I’m reading a book by Michael Gershon, M.D., called “The Second Brain” (1998). He’s a neurobiologist fascinated by the intestinal tract, which apparently has an independent nervous system, a brain of its own: a piece of guinea pig intestine living in “organ broth” will respond to internal touch with peristaltic nerve activity. No neural connection to the brain upstairs or spinal cord.

It’s amazing, and mind-boggling for a non-biologist like me, but the whole concept makes me wonder if what psychology calls “attachment” is more allied to this downstairs “brain” than to the one upstairs.

I wonder, in particular, because I’ve realized that words are almost useless in helping someone deal with an eating disorder, or even an attachment disorder. Somehow words are the wrong “language.” And this “second brain” absolutely does not care about words, so maybe that’s where these deeper, early emotions live.

The pragmatic approaches like cognitive or dialectical behavior therapy modify how your upstairs (verbal) brain manages your relationship to food and digestion. But what about all those feelings related to food and eating? Feeling full, feeling safer and connected, feeling bigger and stronger and maybe armored, feeling the power of autonomy, feeling reassured, feeling consoled. What about those, regardless of what you do about food?

And, by the way, 95% of your body’s serotonin is generated in your gut, as is 80% of your immune system. What?! I’ll read on.