Dissociation, Traumatic Attachments, and Self-Harm: Eating Disorders and Self-Mutilation

Abstract

Self-harm, such as eating disorders and selfmutilation, represents dissociated compensatory attempts to serve self-regulatory functions. Self-harm develops when the child who has become attached to those who have inflicted pain and suffering maintains that attachment by inflicting pain on himself. Brain imaging studies have found that the communication pattern between parent and child shapes the way the child's attachment system adapts to experiences with the attachment figure, literally hardwiring the child's brain. The good news is that a safe and secure attachment is very good medicine and can rewire the brain. An attachment-based multi-phase approach to treatment is presented.

Eating Disorders and Therapist Emotional Responses

“…In a study based on a sample of adolescent patients with EDs, these personality subtypes were strongly related to clinicians' reactions, assessed with the Therapist Response Questionnaire (Betan et al, 2005), and added considerably to other factors-such as ED diagnosis, patient global functioning, and treatment length-in explaining therapists' responses (Satir et al, 2009). Therapists' reactions toward eating disorders patients can also be complicated by sexual abuse history (Rodríguez et al, 2005) as well as self-harm and dissociative symptoms that are quite common among EDs patients (Farber, 2008;La Mela et al, 2010;Paul et al, 2002). Abused patients often reenact their childhood traumatic experiences in the psychotherapy relationship, evoking very intense and contradictory feelings in therapists such as overprotectiveness, sexual arousal, and anger (Gabbard, 2009).…”

The Beauty and the Beast Inside: The American Beauty—Does Cosmetic Surgery Help?

“…Since our bodies are made in relation to other bodies her mother's lack of physical contact with her lead to an insecure attachment. Farber (2008) stated that self-harm behaviors develop when a child develops a disorganized attachment to those who had inflicted pain and suffering on them. Because of this, the child maintains that attachment by inflicting pain on himself/herself.…”

From “It's Not Me” to “It Was Me, After All”: A Case Presentation of a Patient Diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder

“…Over time the dissociative response may become automatic and contribute to what Brenner (2001) calls a "dissociative character." The dissociative process of severing connections in mental functioning underlies eating disorders, substance abuse, borderline and narcissistic disorders, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (Bromberg, 1998;Farber, 2008;Howell, 2005).…”