Blog Articles
Eating Disorder Hypnotherapy
Experiencing problems with eating can present in many different ways. For some, this could involve eating less than they need for their body to have enough energy to function properly. For others, it can involve eating more than they need over a short or long period of time, and may or may not involve making themselves be sick afterward to ‘purge’ what they have been eating. You may even struggle with food types, variety, textures, or smells which, while often dismissed as ‘fussy eating’, can have a significant impact on your diet and overall well-being. There is no single look when it comes to problem eating. While some may become preoccupied with their bodies, how they look, or their weight, others may focus on how eating makes them feel: whether that’s giving them a sense of control, helping them to numb other feelings, creating a temporary feeling of comfort or happiness.
Do I have an eating problem?
Eating disorders are serious conditions, where an unhealthy attitude towards food can take over your life and affect your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. While most commonly affecting young women aged 13 to 17, they can affect anyone, at any time. Seeking early intervention and diagnosis can significantly increase your chance of recovery.
Understanding eating problems
Getting to better understand eating problems can be tricky. There’s no getting away from it: food is something we encounter every day. We need it to survive. Many of us, however, have a complicated relationship with food. When this relationship becomes distorted, how we interact with food can turn into an unhealthy coping mechanism that we use to deal with difficult, upsetting, or troubling emotions or situations. Contributing factors can include poor self-esteem, an increased need for control, or a desire to numb difficult emotions. Other influences range from genetics to societal pressure and personality type.
Hypnotherapy for eating problems
Hypnotherapy can be very helpful for those who struggle with eating too much in a short space of time - often referred to as ‘binge-eating. For some people, it can feel like a compulsion to keep eating, or as though they cannot stop until all of the food on their plate is gone. Uncovering past events that may have triggered or influenced your relationship with food may be done through analytic hypnotherapy or regression techniques. If your struggles with eating are very behaviour-orientated, it can feel like you are trapped in a cycle of binging and purging. Hypnotherapy can be used to make positive suggestions to the subconscious to help break this pattern. Helping to build confidence and improve self-esteem, the aim of hypnotherapy for bulimia is to improve your relationship with food and yourself. Reducing stress and anxiety is another key way hypnotherapy for binge-eating can help. Often those with the condition find symptoms are exacerbated by stress, often referred to as 'stress eating'. Relaxation techniques can also help people continue with this work outside of their sessions. Hypnotherapy for different types of eating problems can be a helpful tool for many, especially if other approaches are failing to work, but it is important to discuss all treatments you’re trying with your doctor or mental health team. Hypnotherapists may work alongside others within your team to ensure there are no conflicts in your treatment approach.