ABSTRACT
Being the spouse, lover or fiancé of a woman with an eating disorder is probably a very uncomfortable position. Not only has one to deal with the agony and distress which normally results from living with a psychiatrically ill partner; in addition, the marital and sexual relationships of anorectic or bulimic patients are reportedly very distant and emotionally barren. Hence, it comes as no surprise that clinicians are puzzled by the characteristics and motives of the men who choose to live with these patients (for the sake of simplicity, we will use the terms ‘husband’ and ‘spouse’ for all the heterosexual partners throughout this book, even if they are not officially married). Some regard these men as near-saints, who generously devote their lives to caring for their ill spouse; others regard them as weak and immature persons, who suffer from psychological difficulties themselves, and whose personalities represent an important factor in the development or perpetuation of their wives’ eating disorders (Woodside et al., 1993).
