[The therapeutic process in a patient with anorexia nervosa].

Described is the intrapsychic process in a male patient (33) suffering from mental anorexia. This patient had been treated for a period of 18 weeks on an inpatient basis and was released from the hospital in a distinctly improved condition. Kafka's short story and was released from the hospital in a distinctly improved condition. Kafka's short story "Der Hungerkünstler" (A Hunger Artist) is an introduction into the psychodynamics of the disorder. A description of the case history in the light of depth psychology, of the symptoms, the triggering situation, the personalita structure, and the cause serves to explain the "infantile pledge", the psychodynamic formula governing the experience as well as the behaviour of the patient. The healing process is presented in four stages and documented by means of pictures from an art therapy employed as an extension of the patient's individual psychotherapy. In the case presentation the patient is given the opportunity to communicate in his own language and pictorial means of expression in the manner of a patient-centered case history and healing process.