Eating Disorder And Art Therapy

How can an eating disorder and art therapy be combined? What do you see when you look in the mirror? Though I have not had the burden of an eating disorder, I do know what it is like to look in the mirror and hate what I see. The mystery of it is, that I could look in the mirror the very next day, in a different mood, and love what I see.

If you think about art, in particular the visual arts, it is a powerful way to help express and understand your internal world. Art therapists have begun to explore the use of visual expression in the treatment of eating disorders.

How we interpret the reflection that we see is the external perception of how we feel about ourselves. Eating disorders are outward symptoms of issues we all face on some level, especially as women who in the earlier years can often rely heavily on the approval and acceptance of their external appearance for their own self-esteem.

So an eating disorder and art therapy may make for a healing match.

The National Institute of Mental Health gives a description of the type of personality that is more prone to eating disorders:

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Personalities:

“Most people with eating disorders share certain personality traits: low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, and a fear of becoming fat. In anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, eating behaviors seem to develop as a way of handling stress and anxieties.

People with anorexia tend to be "too good to be true." They rarely disobey, keep their feelings to themselves, and tend to be perfectionists, good students, and excellent athletes. Some researchers believe that people with anorexia restrict food--particularly carbohydrates--to gain a sense of control in some area of their lives.

Having followed the wishes of others for the most part they have not learned how to cope with the problems typical of adolescence, growing up, and becoming independent. Controlling their weight appears to offer two advantages, at least initially: they can take control of their bodies and gain approval from others. However, it eventually becomes clear to others that they are out-of-control and dangerously thin.” ______________________________________________________________

It is easy to look with a judgemental eye at someone who wears their issues on the outside, but disorders of this nature are just symptoms of the human condition, to which none of us are immune, though it may show up in our lives in different guises. So I thought I would explore the topic of eating disorder and art therapy being combined as I have used artforms to heal in many other areas of my life.

National Eating Disorder Association