According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, eating disorders like anorexia
nervosa,
bulimia nervosa and binge eating are becoming increasingly prevalent throughout western countries.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), negative or unstable self - perceptions are a key component in the diagnostic criteria of major depressive disorders, manic and hypomanic episodes, dysthymic disorders, dissociative disorders, anorexia
nervosa,
bulimia nervosa, and in personality disorders, such as borderline, narcissistic and avoidant behavior.