W is already taking meds for ADD and anxiety. Short of a lobotomy, I don’t know what else can be done from a biological standpoint. Maybe she could meditate (which would probably help her), but the chance of her doing that is slim to none. All the subconscious, reptilian brain reflex reactions are good to understand, but real-life treatment is still the bottom line. All the basic instinctual dysfunctional reactions I have been discussing come from environmental type conditioning (barring some genetic issue), including trauma from her spouse, me. So I think addressing the primary fear or anxiety is actually going to the heart of the limbic system. That is why soothing seems to get such immediate results and stops the cycle.
The book on attachment says that it is common for therapists to diagnose attachment behaviors as more sever disorders, such as bipolar or borderline disorder. They can both manifest in the same irrational behavior. But attachment is not necessarily affected by medication like personality disorders are, and the later are not necessarily lessened by soothing, like attachment disorders are. So I am not sure what more I can do. You got any specific ideas?
