The Struggle for Connection and Individuation in Anorexia and Bulimia

This paper, a journey through the author's learning about eating disorders, discusses developmental themes in the lives of young women with eating disorders. Based on her work over the last fourteen years with eating disordered clients, the author concludes that these young women experience a struggle between the desire for individuation and the desire for connection, and that this struggle is particularly difficult for those clients who have a history of abuse. The author proposes a both/and orientation toward the themes of individuation and connection and discusses the implications for treatment.