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Eating Disorders and Psychosomatic Disorders

Eating Disorders and Psychosomatic Disorders

Eating and psychosomatic disorders - in Brief

Eating and psychosomatic disorders represent a constellation of conditions in which emotional and psychological distress manifest through bodily symptoms or disruptions in essential behaviours such as eating, digestion, or perception of health. These disorders lie at the intersection of psychiatry, internal medicine, and behavioural health, requiring a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Eating disorders are characterized by maladaptive patterns of eating behaviour, body image distortion, and an intense preoccupation with weight or shape. Psychosomatic disorders, by contrast, involve physical symptoms that are significantly influenced or exacerbated by psychological factors, often without an identifiable medical cause.

Collectively, these conditions affect millions globally, with eating disorders particularly prevalent among adolescents and young adults, and psychosomatic presentations more frequent in high-functioning individuals under chronic stress.

At JB Private Mental Health and in our expert partner network, we provide tailored, integrative care that treats not only the presenting symptoms but the psychological and emotional architecture beneath them.

The treatment of eating and psychosomatic disorders requires a deliberate, compassionate, and integrative approach, combining medical, psychological, and behavioural expertise including:

  • Psychotherapeutic Interventions
    • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): First-line treatment for many eating and somatic symptom disorders; targets distorted beliefs and maladaptive behaviours.
    • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): Enhances emotional regulation and distress tolerance, particularly in cases of co-occurring personality traits or impulsivity.
    • Psychodynamic and Relational Therapies: Explore underlying conflicts, attachment patterns, and identity development.
  • Mind-Body Therapies
    • Medical and Nutritional Care such as Medical Stabilization, Nutritional Counseling and medication (antidepressants, anxiolytics, or low-dose antipsychotics may help reduce obsessive thoughts, anxiety, or somatic focus).

JB Private Mental Health is committed to absolute privacy and discretion following a holistic state-of-the-art approach to mental & physical health. Considering psychological, physical, social, and cultural dimensions, we ensure a personalized and optimized service.

If you or a loved one is struggling with eating-related challenges or persistent physical symptoms that lack medical clarity, we invite you to begin a journey of thoughtful exploration and healing. Our expert team and network provide private, integrative diagnostics and treatment tailored to the complexity and humanity of each individual’s story.

Book your first screening today and start your private journey towards excellence in mental and physical health.

Contact Dr. Janis Brakowski

Typical symptoms of Eating and Psychosomatic Disorders

Symptoms vary by condition but often share a common theme: distress expressed through the body.

Common manifestations include:

Eating Disorders

  • Preoccupation with food, body weight, or dieting.
  • Ritualistic eating behaviours (e.g., cutting food into small pieces, eating alone).
  • Drastic weight changes or refusal to maintain healthy weight.
  • Gastrointestinal distress without a clear medical cause.
  • Emotional numbness or heightened anxiety around meals.
  • Compensatory behaviours (e.g., vomiting, fasting, over-exercising).

Psychosomatic Disorders

  • Chronic physical symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, chest pain, or gastrointestinal issues with no clear organic pathology.
  • Heightened sensitivity to bodily sensations.
  • Frequent medical visits without resolution.
  • Fluctuating or non-anatomical symptom patterns.
  • Disproportionate health anxiety or concern.
  • Impaired functioning due to somatic focus.

In both categories, symptoms can be as debilitating as any organic illness and must be addressed with clinical validation, not minimization.

Key Messages

  • Eating and psychosomatic disorders are not lifestyle choices or attention-seeking behaviours. They are complex, biopsychosocial conditions requiring expert care.
  • Recovery is not only possible but expected when treatment is comprehensive, individualized, and sustained.
  • Comprehensive treatment concepts offer a uniquely supportive framework for addressing these sensitive and multifaceted disorders with dignity, confidentiality, and continuity.
  • Healing requires attending to both symptom expression and the underlying emotional and relational experiences that give rise to them.
  • With compassion, expertise, and the right therapeutic environment, individuals can regain health, agency, and a deeply renewed sense of self.

Causes & Risk Factors:

The aetiology of eating and psychosomatic disorders is complex, multidimensional, and deeply rooted in the interaction between mind and body:

  • Psychological Factors include perfectionism, low self-esteem, trauma, emotional repression, or difficulty with identity and autonomy.
  • Sociocultural Influences: Societal pressures related to appearance, thinness, or productivity – especially in high-performance environments.
  • Neurobiological Contributions: Altered neurotransmitter functioning (e.g., serotonin, dopamine), particularly in regulation of mood, impulse control, and appetite.
  • Family Dynamics: Enmeshed, controlling, or emotionally disengaged family systems may contribute to disordered coping mechanisms.
  • Medical and Developmental Factors: Gastrointestinal illnesses, sensory sensitivities, or early medical trauma may predispose individuals to food avoidance or somatization.

Our comprehensive model at JB Private Mental Health enables the time and depth of engagement necessary to uncover the underlying narratives and drivers of each client’s symptoms.

Treatment Options

The treatment of eating and psychosomatic disorders requires a deliberate, compassionate, and integrative approach, combining medical, psychological, and behavioural expertise:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): First-line treatment for many eating and somatic symptom disorders; targets distorted beliefs and maladaptive behaviours.
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): Enhances emotional regulation and distress tolerance, particularly in cases of co-occurring personality traits or impulsivity.
  • Psychodynamic and Relational Therapies: Explore underlying conflicts, attachment patterns, and identity development.
  • Mind-Body Therapies: Somatic experiencing, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and biofeedback restore self-regulation and bodily awareness.
  • Medical Stabilization: In severe eating disorders, weight restoration or hospitalization may be necessary to address acute risk.
  • Nutritional Counseling: Informed, collaborative support to rebuild a safe and nourishing relationship with food.
  • Medication: Antidepressants, anxiolytics, or low-dose antipsychotics may help reduce obsessive thoughts, anxiety, or somatic focus.
  • Multidisciplinary coordination with specialists, dietitians, and therapists
  • Continuous, discreet oversight of somatic and psychological symptoms
  • Personalized programs emphasizing trust, containment, and relational continuity
Contact Dr. Janis Brakowski