Integration of Interoceptive Exposure in Eating Disorder Treatment

Interoceptive exposure (IE) was originally developed for the treatment of panic disorder. The scope of IE has recently expanded, as the transdiagnostic relevance of interoceptive constructs has become increasingly recognized in diverse problem areas. Despite high comorbidity rates with anxiety and recent attention to interoceptive constructs, IE has received minimal explicit attention in eating disorders. The conceptual and empirical literature supports IE as a transdiagnostic intervention strategy that can be integrated into cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for eating disorders. In this article, we (a) summarize the relevant literature on interoceptive constructs in eating disorders, (b) review common approaches to exposure in eating disorder treatment, and (c) provide a rationale and concrete suggestions for beginning to integrate IE more explicitly in eating disorder treatment.