Why and how do women recover from bulimia nervosa? The subjective appraisals of forty women recovered for a year or more

Abstract

As part of a larger study of recovery in bulimia nervosa, 40 women recruited by local advertisement and referral who were recovered from the disorder for a year or more (median recovery = 36 months) participated in semistructured interviews regarding factors they believed to be related to their recovery process. We asked how life experiences and important persons in their lives had helped or hindered their recovery, what aspects of bulimia nervosa they found hardest to change and what they would still like to change, what they felt they gave up by recovering, and their beliefs about the potential for full, lasting recovery. We further inquired about professional and nonprofessional treatments utilized, our subjects' satisfaction with care, and specific helpful and harmful elements in treatment. Spontaneous answers were coded from audiotaped interviews. The women reported diverse experiences, many of which were consistent with clinical and empirical accounts. Almost 90% had received some treatment by a mental health professional, and many also had utilized nonprofessional treatments, particularly Overeaters Anonymous; these treatments were described as helpful by the majority using them. Of note, although parents often provided some practical support for treatment, the majority of subjects reported that their mothers and fathers were more harmful than helpful in the recovery process.