This week we’ll explore the relationship between anorexia nervosa and obsession. While anorexia clearly involves an obsession with food, body image, and weight, the scientific community has long been questioning the connection between anorexia and OCD. Most researchers agree that the two disorders are somehow connected, but the question of the nature of that connection still remains unclear. Psychologists and psychiatrists continue to explore whether the two disorders are co-morbid illnesses or if instead anorexia is actually a particular manifestation of OCD.
Those who suggest anorexia is a form of OCD argue that the obsession in cases of anorexia is with food and control, and the compulsions are related to methods of eating and maintaining order. On the other hand, proponents of a co-morbid relationship maintain that the obsessions and compulsions in anorexia do not meet the same requirements mentioned in Osborn’s book. Furthermore, the compulsions, unlike in OCD, are not meant to achieve relief.
You will all be familiar with Dana's story, the 8-year-old with anorexia. Another documentary, Thin, follows a group of American women who are in-patients at an eating disorder clinic. The following is the first part of the film (the rest is available on youtube as well, and I suggest you view the first few parts, at least).
Considering these materials, what is your first impression of the relationship between the disorders? Are anorexia and OCD two conditions that often strike the same individual or is anorexia instead a form of OCD? Do these women seem to fit the criteria that Osborn outlines?
To know if anorexia is a form of OCD or just a completely different disorder is not easy. The two of them are very alike, meaning that both are develop under an obsession. In the case of anorexia, “looking good and thin” is what makes these women go beyond the limit with their alimentation. To me, anorexic people manifest a form of OCD. If we review the aspects needed in order to identify OCD in a person, anorexic people do present these. It’s so heart breaking to see these women blind by an obsession, and not realize that they are destroying their body slowly.
ReplyDeleteAnorexic people are obsessed about looking thin, as I mention before. Whatever food that goes in their body, goes out. Even though their compulsion (throwing up) is not “comfortable” nor makes them feel physically relief, it does give them mental relief.
The fact that throwing up is disgusting and uncomfortable, which most of the time is not a pleasant thing to do and destroys their body, is nothing compare to the relief that these persons experiment about knowing that they are doing the right thing, in their mind.
According to Osborn’s criteria, these women seem to fit in his OCD’s outlines. They are obsessed about avoiding fatness, which they think is harm to their body. Therefore, they throw up everything they eat in order to be thin. The more they engage into this compulsion (throwing up), the harder is to get rid of this obsession and anorexia.
These women definitely fit Osborn's criteria in terms of OCD. Being anorexic is definitely a form of OCD because these women were avoiding food that was nutritious to them, thinking that everything they eat will make them gain weight. Polly and Shelly, in one scene, were smoking cigarette after cigarette and from what I know, cigarettes help with weight and appetite loss. These ladies tried their best to avoid everything of food possible and if they were to ingest some food, they would feel full, sick, or mad at everyone else. Polly seemed really mad at everyone for bringing her a birthday cupcake, and mentioned that she felt like vomiting it all out. It turns out that Polly took her own life, after this documentary was made in 2008. These women were obsessed with avoiding the "overweight" look. From what it seems, they all developed the disorder at an extremely young age as well, whether it was low self esteem issues, or obsessed with rewards like Alisa was.
ReplyDeleteI would think that Anorexia is a form of OCD given that both diseases report intrusive, fearful thoughts, a compulsive need to perform rituals, and an obsession with maintaining these rituals. In the case of anorexia nervosa, these behaviors involve food and an obsession with thinness whereas in OCD they are of a more general type. However, we would need statistical evidence to make these interpretations and conclusions.
ReplyDeleteAt first I never imagined that these two would go together until now. In anorexia it seems that the losing weight or being skinny is the obsession and starving by not eating is the impulse or even making themselves throw up. Although hese women are suffering from OCD, some like Dana started doing it randomly. Its so weird to see the extremes that people go through to fulfill a certain obsession. You would think that the fear of death may help them shake the disorder, but for some people death is easier and is a way out.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that these two disorders are related, makes me think of the origin and i ask does this come from exposure? what you learn at home or in your eviornment as a chiild or is this biological? I think it is from exposure and the urge to have contriol or attention. yes when it gets to this point it is obvious that it's an illness however if the first signs are treated, it doesnt have to get to this point.this fits osborn because anorexia can relate as an OCD b.c it begins with a fear of something then to calm this fear/ anxiety of what may happen the women stop wating, which is the compulsion.
ReplyDelete