Personality Disorders and Eating Disorders

Book excerpt: Personality Disorders and Eating Disorders explores and defines the multifaceted relationship between these two fields in a cogent synthesis of prevalence, etiology, and treatment. The book brings together leading specialists in both fields, with a clinical focus on such topical issues as genetics, drug abuse, and childhood trauma—as they relate to each field and as they affect the relationship between the two disorders. Therapists who treat eating disorders will find the material on treatment approaches especially helpful in formulating interventions with particularly difficult patients. Therapists who work with patients with personality disorders will find that the interface between personality and eating disorders is relevant to various aspects of self-destructive behavior observed in these individuals. This unique book enhances the assessment and treatment of individuals suffering from personality disorders and eating disorders, and it augments the understanding of both populations, while establishing a foundation for discussing each as they interface with one another.