The devouring Kronos: the impact of father-son relationships on the son’s relationship with food and the body in the Jungian consulting room

This study is informed by twenty-five years of clinical experience in the fields of eating disorders and addiction, drawing upon observations from both private practice and supervision of rehabilitation facilities. It responds to emerging evidence indicating that rates of eating disorders in males are rising more rapidly than in females, with no significant difference in the clinical severity of symptoms between sexes. Despite these trends, treatment approaches specifically tailored for men remain under-explored, particularly within the field of Analytical Psychology. To address this deficit, this research shifts the traditional analytical focus from the mother to the father-son relationship to better understand the development of eating disorders in men. The study introduces a new conceptual framework, the "Male Eating Disorder Matrix," which operationalizes four primary clinical positions: Shame, Identification and blueprint for development, Father figure, and Power struggle. Additionally, the research presents new theoretical concepts, such as "Body Number 2" and the "Kronos Complex," to further articulate these dynamics. The validity of the Male Eating Disorder Matrix was tested through the analysis of past clinical notes from three research patients: white heterosexual males between the ages of 30 and 50 suffering from bulimia or overeating. The findings reveal that unconscious dynamics regarding the father-son relationship are prevalent in the clinical setting. The study concludes that the father plays a distinct and significant role in the son's relationship with food and his body, suggesting that these paternal dynamics are essential to effective treatment.