Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association  1999;38(4):915-924

Cognitive Behavior Therapy of Bulimia Nervosa in a Male Patient: A Case Report.

Joo Yeon CHOI 1 ; Dong Hyun AHN

Affiliations

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Keywords

Bulimia nervosa; Cognitive behavior therapy; Male

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Bulimia nervosa is a disorder that is defined as binge eating combined with inappropriate ways of stopping weight gain. It is significantly more common in females than in males. Males in bulimia account for 10-15% of all bulimic patients. There are many methods of treatment, including drug therapy, or psychotherapy. Among them cognitive behavior therapy is reported to be the most effective method of improving the binge eating behavior and the cognitive distortion about body weight and body image. In this case, a male bulimic patient, who was hospitalized in the closed ward involuntarily, was treated with modified Fairburn's cognitive behavior therapy model. After 6 weeks of treatment, binge eating and self-induced vomiting behaviors were controlled and weight gain was nearly successful.