Bulimia Nervosa: Treatment

Bruce A. Arnow

Although bulimia nervosa (BN) was first described in the late 1970s, considerable research has been devoted to developing treatment for this disorder. At this point, several strategies with varying degrees of effectiveness are available. They include several different types of psychotherapy, as well as antidepressant medication. A number of different psychotherapeutic approaches to BN have been investigated. Each has its own conceptualization of the disorder and distinct procedures for treating the problem. They include cognitivebehavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the assumption that how we interpret events affects how we respond behaviorally and emotionally. CBT has been applied to a number of psychiatric disorders with varying degrees of success. The procedures that comprise CBT for bulimia are based on two major assumptions. The first is that the symptoms of bulimia are strongly related to attitudes toward weight and shape. Specifically, while pressures ...

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