Anorexia, coprophagia and somatic outcome

Serious insufficiencies of ego structure and functions may originate from early traumata. The absence or the crushing of fantasies and generally the failure of the symbolic function may be responsible for delusional solutions or for behavioral and somatic outcomes. These ‘solutions’ can be understood as regressions to supposedly inadequate primitive narcissism. The traces and the consequences of the primary traumata can be perceived through the diachronic manifestations of somatic and oral fixations. An illustration is proposed by clinical material from the psychotherapy of a depressive young woman with a history of anorectic, coprophagous attitude and somatic disorders.