a child can muster.