I have placed the full text of Em Farrell's book on eating disorders
at the _Free Associations_ web site:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~psysc/em/contents.html
_Lost for Words: The Psychoanalysis of Anorexia and Bulimia_
Summary: Up to eighty per cent of women suffer from Sub-Clinical Eating
Disorder. Twenty per cent will have anorexia or bulimia at some time in
their lives. This is the first comprehensive overview of the
psychoanalytic and psychodynamic literature on eating disorders
Anorexics and bulimic are lost for words. Most are women. They feel
they have no way to communicate effectively. They have not found the
words to express and name the turmoil of their experience to themselves
or others. This leaves them in a world where neither food not words can
provide nourishment and sustenance. This book explores the nature of
anorexia and bulimia, paying particular attention to the issues of
mortality and the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship. It
stresses the importance for technique of understanding the violent and
agonising nature of these individuals' inner worlds. The author has
worked with over 180 women with eating disorders.
The history of theories and treatments of eating disorders is
thoroughly canvassed, and the book provides the most comprehensive
review of the psychoanalytic literature in print. It draws, in
particular, on the Kleinian tradition and the work of Winnicott.
Em Farrell is a UKCP registered psychoanalytic psychotherapist in
private practice in London. She lectures and is a tutor at Regent's
College School of Psychotherapy and Counselling and has been a member
of the Eating Disorders Workshop at the Tavistock Clinic. She is
Co-Director of the Free Associations Education Programme.
Some comments on _Lost for Words_:
'This fine book explores in both a sophisticated and accessible way the
inner experience of patients with eating disorders. The author is to be
congratulated for her nuanced appreciation of the self-alienation that
is so common in these patients and the challenges that this presents in
the treatment setting. The book details the maturation of the
psychoanalytic perspective on these conditions as well as the variety
of current points of view. The author's own perspective is Kleinian, an
orientation that she represents with thoughtfulness and convincing
clinical immediacy.
'Em Farrell's book is a valuable addition to our evolving literature
and is one that is deserving of admiration and broad readership. I
recommend it highly.' - Harvey J. Schwartz, M.D., psychoanalyst, editor of
<italic>Bulimia:
Psychoanalytic Treatment and Theory
'What an excellent piece of work it is... It puts forward a
persuasive argument about the meaning of eating disorders and a
convincing case for how such problems should be understood in the
therapy... I feel I would have benefited from reading it some years
ago.' - Paul Gordon, psychotherapist, Open Door - Hornsey Young People's
Consultation Service, London
'With creativity and clarity, Em Farrell has "found the words" to
convey vividly some of the inherent contradictions in the emotional
problems surrounding eating and not eating. This book is a "must" for
those people who wish to reach a more sensitive understanding of
difficulties surrounding food, body image and therapy with anorexic and
bulimic people'. - Jeanne Magagna, Head of Psychotherapy Services, Great
Ormond Street
Hospital (eating disorders specialist).
ISBN 1-899209-02-5 Pp. 120
Information about purchasing this book is at the Process Press web
site: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~psysc/process_press/index.html
__________________________________________
In making a personal reply, please put in Subject line: Message for Bob
Young
Robert Maxwell Young: [log in to unmask] or
[log in to unmask], 26 Freegrove Rd., London N7 9RQ, Eng.
tel.+44 171 607 8306 fax.+44 171 609 4837 Professor of Psychotherapy
and Psychoanalytic Studies, Centre for Psychotherapeutic Studies,
University of Sheffield.
Home page and writings: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~psysc/
Process Press publications:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~psysc/process_press/index.html
'One must imagine Sisyphus happy.' - Camus
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