COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT OF ANOREXIA-NERVOSA

This article outlines a cognitive-behavioral outpatient program for th e treatment of anorexia nervosa. The rationale for this treatment is b ased on two primary assumptions about the anorectic condition: first, that anorexia nervosa develops as a way of coping with life stresses; and second, that anorexia nervosa develops into a self-sustaining ''fo od phobia.'' Cognitive-behavioral treatment techniques are therefore a imed at (1) confronting the patient's fears and avoidance behaviors, ( 2) identifying the patient's areas of deficient problem-solving skills , particularly in the interpersonal realm, and (3) cultivating new pro blem-solving skills.