Eating disorders from the perspective of relational family therapy

Abstract

Eating disorders are serious mental disorders which are on the increase and are encountered by relational family therapists. This article presents eating disorders through the perspective of relational family therapy, primarily on the basis of its fundamental concepts of projective- introjective introjection in family system, core affect, regulation of affect and affective psychic construct. Our understanding of eating disor­ders is enhanced by significant empirical research on the family situations of people with eating disorders, in the field of affective content and regulation of affect. In the conclusion we propose that the behaviour of people with eating disorders (binge eating, vomiting, starvation, etc.) can, in the light of relational family therapy, be understood as an attempt at regulation of affects and as an affective psychic construct, therefore, an attempt to defend oneself against painful affects, which may come from the family system.