2026-06-10T08:04:13Z https://www.peertechzpublications.org/oai-pmh

oai:www.peertechzpublications.org:10.17352/2455-5460.000005 2015-10-27 PTZ.ADA:VOL1

Compulsive Bowel Emptying and Rectal Prolapse in Eating Disorders. Presentation of Two Cases Fragiskos Gonidakis Georgios Georgantopoulos Olga TheodoropoulouEleftheria Varsou<p>Eating Disorders are a heterogeneous group of complex psychiatric disorders that affect physical and psychological functioning, thus compromising life itself. They are often characterized by extreme preoccupation with food, caloric intake and expenditure as well as bodily weight and shape. Additionally,&nbsp; individuals present several forms of recurrent compulsive&nbsp; behavior,&nbsp; such&nbsp; as&nbsp; frequent weighting, body checking, and eating rituals. In many cases food consumption is considered a” failure” and its presence in the body “harmful and even “toxic” leading the individual to adopt a wide variety of purging behaviors in order to achieve a state of mental and physical “cleanliness” <br></p><p>Two cases of compulsive bowel emptying, one suffering from Anorexia Nervosa and one suffering from&nbsp; Bulimia Nervosa, are presented. The compulsive bowel emptying&nbsp; behavior compromised of repeated and/or prolonged voluntary tension of the abdominal and pelvic muscles as well as insertion of&nbsp; the&nbsp; figure&nbsp; in&nbsp; the&nbsp; rectum&nbsp; to&nbsp; “check” if&nbsp; the&nbsp; bowel&nbsp; has&nbsp; been&nbsp; completely&nbsp; empty&nbsp; of&nbsp; its&nbsp; content. The purpose of this behavior was to alleviate&nbsp; intense anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts that&nbsp; the individual&nbsp; would&nbsp; get&nbsp; “fat”&nbsp; and/or&nbsp; “dirty/intoxicated”&nbsp; if the bowel&nbsp; was&nbsp; not&nbsp; completely&nbsp; vacated of&nbsp; the stools. In both cases the compulsive&nbsp; behavior&nbsp; facilitated&nbsp; the&nbsp; manifestation&nbsp; of&nbsp; rectum&nbsp; prolapse&nbsp; that reinforced the vicious circle of the obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. </p> Archives of Depression and Anxiety - Peertechz Publications 2015-10-27 Case Report https://doi.org/10.17352/2455-5460.000005 en Copyright © Fragiskos Gonidakis et al.