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Dreaming and Eating Disorders
Michael Schredl, Ph.D., and Alyaa Montasser, Ph.D.
The present article briefly reviews the literature on dreaming in eating disordered
patients. Findings which were reported so far are an increased occurrence of the food
and eating theme, body distortion and the death theme, all of which were
nonhomogeneous. Content analysis was carried out in order to compare dreams of 29
patients (anorexia nervosa and bu-limia nervosa) with age and sex-matched controls.
Anorexics dreams revealed a pattern of food rejection, relationshiplessness and a
rejection of the feminine role whereas bulimics showed an increased amount of food and
eating dreams in general and their dreams were more negatively toned. The findings are
discussed in light of the continuity hypothesis which entails that waking life is reflected in
dreams. In the present case, different waking-life symptomatologies are reflected in the
dreams of the two eating disordered groups anorexia and bulimia nervosa. These
findings also indicate that dreams may have a potential benefit not only in the diagnosis
of eating disorders but also in its therapy. (Sleep and Hypnosis 1999;4:225-231)
| Keywords: dream recall, dream content, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa |
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