Bulimia Nervosa is an example of the existing parallelism between scientific and literary interest toward passions of the mind and behavioral disorders. Being considered for a long time by psychiatrists within the context of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa has been neglected by artists. As psychiatrists did, artists have turned their attention since Middle Ages to penitent magresse and ascetic emaciation now identified within Eating Disorders. Nowadays Bulimia Nervosa grown in psychiatrist's attention and kindled at the same time artist's fantasy; consequently the increased number of scientific papers have paralleled the number of tales, autobiographical diaries, popularizing essays and articles published over last years. A brief analysis of the main works of the contemporary narrative points out a strict correspondance between clinic descriptions of the present-day psychiatry and literary image of Bulimia Nervosa, even though the compensatory behaviour of vomiting is here generally ignored. In analogy with clinical reality, contemporary narrative seems also to look at Bulimia Nervosa as an Eating Disorder associated with and opposite to Anorexia Nervosa. The main difference lies in the narrative's total acceptance of the psychodynamic theory of troubled relationships between mother and daughter. The narrative is absolutely silent over possible pathogenetic role of biological factors, either genetic or neurochemical, which seem to be an exclusive domain of the psychiatry's scientific approach.
Bulimia nervosa in the contemporary narrative and overview [La bulimia nervosa nella narrativa contemporanea]
GUAZZELLI, MARIO;RAMACCIOTTI, CARLA EMILIA;
1994-01-01
Abstract
Bulimia Nervosa is an example of the existing parallelism between scientific and literary interest toward passions of the mind and behavioral disorders. Being considered for a long time by psychiatrists within the context of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa has been neglected by artists. As psychiatrists did, artists have turned their attention since Middle Ages to penitent magresse and ascetic emaciation now identified within Eating Disorders. Nowadays Bulimia Nervosa grown in psychiatrist's attention and kindled at the same time artist's fantasy; consequently the increased number of scientific papers have paralleled the number of tales, autobiographical diaries, popularizing essays and articles published over last years. A brief analysis of the main works of the contemporary narrative points out a strict correspondance between clinic descriptions of the present-day psychiatry and literary image of Bulimia Nervosa, even though the compensatory behaviour of vomiting is here generally ignored. In analogy with clinical reality, contemporary narrative seems also to look at Bulimia Nervosa as an Eating Disorder associated with and opposite to Anorexia Nervosa. The main difference lies in the narrative's total acceptance of the psychodynamic theory of troubled relationships between mother and daughter. The narrative is absolutely silent over possible pathogenetic role of biological factors, either genetic or neurochemical, which seem to be an exclusive domain of the psychiatry's scientific approach.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
