Personality Disorder and Eating Disorder: The Management of Eating Disorders in People with Co-Morbid Personality Disorder

With the aid of two cases examples, this chapter explores some of the key issues that clinicians have to grapple with in working with clients with both an eating disorder (ED) and a personality disorder. First, it outlines what personality disorders are, the classification systems and which personality disorders are most commonly seen alongside EDs. This chapter touches upon the two main diagnostic classification systems of personality disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and the International Classification for Diseases (ICD). It highlights some of the methodological and ethical considerations surrounding diagnosing personality disorders and considers whether diagnosis is of value in ED services. The chapter then discusses the impact that having these co-morbid problems has on the treatment process and outcome before finally making recommendations regarding the real challenging questions that clients with co-morbid personality disorder and ED present. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.