TRAUMA VS EMOTIONAL EATING - Dr. Doug Lisle & Dr. Jen Howk

In part 2 of my interview with Dr. Jen Howk and Dr. Doug Lisle, we begin by discussing self talk and affirmations. Then the doctors walk us through two specific types of emotional eating in order to help us understand how our brains can convince us to eat unhealthy food. We then continue with an excellent discussion on trauma and the dynamic between psychologists and their clients who are struggling to maintain a health-promoting diet and lifestyle. Hope you enjoy part 2 of the interview!

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[juliashearer]

I have huge respect for Dr Lisle. I have watched and listened to everything I could find on the internet of him giving talks or doing interviews but there are a couple of things that he says that don't ring true for me and his thoughts on trauma are one of them. I don't believe it can be written off in the way he does which is pretty cold and matter of fact. To suggest that it can be forgotten in the way someone might forget breaking their arm once seems insensitive. I still think he is brilliant. Thank you Dillon!

[fuzzfriendly]

Huh lots of people being offended. I'm new to this channel and I thank you very much for this 4 videos. Subscribed.

From what I gather they are saying three things. Similar but not the same.
1) Problems with food (or alcohol or drugs) are not (necessarily) related to traumas, abuse in the past. Just because you are overweight, that doesn't mean that answer to that is in your past. It's just that as a creature you are seeking high caloric, salty, sweet and/or fatty foods of which our world has plenty. You may be perfectly well adjusted human being who has food issues. Or you may have been traumatized as well. These are separate issue!
2) Traumas don't necessarily cause obesity, drug addiction etc. Isn't this liberating! Plus just because someone is skinny that doesn't mean that all was lovey dovey in their past. So don't judge people too quickly.
3) If you were abused, you should seek help. I heard nothing in this interview against this advise. Plus if you were abused you probably have bigger issues than your weight. But if you are bothered by your weight, don't go blaming your past or looking for trouble there.

I would also love to hear their response to the approach of Gabor Mate.

[Elinious]

I watched part one and was excited to watch part two but the total dismissal of trauma is shocking. Trauma isn't always a one time event like the car accident they mentioned, or the fox threat for an animal. Take a child who has grown up in an extremely unsafe and abusive environment which is just a long stretch of repeated traumatic events, it is not a surprise when that child grows up to be an adult with a disorder like c-ptsd which influences their ability to deal with day to day events. This has totally damaged my view of these two. What a load of hogwash that there is no evidence that trauma like that influences behavior of the adult and therefore also their ability to navigate the various pleasure traps of the world. And sure, all therapists are just cashing in on this? Are they actually trying to dissuade people from getting help to process their trauma or past 'significant events' as they call them? What a pity that they imply that people are just using trauma as an excuse and that this is a nonsense excuse. Dr. Howk literally says that it's not gonna make you any more likely to be an alcoholic or be obese which is just not true. One study which is talked about in Johann Hari's Lost Connections is the study about obese women and the connection to sexual abuse in the past, their overeating had a function: a survival mechanism to avoid any more sexual abuse. Their trauma literally spurred the fall into the pleasure trap of overeating and this learned behaviour stems from this directly. I'm so disappointed.

[perfectimperfectvegan]

Excellent interview! Thanks a lot, Dillon!

[Crazydoglady.]

I listened to this twice!! This is gonna be soooo helpful!♥️🙌

[awakekate]

I wonder what they have to say about people with personality disorders, such as psychopathy - evil people, the ones who abuse others, and in turn, their victims; especially children. This discussion does seem a little flippant towards trauma, however it is very short and specifically speaking to food addiction. That aspect of humans fighting with our normal evolutionary drive to survive by eating the richest foods available is more clear.

[avleck]

Thank you for this poignant discussion!!

[brendaabruzzese]

Thanks for this dillon, love your channel

[Crazydoglady.]

Wow, fasinating, this is why I fall off only about once a week or a day after stressful work & only at nighttime..🤔
We're all just full of excuses!!😁🙌

[litestreamer]

I found these more anthropocentric concepts of the pleasure trap or the ego trap interesting. But I also think people may have health issues or addictions as a response to childhood trauma - it's not either/or. That the subconscious has ~90% control of our brain is a clue. In the first 3 yrs we take in everything in a trance-like state. Repeated abuse may result in behaviors of compensation. Conclusions of Dr Felitti's huge Kaiser Permanente ACE study (Adverse childhood experiences) support this. So yes, trauma is not an excuse for change, but I see them denying the power of childhood trauma on adult life (e.g. consider the woman who was sexually abused as child so she insulates herself with fat). Emotional trauma is not the same as breaking your arm.

[AustinPepp]

This denial of trauma is frustrating. I love a whole foods plant based diet, but sorry Dr. Doug Lisle, please look up Dr. Gabor Mate and what trauma really is!

[ravenhost]

What a compendium ill-informed statements about trauma. I don't even know where to begin. Horrific childhood events "are not important and are gemaine to the day-to day situations"? Mind-blowingly wrong. Look at the work of leading trauma experts like Bessel van der Kolk, Peter Levine, ACEs study, Pat Ogden, and many more. They all agree on the far-reaching and devastating effects of trauma.
As a childhood trauma survivor, I sure do wish the horrific events I've had to experience as a child were an "excuse" for eating chocolate, instead of being a debilitating daily struggle to stay alive.
I have (had?) a lot of respect for Dr. Lisle, but this dismissal and denial of the effects of trauma is simply inexcusable.

[sherycesalek]

The woman needs to learn to let others speak, he didn't need her help. Her interruptions are annoying.

[Test-ebbj]

I second my predecessor, irritating to have them both side by side, but good interview.