Case Study Of Binge Eating Disorders

In 1981, a researcher named Fairburn conducted the first study applying cognitive-behavioral therapy to the treatment of bulimia nervosa. In a recently published report by D. L. Spangler (1999), CBT is touted as “a well-developed, theoretically grounded treatment for bulimia nervosa with the strongest empirical support for its efficacy of any form of treatment for bulimia nervosa.” Today cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy commonly used to treat patients with bulimia nervosa (BN).

The focus of this intervention design is the relationship between binge-eating disorder and depression. In May of 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition was published. With this publication came the introduction of binge-eating disorder as a formal, independent diagnosis. As a result, there is a gap in the literature in

In this paper, I will discuss how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be utilized in the management of eating disorders. More specifically I will identify Anorexia Nervosa and provide statistics that relate to the disease. Etiologies will be discussed as well as symptoms. Various techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will be described as well as the rationale as it relates to the clinical issue.

Engel, B., Reiss, N., & Domback, M. (2007, February 2). Introduction To Eating Disorders. Retrieved

Safer, D. L., Agras, W. S., Lowe, M. R., Bryson, S. (2003). Comparing two measures of eating restraint in bulimic women treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 36, (1), 83. Retrieved February 4, 2005, from PhyscINFO database.

S.L. Colles, J.B. Dixon, P.E. O’Brien Loss of control is central to psychological disturbance associated with binge eating disorder Obesity (Silver Spring), 16 (2008), pp. 608–614

Depending on your unique signs and symptoms, an effective treatment plan may ultimately include assistance from variety of medical providers, health and wellness experts, and mental health practitioners. This “team” of individuals can help you combat your binge eating disorder by addressing underlying influences and unhealthy habits. Working with a support network, you can successfully reduce your food intake, make healthy long term changes, and overcome binge eating for good.

There is a focus on helping patients to observe and label their emotional reactions to trauma, validation and acquiring a balance between acceptance and change. This is a fairly new type of approach which is being modified for the treatment of eating disorders. (Santucci, 2010) This form of therapy, according to the data is appropriate for any individual afflicted with this condition as well as many others, but currently does not have a depth of research behind it to prove it individually effective specifically for AN.

CBT treatment typically lasts about 20 weeks and can be divided into three stages (Fairburn et al., 1993). In the first stage, the cognitive view on the maintenance of bulimia is presented, and behavioral techniques are implemented to replace binge eating with more stable eating patterns. In the second stage, additional attempts are made to establish healthy eating habits, and an emphasis is placed upon the elimination of dieting. Cognitive processes (previously outlined) are focused upon extensively in this stage; the therapist and the individual examine his/her thoughts, beliefs, and values which maintain the eating problem. The final stage is concerned with maintaining the gains made in therapy once the treatment has been terminated (Fairburn et al., 1993).

This paper will talk about some of the things that people with eating disorders go through in their daily lives and give a general description of what exactly an eating disorder is and why it is important. Schwitzer Alan M., Bergholz Kim, Dore Terri, and Salimi Lamieh all talk about a few things that they did in order to prevent eating disorders among college woman as well as some of the treatment methods and preventative measure someone can take in order to prevent something like this from happening again. It will also talk about something called the “three-legged stool” which was created by Sackett et al. in 1996. The “three-legged stool” is a treatment method for eating disorders which considers research evidence, patient preference and values, and clinical expertise. There will also be some evidence included to explain why those three things are important in treating eating disorders. Carol B. Peterson, Carolyn Black Becker, Janet Treasure, Roz Shafran, and Rachel Bryant-Waugh all mention how these things will help optimize treatment of eating disorders because patients won’t be forced into doing something that they don’t enjoy in order to overcome their eating disorder. The last thing that will be talked about is a case study conducted by Joanna Steinglass, Karin Foerde, Katrina Kostro, Daphna Shohamy, and Timothy Walsh. This case study attempts to develop a new paradigm

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating with inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain. Cognitive Behavior Therapy and antidepressant drug therapy are treatment modalities that have shown promise with patients diagnosed with eating disorders, more so with Bulimia than with Anorexia, (Comer, 2014). In this case study analysis, a synthesis of researched outcomes-based treatment modalities is used to conceptualize a diagnosis and treatment plan for a 19 year-old female client presenting with symptoms of 307.51 (F50.2) Bulimia Nervosa; extreme.

In our Western society, we have several different types of eating dysfunction, all of which are unique and tragic in their own right. Despite their individuality, however, they all have several overlapping symptoms that are key to their classification and severity. For Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED), one of the core features is binge eating, which can be defined objectively by number of calories eaten in a given time or subjectively by the feelings of the binger. Binge eating has many different aspects that are of interest to scientists and clinicians alike. One of those interests has to do with the reduction of this symptom among populations being treated for their respective disorder. Because both

Mclorg and Taub (1987) noted that this form of treatment allowed many of the respondents sought out for psychiatric treatments to diminish the illness. They did not follow up to see the rate of relapse or question the participants about their feelings toward the group therapy and if the presence of therapy truly helped diminish their eating disorder. A factor aside from background that was significant in this case study was the use of advertisement. All participants openly chose to attend the group in search of treatment.

People suffering from eating disorders cannot solely help themselves. Although they may be able to stop for a short time, in the long run they will be back in the same path of self-destruction. Kirkpatrick & Caldwell (2001) state, "Because eating disorders are a complicated mix of physical and psychological abnormalities, successful treatment always includes treatment of psychological issues as well as restoration of a healthy diet" (p. 131). Trained therapists should treat eating disorders. The severity of the disorders will determine the need for outpatient therapy or an in-hospital program (Matthews, 2001, p. 178). There are many goals of therapy but the return to normalcy is the main goal. The eating disorder sufferer needs to restore and maintain a normal weight as well as develop normal eating and exercise routines. Kirkpatrick and Caldwell (2001) state,

There are multiple ways to be guided to an eating disorder other than the media. “Eating behavior is a complex process controlled by the neuroendocrine system of which the Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis (HPA axis) is a major component” (News Medical). Psychological research is very important to patients who have an eating disorder. Throughout the research in the paper, researchers have come to a conclusion that some of the qualities in the brain a person has a certain level