Using Bilateral Stimulation (A Pre-existing Trauma Technique) After Eating to Reduce Anxiety in People Recovering From Eating Disorders

Bilateral Stimulation Versus Standard Care in the Treatment of Food Anxiety in Eating Disorder Patients: A Pilot Study

The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate whether bilateral stimulation (BLS) could reduce anxiety and emotional distress after eating in people recovering from eating disorders in outpatient treatment with the primary researcher.

The main question it aimed to answer were:

Did bilateral stimulation reduce anxiety, depression, and/or eating disorder thoughts when used after eating a fear food?

Researchers compared participants who received standard treatment alone to those who received standard treatment plus bilateral stimulation after meals to determine whether BLS reduced emotional distress and negative thoughts related to eating.

Participants:

• Completed surveys assessing anxiety, depression, and eating disorder symptoms at the beginning and end of 4 consecutive sessions (4-12 weeks in total depending on the frequency of client appointments).
• Chose to participate in either a standard treatment group or an intervention group

Participants in the intervention group also:

• Ate 1 meal per week before or during session, including a "fear food" (defined as food avoided out of fear of what might happen, i.e., weight gain, vomiting, guilt/shame).
• Completed brief questionnaires about their thoughts and feelings after eating
• Participated in 3-5 minutes of bilateral stimulation (side-to-side tapping) guided by the researcher
• Reported on changes in their thoughts and emotions following the intervention

The intervention was delivered over 4 consecutive sessions alongside standard treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) aged older than 18 years;
• (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or other specified feeding and eating disorder;
• (3) were deemed to be medically stable, defined as not requiring the use of a feeding tube; had a heart rate between 51-119 beats per minute at rest and blood pressure greater than 70/40 and less than 180/120 mmHg at rest;
• (4) attending appointments at will;
• (5) gave full consent (signed informed consent); and
• (6) could choose to discontinue treatment and/or the study at any time with no consequences.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) aged under 18 years;
• (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of Pica syndrome, cyclical vomiting syndrome, or subclinical eating disorder;
• (3) had medical instability, defined as a heart rate less than 50 or more than 120 beats per minute at rest, a blood pressure greater than 180/120 or less than 70/40 mmHg at rest, or orthostatic vital signs accompanied by fainting; and
• (4) had acute suicide risk.