TITLE:
Slavery to Addiction as Meaning of Dropout in Eating Disorders: Psychological Aspects among Women That Have Interrupted Treatment at a Specialized Service in Brazil
AUTHORS:
Flávia Machado Seidinger-Leibovitz, Celso Garcia Junior, Carla Maria Vieira, Luís Fernando Tófoli, Egberto Ribeiro Turato
KEYWORDS:
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Qualitative Research, Patient Dropouts, Behaviour, Addictive
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.6 No.6,
May
25,
2015
ABSTRACT: This study
investigated the narratives of women who dropped out of treatment from a specialized
outpatient unit for eating disorders (ED). Psychodynamics aspects involved were
discussed regarding the issue of adherence and dropout, since it was found to be
directly affected by addictive aspects. A qualitative approach was used to identify
interpretative matrices that led to a broad understanding of the clinical phenomena
observed. Our aim was to identify contributions to the clinical management of barriers
to treatment regarding the challenge of adherence to addiction and eating disorders
treatments. The sample consisted of eight in-depth interviews fully recorded and transcribed.
The emergent categories indicated elements from the experience of the disorders
in psychological meanings assigned to dropout by patients. Findings are discussed
under a theoretical framework focused on anorexia and bulimia as addictions. The
discussion aims to make a contribution to the ED treatment approach and also understand
them in their addictive dimension in order to enhance compliance and retention in
treatment. The psychodynamic elements from addictive experiences described by patients
may contribute to supporting the discussion about eating disorders as “addictive
behaviors” beyond the “addiction model of eating disorders” as a physiological model
of “addictive” or “toxic” food dependence. Eating disorders experienced as addiction were
found affecting the response to treatment.