Bulimia: psychoanalytic perspectives

Bulimia, the syndrome of food binging often followed by purging has been reported to be increasing in recent years. This communication reviews the psychoanalytic understanding of eating disorders, focusing on the pathology of early object relations and later intrapsychic conflicts over incestuous impregnation fantasies. Ancillary symptoms of kleptomania, laxative abuse, and vegetarianism are discussed, and associations with masturbatory conflicts and early adolescent phallic activity, i.e., horseback riding, are elaborated.