Could i satiate the absence in me?: A glance to the dreams of the people with disordered eating habits

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine whether individuals with disordered eating habits differ in their dream content compared to those without such tendencies. A total of 216 participants completed a Demographic Information Form, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire – 13 (EDE – Q – 13), and the Dream Themes Scale. Preliminary analyses indicated that age, gender, and psychiatric diagnosis significantly affected dream themes; these variables were then controlled in the main analyses. A new grouping variable was created to observe both the combined and individual effects of disordered eating and psychiatric diagnosis. Results from MANOVA analyses revealed that individuals with psychiatric diagnosis and high disordered eating habits had significantly more negative-, anxiety-, fear-, and inhibition-themed dreams compared to individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis and low disordered eating habits. Additionally, participants with no psychiatric diagnosis high disordered eating habits reported significantly more anxiety-themed dreams compared to individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis low disordered eating habits. Disordered eating combined with psychiatric diagnosis was also found to be related to anxiety-, and fear- related dream themes. These differences were interpreted using psychoanalytical theories, as well as contemporary dream theories. Overall, the findings suggest that disordered eating behaviors may be associated with specific dream patterns, reflecting underlying emotional conflicts, possible trauma residues, and defensive processes. These results highlight the symbolic value of dreams in understanding psychic dynamics and suggest new directions for further research on dream content in clinical and non-clinical populations.