ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the possible role of self-disgust in physical health contexts. It outlines the function, manifestations, and established elicitors of disgust. Disgust sensitivity is a dynamic, adaptive system, able to recalibrate and adapt according to variations in the system’s immune vulnerability. Recent empirical works have implicated self-disgust in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and eating disorders. There are possible cross-contamination benefits to avoiding contact with one’s own infectious wounds, and disgust regarding this aspect of the physical self may help motivate greater self-care behaviours. A major area in which self-disgust is likely to be relevant in physical health, is found in revisiting the processes by which people estimate the likely emotional responses of others. Preliminary evidence suggests that disgust may promote avoidance behaviours in physical health including cancer screening and treatment. The chapter explores possibilities for working clinically with those struggling with self-disgust.
