Chronic Eating Disorders in Therapy: Clinical Stories Using Family Systems and Psychoanalytic Approaches

This paper presents 3 case histories of individuals with long histories of eating disorders. One of the cases involved a 31-year-old female who was suicidal & had a history of chronic thinness, bulimia, sexual abuse & panic. Her panic attacks arose from a conviction that she was about to die; she attempted suicide to be free from their pain & intensity. The context of her therapy is described in detail. The layout of a medieval castle is used as a metaphor of the organization of self experience.