Sexual and social maturity versus social conformity in restricting anorectic, bulimic, and borderline women

Sexual and social maturity and social conformity among eating disordered women were explored through a descriptive sexual questionnaire and a test for ego development administered to 10 women with restricting anorexia nervosa and 15 women with bulimia. However, in contrast to other such studies, data were compared not only between these two groups and, for social conformity, to normative values, but also with data obtained from a matched group of 15 women diagnosed as having borderline personality disorder but no eating disorder. The results suggest that, although restrictors are the least mature, most withdrawn, and most inhibited group in their sexual lives and social relationships, they surpass not only the other two groups but also normal women in the capacity for social conformity. Bulimics, by comparison, although less withdrawn and more varied than the restrictors in their sexual and social lives, were comparable to normals in social conformity. Overall, both eating-disordered subgroups presented major limitations in their sexual and social maturity, actually even greater than those seen in certain areas among borderline women; but the clinical presentation of restricting anorexics may be disguised and compensated for as a consequence of their exceptional sensitivity to social expectations.