In an attempt to explore the possible factors that contribute to psychic growth, development, change and recovery in anorexic patients, it seems essential to return to the important mental processes that begin during infancy. I am suggesting here that the types of internal conflict and mental dysfunctioning that inhibits the anorexic patient from being able to ‘take-in’ from another, and obstructs the possibility of recovery, can to some extent be explained by a failure in their early containment. By using clinical and theoretical material I will attempt to demonstrate that a recovery from such developmental failure is integral in enabling some degree of psychic and behavioural change in the anorexic patient.