From Shock Therapy to Psychotherapy: The Role of Peter Daily in the Revolutions of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment

摘要

Peter Dally (1923-2005) was a psychiatrist practicingbetween 1953 and 1994, specializing in the treatment ofanorexia nervosa and publishing a number of booksand journal articles on the subject. However, hischanging views and their influence on the field ofanorexia nervosa have received little historical atten-tion. Using Dally's own publications between 1960 and1990, this paper examines how his views evolved froman almost exclusive preference for physical and drugtherapies early in his career to a position holdingpsychological therapies in higher regard. It will discusswhy this evolution may have occurred in the context ofa time when views about anorexia were polarized andpsychiatry itself was being reshaped by the rise and fallof physical therapies (Garfinkel, 1999; Micale, 2003).Arguably, Daily's work may be seen as a barometer forchanging trends in psychiatry in general