Anorexia Mirabilis - Differences From anorexia Nervosa: Continuity or Discontinuity?

Differences From anorexia Nervosa: Continuity or Discontinuity?

Anorexia mirabilis differs from the more modern, well-known anorexia nervosa in several distinct ways.

In anorexia nervosa, people usually starve themselves to attain a level of thinness, as the disease is associated with body image distortion. By contrast, anorexia mirabilis was frequently coupled with other ascetic practices, such as lifelong virginity, flagellant behavior, the donning of hairshirts, sleeping on beds of thorns, and other assorted self-mutilations. It was largely a practice of Catholic women, who were often known as "miraculous maids".

Whether or not there is historical continuity between anorexia mirabilis and anorexia nervosa is a matter of debate within medieval historiography. Some have argued that there is historical continuity between the two conditions, while others maintain that anorexia mirabilis should be comprehended as a distinct medieval form of female religious piety within the historical context of such societies.