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Eating Disorders

EATING DISORDERS

Individuals with trauma are more likely to develop eating disorders than those without trauma. Tagay (2010) reported that 63.3% of anorexic clients and 57.7% of bulimic clients report a history of traumatic events.

Trauma can be caused by one disastrous event or it can be the accumulation of many smaller distressing events.

Some causes for trauma include:

• Sexual or physical abuse
• War conditions
• Moving
• Family conflict
• Divorce
• Death of a loved one
• A highly controlled family life
• Neglect
• Experiencing childhood illness
• Addiction or illness in a family member
• Suicide or murder of a family member
• Witnessing violence
• Being bullied

Eating Disorders as an Unhealthy Coping Mechanism

When trauma occurs the brain does not process the event properly. The trauma is buried in the unconscious mind and can be triggered again in the present. Eating disorder behaviors can begin as a way to avoid the thoughts and feelings of the past traumatic event.

The disordered eating thoughts and behaviors can be used to suppress unwanted emotions,* deal with stress, and be used as a way to cope with life. These coping behaviors can become a habit that is hard to break. With time the behavior is used for everything and the eating disorder takes over.

Food as a Source of Comfort

For the person who has experienced trauma, food may become a form of comfort for these very reasons. When an individual has endured any form of abuse or violation of physicality, emotionality, or spirituality, food may become a form of not only finding control in chaos, but a way of finding comfort.

When a person has a biological susceptibility to developing an eating disorder, trauma can become an environmental trigger that ignites the progression of these complex mental illnesses.


While food can be comforting in appropriation, it cannot heal any underlying pain or trauma. This can only occur through healing, that may happen with professional treatment, psychotherapy, counseling, and a strong support system.

References:

  1. Mantero, M., Crippa, L. (2002). Eating disorders and chronic post traumatic stress disorder: Issues of psychopathology and comorbidity. European Eating Disorders Review, 10, 1-16.
  2. Tagay, S., Schlegl, S., Senf, W. (2010). Traumatic events, posttraumatic stress symptomatology and somatoform symptoms in eating disorder clients. European Eating Disorders Review, 18, 2, 124–132.