Understanding attachment-trauma-related dysfunctional self-regulation in obesity:filling, feeling, healing

Annemiek van Dijke

doi:10.21767/2471-8203-C1-009

Understanding attachment-trauma-related dysfunctional self-regulation in obesity:filling, feeling, healing

7^th European Congress on Obesity and Eating Disorder
April 12-13, 2018 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Annemiek van Dijke

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands PsyQ Zaandam, Netherlands

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Obes Eat Disord

DOI: 10.21767/2471-8203-C1-009

Abstract

In an interpersonal context, proximity seeking is often meant to alleviate stress and be comforted/soothed by a secure other person. However, for persons with early childhood stress and trauma-by-primary-caregiver, being comforted may not be available and high stress remains in the body. Also, the person becomes vulnerable to the development of stress-related diseases such as eating disorders, somatic symptoms disorder, depression, PTSD, etc. The self is not only a psychological construct but is also an embodied self from whom the person may be disconnected in different ways such as somatic self-detachment. Also, chronic heightened stress disrupts normal meaning-making and cognitiveemotional information processing, resulting in disorientation, disorganization, or dissociation among emotional-, cognitive-, and somatic/bodily domains of functioning such as dysfunctional self-regulation. Alexithymia, often described in patients with obesity, can be understood as trauma-related dissociation of emotional experience and avoidance/denial of attachment. Research shows that obese patients proved less able in recognizing and labeling their own emotions. Alexithymia, dissociation, and depression proved related but with different symptomatology. Also, obese patients reported more interpersonal distrust than control subjects. Clinical experiences and research findings will be presented for dysfunctional self-regulation and somatic self-detachment in obesity, and associated mental disorders, e.g. PTSD (complex), severe dissociative disorders, borderline personality disorder (BPD) and somatic symptoms disorders. Several techniques oriented to improve self-regulation and self-care and diminish self-detachment will be described. Case descriptions and videos will also be included.