Approximately 72 percent of people with anorexia report a traumatic event before the onset of eating disorder symptoms (the highest percentage reporting bulimia).
One such traumatic event is childhood sexual abuse. Others include physical and emotional abuse. Individuals who experience repeated trauma, as well as those who experience trauma perpetrated by a caregiver or loved one, have increased the severity of anorexia symptoms and a higher incidence of co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Traumatic events can lead to intrusive and obsessive thoughts, and a symptom of anorexia is an increase in obsessive thoughts related to food. People who are out of control of their bodies due to trauma may use food as a means of control, as the choice to eat is an expression of control. By exercising control over eating, the patient can decide when and how much to eat. Limiting the amount of food can also be a way of communicating the pain the traumatized person is experiencing.
