Chapter 10 - The Relationship between Eating, Distress Tolerance, and Emotion Regulation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Summary

Individuals with OCD often engage in behaviors that help them avoid or escape anxious or distressing feelings. These behaviors can include typical compulsions seen in OCD, such as handwashing and checking, as well as maladaptive behaviors like substance use or problematic eating. These eating patterns can be a form of experiential avoidance, or the attempt to change or avoid negative thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations, even if it causes harm. Individuals with OCD have low distress tolerance (DT) or a limited capacity for enduring negative emotional experiences and a tendency to become overly reactive to stress and distress. Low DT is associated with a range of dysregulated behaviors and psychological disorders. DT relates to other affect intolerance and sensitivities, including emotional dysregulation, intolerance to uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, negative urgency, and experiential avoidance. Studies have revealed that those with OCD tend to have more abnormal eating habits. which can be a way to escape or regulate emotions, avoid negative feelings, and, as a result, sustain maintenance variables in the OCD cycle.