The Impact of Physical and Sexual Abuse on Body Image in Eating Disorders

The Impact of Physical and Sexual Abuse on Body Image in Eating Disorders

During the last several years, the subject of childhood sexual abuse has gained the status of a risk element for the growth of eating disorders. Being a critical subject of discussion, it has acquired substantial concentration in the literature in the last few years. Not only has this, but the role of physical and sexual abuse has also gained vitality in bulimia nervosa. Though, the concept of physical abuse was repeatedly discussed and investigated in the history of people suffering from the eating disorders, however, its function was absolutely vague in the aetiopathogenesis of these disorders.

There can be long-lasting and extremely devastating effects of sexual abuse on children as well as adults. Due to the fact that the sufferer are subject to the suffering and torture by someone they depend and trust upon, they might be unable to realize the fact that the abuse is not their fault and is wrong. Faulkner state that adults and children who are sexually abused, mention that there is something not right with them, and then, they blame themselves for this abuse. They may also come across dismissal and disbelief of their claims for the reason that the society does not want to realize that the abuse exists and has happened. As a result, the victims are subject to the feelings of embarrassment, shamefulness, isolation, guilt, inadequacy, and powerlessness (Faulkner, 1996). Thus, these features make the people suppress and bear the shameful secret all their lives.

According to the recent studies, the dominance of sexual abuse along with the physical contact can be in a higher proportion in the bulimia nervosa. Even after a long period of time, the effects ...