Ruhî Oburluk (Bir Boulimie Mental Vak’ası Münasebetiyle)
Abstract
This paper analyzes a case of mental bulimia in contrast with anorexia nervosa, highlighting the psychodynamic roots of compulsive overeating. The female patient, 33, developed excessive eating, drinking, and isolation behaviors following early psychological trauma including forced marriage, fear of childbirth, and feelings of parental abandonment. Initially thin and anxious, she became morbidly obese (138 kg), consuming nearly 15 kg of food and 30 liters of water daily. Her symptoms are evaluated through psychoanalytic theory, particularly oral phase disturbances, obsessive eating as defense against death anxiety, and symbolic substitutions. Laboratory and physical examinations ruled out endocrine disorders. Psychiatric treatment combining tranquilizers, electroconvulsive therapy, and emotional support led to marked improvement, but relapse followed. The paper proposes a separate clinical framework for “mental bulimia” as a distinct psychosomatic syndrome.
Keywords
Mental bulimia, Psychogenic obesity, Psychoanalytic interpretation, Oral phase pathology, Death anxiety
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