Is anorexia ego syntonic or ego dystonic?
Patients with anorexia nervosa have an ego-syntonic illness. In very simple terms, for these patients, the eating disorder is part of who they are, and they cannot comprehend the need to change their behavior. Patients with bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder have an ego-dystonic disorder.
What are some ways to cope with the emotions that a person with anorexia experiences?
Here are some healthy and effective coping skills that anyone can use:
- Boost your self-esteem by becoming involved in activities that interest you.
- Go online and talk with an online friend.
- Imagine yourself in a safe place where you do not need to think about doing anything that is harmful to yourself.
How is anorexia ego-syntonic?
This ego-syntonic view is most often seen in anorexia nervosa. In most cases, when the eating disorder is experienced as ego-syntonic, there will be little or no motivation to change the behaviors, which results in high levels of treatment resistance that increases with time.
What are ego-syntonic disorders?
Another example of a disorder being ego syntonic is when someone with an obsessive personality disorder is unaware that both their devotion to minutia and rigid thinking prevent them from getting ahead at work. They cannot complete their assignments because they get stuck on meaningless detail.
Does starvation reduce anxiety?
Serotonin & Tryptophan: For those individuals with a predisposition to anorexia, starvation will directly reduce the amount of tryptophan and serotonin in the brain, thus reducing anxiety, partially explaining the lack of anxious or ‘hangry’ responses to lower caloric intake.
What is ego state therapy?
It developed from psychodynamic psychotherapy, and uses techniques similar to those used in family and group settings. Ego state therapy was originally developed by John G. Watkins and Helen Watkins, psychotherapists who specialized in hypnosis, dissociation, and multiple personalities.
What are retro and normal ego states?
Retro states are ego states that once worked but that are not harmful. Ego state therapy endeavors to help these states learn to come out only when they are useful. Normal ego states are healthy states that are openly acknowledged, not in conflict, and not maladaptive. The goal of ego state therapy is to achieve normal ego states.
What is a vaded ego state?
A vaded ego state is an ego that has experienced a traumatic event it has not yet processed. Vaded ego states cause emotional reactivity and require resolution of trauma. Conflicted ego states are those that are in conflict with one another. They lead to a sense of internal conflict, and ego state therapy aims to resolve the conflict.
What is an example of an ego state?
Ego states are an adaptation to various life circumstances, rather than innate states of being. Sometimes a person becomes stuck in an ego state, or finds that an ego state is no longer beneficial. A child abuse victim, for example, might get stuck in the role of frightened child.