Preface

Although anorexia and bulimia nervosa are two distinct mental illnesses, they are both eating disorders that share common clinical features and symptoms, including the pursuit of weight loss and dissatisfaction with and misperception of body image. They are frequently associated with the same comorbidities, which include affective and anxiety disorders. Therefore, it seems only natural to explore and discuss these closely related diagnoses within the same volume.

This book is divided into four sections. The first section addresses clinically relevant features and symptoms in anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The second section is concerned with the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa and provides novel insights into its pathophysiology and the development of novel medications that target the microbiome for the treatment of eating disorders. The third section focusses on the perspectives of patients and their caregivers, and on family support. The final section highlights and discusses specific aspects related to the clinical management of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.

We are proud to announce that this book has received international contributions from Denmark, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America; and we thank all authors for their contributed chapters, which are both informative and offer inspiration.

We would also like to thank IntechOpen and, specifically, Ms. Ivana Barac, Ms. Martina Brkljačić, and Ms. Martina Jošavac for making this book possible.

**II**

**Section 3**

**Section 4**

and Body

Targeting Anorexia Nervosa Symptoms

*and Hubertus Himmerich*

*and Ignacio Jáuregui Lobera*

*by Abigail H. Natenshon*

*by Paul Robinson*

Patients and Their Carers: Different Perspectives and Family Support **101**

**Chapter 7 103**

**Chapter 8 123**

and Providing Psychological Therapy **139**

**Chapter 9 141**

**Chapter 10 167**

Patients' and Carers' Perspectives of Psychopharmacological Interventions

Storytelling as a Therapeutic Tool for Family Support in Bulimia Nervosa

*by Amabel Dessain, Jessica Bentley, Janet Treasure, Ulrike Schmidt* 

Clinical Management: Monitoring of Physical and Mental Health

Reclaiming the Lost Self in the Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa:

A Neurobiological Approach to Recovery That Integrates Mind, Brain,

Severe and Enduring Eating Disorders: Concepts and Management

*by José Vicente Martínez Quiñones, Mar Martínez Gamarra* 

**Hubertus Himmerich** Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, London, UK

#### **Ignacio Jáuregui-Lobera**

Behavioural Science Institute and University of Pablo de Olavide of Seville, Seville, Spain

**1**

Section 1

Features and Symptoms:

Impulsivity, Compulsivity,

Ambivalence and Body

Dissatisfaction

### Section 1
