The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of Trauma
<b>Objectives:</b> Night eating syndrome (NES) is classified as a delay of food intake, reflected by consuming large amounts after the evening meal or ingesting food after sleep onset (DSM-5). This article aims to describe NES experience, awareness, narratives, and behavior from the pers...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Psychiatry International |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/5/1/2 |
| _version_ | 1827305190719488000 |
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| author | Yael Latzer Revital Edelstein-Elkayam Osnat Rabin Sigal Alon Miri Givon Orna Tzischinsky |
| author_facet | Yael Latzer Revital Edelstein-Elkayam Osnat Rabin Sigal Alon Miri Givon Orna Tzischinsky |
| author_sort | Yael Latzer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Objectives:</b> Night eating syndrome (NES) is classified as a delay of food intake, reflected by consuming large amounts after the evening meal or ingesting food after sleep onset (DSM-5). This article aims to describe NES experience, awareness, narratives, and behavior from the perspectives of patients with NES in light of their history of traumatic life events. <b>Method:</b> Semi-structured interviews based on the phenomenological approach were conducted with 18 women (aged 19–60) diagnosed with NES. <b>Results:</b> The analysis raised two themes: 1. References to NES as an experience that represents the darker sides of patients’ behaviors and involves helplessness, contempt, self-loathing, and a loss of control. Patients also related to difficult memories concerning sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. 2. References to the comforting side of NES patients’ behaviors that involves soothing, regulating, emotional disconnecting, and a sense of calm, control, and the ability to function. <b>Conclusion:</b> Findings present the relationship between traumatic life events, dissociation, and EDs. Clinically, they highlight the importance of an early assessment and a traumatic life history and suggest giving special treatment attention to the role of dissociation and night eating as regulatory mechanisms in the therapeutic process and alliance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:52:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-93ead638d809422d979d93464eb0e4e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:52:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychiatry International |
| spelling | doaj.art-93ead638d809422d979d93464eb0e4e72024-03-27T14:01:46ZengMDPI AGPsychiatry International2673-53182024-01-0151152610.3390/psychiatryint5010002The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of TraumaYael Latzer0Revital Edelstein-Elkayam1Osnat Rabin2Sigal Alon3Miri Givon4Orna Tzischinsky5Eating Disorders Institution, Psychiatric Division, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa 3525408, IsraelEating Disorders Institution, Psychiatric Division, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa 3525408, IsraelEating Disorders Institution, Psychiatric Division, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa 3525408, IsraelEating Disorders Institution, Psychiatric Division, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa 3525408, IsraelEating Disorders Institution, Psychiatric Division, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa 3525408, IsraelBehavioral Science and the Center for Psychobiological Research, Emek-Yezreel Academic College, Emek Yezreel 1930600, Israel<b>Objectives:</b> Night eating syndrome (NES) is classified as a delay of food intake, reflected by consuming large amounts after the evening meal or ingesting food after sleep onset (DSM-5). This article aims to describe NES experience, awareness, narratives, and behavior from the perspectives of patients with NES in light of their history of traumatic life events. <b>Method:</b> Semi-structured interviews based on the phenomenological approach were conducted with 18 women (aged 19–60) diagnosed with NES. <b>Results:</b> The analysis raised two themes: 1. References to NES as an experience that represents the darker sides of patients’ behaviors and involves helplessness, contempt, self-loathing, and a loss of control. Patients also related to difficult memories concerning sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. 2. References to the comforting side of NES patients’ behaviors that involves soothing, regulating, emotional disconnecting, and a sense of calm, control, and the ability to function. <b>Conclusion:</b> Findings present the relationship between traumatic life events, dissociation, and EDs. Clinically, they highlight the importance of an early assessment and a traumatic life history and suggest giving special treatment attention to the role of dissociation and night eating as regulatory mechanisms in the therapeutic process and alliance.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/5/1/2night eating syndrometraumaeating disordersqualitative studywomen |
| spellingShingle | Yael Latzer Revital Edelstein-Elkayam Osnat Rabin Sigal Alon Miri Givon Orna Tzischinsky The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of Trauma Psychiatry International night eating syndrome trauma eating disorders qualitative study women |
| title | The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of Trauma |
| title_full | The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of Trauma |
| title_fullStr | The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of Trauma |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of Trauma |
| title_short | The Dark and Comforting Side of Night Eating: Women’s Experiences of Trauma |
| title_sort | dark and comforting side of night eating women s experiences of trauma |
| topic | night eating syndrome trauma eating disorders qualitative study women |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/5/1/2 |
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