Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 171

Sixteen-year-old Anna first disclosed her habit of bingeing and purging in the most unlikely of places: the dentist’s office. During a routine cleaning, the hygienist noticed a marked deterioration of her dental enamel and an overall yellowish-gray hue of her back teeth. These signs, combined with slight inflammation of her salivary glands, suggested repeated vomiting.

“When the hygienist asked if I made myself vomit on purpose, I felt really strange: a mix of terror and relief,” Anna later explained to her therapist. “I was so embarrassed, but it also made me feel a little better that I could now talk about it.”

With the help of the hygienist, Anna agreed to tell her mother about her pattern of bingeing and purging. Her behavior began 18 months ago and had waxed and waned depending on Anna’s stress level. She was most likely to binge when upset about her family, friends, or school and when she was feeling lonely or left out. She tended to binge on snack foods, especially chips, cereal, and ramen noodles. On average, Anna would binge 4 to 5 times per week.

“I wasn’t really surprised when Anna told me,” her mom added. “She’s tried to hide it from us by running the water in the bathroom sink, taking a lot of showers, and using air fresheners and mints. It was like the elephant in the living room that we all saw but no one talked about.”

“Well, it’s out in the open now,” Anna’s therapist replied. “Let’s see if we can find a way to make things better.”

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