ABSTRACT
Mentalizing is a typically human capacity. In a sense, mentalizing is reading minds, feelings, and body language; it is largely nonverbal and implicit. Successful mentalization requires a balance between thinking and feeling. The capacity to mentalize can be likened to an iron that is too hot or too cool. Hyperarousal and mentalization levels are like communicating vessels: when one increases, the other automatically decreases. A complex interaction between the child's genetic predisposition, parents who do not mentalize, and environmental factors is regarded as the most probable cause of a lessened capacity to mentalize. An insecure attachment relationship can undermine the development of the capacity to mentalize, but this capacity can also be lost quickly when stress levels rise. The aim of therapy is for clients to acknowledge and recognise their personal switch-point, the point where they stop mentalizing. A state in which emotions run so high is a high arousal level, with increased stress and increased alertness.
