Carolyn Carlson is a 22-year old Caucasian female who is starting

Reading Vignette:

Carolyn Carlson is a 22-year old Caucasian female who is starting therapy to work on her low self-esteem. Carolyn reluctantly states that she has “problems throwing up.” When you inquire further, she elaborates that she began vomiting as a teenager to control her weight. She stated that she learned about purging methods from peers as well as online searches. Carolyn stated that after she vomits, she feels immediately relief, but then admitted that she feels embarrassed, ashamed, and worthless. 

Throughout your interview, you gather information regarding her eating patterns. Carolyn states that her intense fear of gaining weight intensified in high school. She began skipping meals (ie., does not eat breakfast) around 16 years old.  Shortly after she entered college, at 18 years old, she began vomiting to compensate for her “binges.” Carolyn describes her binges as “overeating whenever stressed with school, friends, life in general.” An example of a binge was “eating half a cheeseburger and a few fries.” Due to these patterns, Carolyn has a significantly low weight and stated that she feels light headed sometimes.

***READING VIGNETTE***

1) discuss some differences between anorexia and bulimia?

2) Briefly describe at least two treatments for eating disorders.

3) After reading the provided Vignette, write about your experience diagnosing the patient. What symptoms stood out to you? Did you correctly identify the eating disorder? Would you describe this experience as challenging, easy, or somewhere in between?