Self-regulatory disturbances in eating disorders

Abstract

The hypothesis that eating‐disordered patients utilize their bodies as transitional objects is examined, but the evidence does not support this proposition. Instead, these patients reveal a deficit in transitional object relatedness. It is found that these patients have severe deficits in self‐organization and self‐regulation. Much of the symptomology such as starvation, hinging, vomiting, and hyperactivity is better understood as desperate measures to drown out states of overstimulation and/or fragmentation.

Personality functioning in normal weight bulimia

“…She thus is vulnerable to sudden, intense feelings of depression when any threat to the self is incurred. These results provided some support to the hypothesis that, at least for some, bulimic symptomatology may be related to a desperate attempt to restore and preserve a sense of self (Goodsitt, 1983).…”

Psychosocial profiles of adolescent girls with varying degrees of eating and mood disturbances

“…Johnson & Connors, 1987). Among psychological factors, disturbances of "object-relations" and "separationindividuation" are proposed as causes of a narcissistic fixation upon the body, and other manifestations of "self" disturbance, like driven perfectionism and self-regulation problems (e.g., Goodsitt, 1983;Schwartz, 1988). Consistent with the notion of "self" disturbance, empirical data indicate very high prevalences of personality disorders in EDd groups (e.g., Gartner, Marcus, Halmi, & Loranger 1989; Wonderlich, Swift, Slotnick, & Goodman, 1990), and theoretically related problems, like immature defenses (Steiger, Van der Feen, Goldstein, & Leichner, 1989;Steiger et al, 1990) and instability of "object-relations" (Humphrey, 1986; Steiger et al, 1990).…”

Recurrent abortions in a bulimic: Implications regarding pathogenesis

“…Consequently, from this view, the physical act of eating revives the comforting mother object for bulimics; however, incorporative behavior leads to a fear of fusion and stimulates vomiting (Sugarman & Kurash, 1982). Goodsitt (1983) rejected the idea that the child's body could serve as a transitional object because it is a central requirement that a transitional object be preceived as "not me." He argued, instead, that, like anoretics, bulimics are driven to autoerotic behavior to calm states of intense internal overstimulation and/or fragmentation (Goodsitt, 1983).…”

“…They proposed that the acts of eating and vomiting are of greater significance than the food itself. In contrast, Goodsitt (1983) disputed the view that the patient's body can serve as a transitional object. Instead, he argued that ones's inability to control states of overstimulation or impending fragmentation leads to desperate attempts to calm these feelings.…”

“…Disagreements have centered on the question of what constitutes the transitional object in bulimia nervosa? Is it the food (Gaddini & Gaddini, 1978;Goodsitt, 1983) or the patients' body (Sugarman & Kurash, 1982)?…”