Anorexia Constellation

ANOREXIA CONSTELLATION

Biological conflicts: territorial anger conflict or identity conflict and any conflict that corresponds to the left temporal lobe (scare-fright conflict, sexual conflict, a second identity conflict, or a marking conflict). The conflict sequence is determined by gender, laterality, and hormone status.

Brain and Organ Level: The corresponding brain relays are the control centers of the small curvature of the stomach (right temporal lobe) and the laryngeal mucosa, cervix uteri/coronary veins, the rectum surface mucosa, or bladder/urethra/ureter/renal pelvis (left temporal lobe).

Once the second conflict occurs, the person is in constellation and manic-depressive (compare with primary mania and primary depression). Whether the manic or depressed mood is dominant is determined by which of the two conflicts is stronger. The constellation can be permanent or recurring due to tracks or conflict relapses.

Anorexia (anorexia nervosa) presents as compulsive fasting and a refusal to eat. Anorexics might weigh themselves several times a day. The fear of gaining weight is the main conflict track. A prolonged Anorexia Constellation causes extreme weight loss and can, therefore, be life-threatening.

NOTE: The territorial anger conflict or identity conflict (“not fitting in”) always involves distress concerning one’s weight, for example, upsetting or derogatory weight-related comments, being teased by male family members or schoolmates about one’s figure, being shamed as overweight, feeling inadequate vis-à-vis someone perceived as slimmer and, therefore, more attractive (a female friend, older sister, schoolmate, a model, a movie star).

According to the results of a report published in September 2013 in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal Pediatrics, “significant numbers of teenagers affected by anorexia actually begin to participate in disordered eating patterns while heavy enough to qualify for a diagnosis of obesity” (“Many Teens Develop First Signs of Anorexia While Obese”, Elements Behavioral Health, October 9, 2013).

Like with bulimia, the onset of anorexia occurs most commonly in young women in their teenage years. Young girls and adolescents are particularly susceptible to suffer conflicts associated with their weight because at this age they are more vulnerable concerning their looks. However, girls as young as 8 years have also become anorexic as well as women in their sixties. Boys and adult males have anorexia too.

Mental manifestation:

	With a concurrent scare-fright conflict (laryngeal mucosa relay), the anorexic is in an Autistic Constellation with a compulsion to withdraw and an obsessive-compulsive perfectionism, particularly, concerning one’s weight and diet (the goal of thinness can never be met). According to clinical psychologist Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., “Perfectionism and eating disorders seem to be correlated, but the causality is not clear – we don’t know if one leads to the other or which comes first.” Dr. Hamer's findings offer an explanation why and under what psychological circumstances anorexia and compulsive perfectionism develop together.
	When the rectum surface mucosa relay registers a DHS (a second territorial anger or identity conflict), the anorexic is in an Aggressive Constellation (see aggressive behavior and compulsive self-harm).
	With an additional Flying Constellation (scare-fright conflict and territorial fear conflict) the anorexic has a distorted body image. The delusion of being fat is the psychosis of the anorexic.
	With a sexual conflict, cerebrally linked to the cervix uteri relay from where ovulation is controlled, the anorexic female stops menstruating. However, the termination of the menstrual cycle can also occur because of the low weight (estrogen production is dependent on body fat).
	When the alpha islet cells are also affected (fear-disgust conflict or resistance conflict), the anorexic is, at the same time, bulimic. Forced vomiting, the use of laxatives or diet pills, or excessive exercises are means to prevent weight gain (compare with “pure” bulimics that can have normal body weight). Often, anorexics consider being fat as “disgusting”, which could keep a fear-disgust conflict active. Most bulimics have never been anorexic, but anorexics are often bulimic.
	The majority of anorexics have a maturity stop since the conflicts usually occur during adolescence.