Individual psychotherapeutic treatment of anorexia nervosa

The first part of this paper presents a review of the many psychiatric diagnoses and different kinds of treatment which have been used in relation to Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The difficulties in solving the enigma of AN are seen as connected with the conception of AN as a specific nosological entity. Contrary to this, AN is conceived as a specific kind of defense characterized by a splitting of the ego, where adaptation to part of reality is given up by means of denial. This less uniform conception makes it possible to encompass the personality trait common to anorectic patients as well as the differences between them. In the second part, the question of whether psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a suitable form of treatment is discussed. The partly affirmative answer is guided by the anorectic girl's own attempt towards a solution, which indicates a need for a protected, neutral, and emphatic space, where she gets the opportunity to express and develop herself. However, in many cases neither the physical nor the psychological conditions for establishing a therapeutic alliance is available. Finally, a need for modification in technique is considered.