The case history of a young woman with severe anorexia nervosa and amenorrhea is used to underline the difficulties in adapting to a feminine role, sometimes reflected in the symptom of cessation of menses. Two aspects are stressed. The first is an adaptation to overwhelming environmental pressure

which de-emphasizes the value of femininity. This may be seen in wartime when utility in the labor force, for example, is the dominant priority establishing personal self-worth. The second is an expression of deep intrapsychic conflict about the meaning of being a woman. Kramar emphasizes the significance of ambivalent ties to important female family figures.