Countering that which is called anorexia

In our dominant discourses, anorexia and bulimia are identified with those persons suffering from their effects. Thus a person is anorexic or bulimic. By contrast, narrative therapists conceive of anorexia and bulimia as separate from the person. Consequently the problem, and the person's relationship with it, rather than the person themselves, can be recognised as “the problem”. Anorexia and bulimia may then be regarded as having “voices” of their own, which act as discursive parasites that draw a deal of their sustenance from the dominant discourses in society that are subscribed to by those they attack. Once the problem is divorced from the person, then those attacked by these parasites can, through therapeutic conversations, be helped to find alternative discourse resources that assist them in gaining power to resist these parasitic voices. (Narrative Therapy, Anorexia, Bulimia, Counter-Narratives, Discourse Resources)

Published online: 02 February 2005
https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.14.2.06loc