A conversation between my work colleague and I when I announced that I was going to try hypnotherapy for binge eating;
Me: “I’ve booked myself if to see a hypnotherapist for binge eating.”
Colleague: “You aren’t a binge eater-are you?”
Me: Well, kind of. I find it hard to stop eating once I start, and I’m always thinking about food.”
Colleague: “But so does everyone!”
Most of the people I know would have said the same, but does that mean it is healthy?
Okay, so I’m neither overweight nor model thin, so most wouldn’t suspect I have issues with food, but I do. I don’t ever want to be the type that eats purely to fuel the body, but I also don’t want to be consumed by thoughts of when/what I can eat next.
My weight fluctuates throughout the year. Once I say yes to tempting treats, my mind goes into overdrive until I’ve gained three sizes. It is at this point that I find myself at war with my mind. When I’ve battled hard to lose the weight, my brain clicks repeat, and so the cycle continues.
I decided to try hypnotherapy after reading articles on how it had helped so many people control their eating.
The website read:
“We work with the unconscious mind to remove positive associations connect with binge eating allowing you to feel in control.”
-It sounded great, but I didn’t have a clue what it meant.
My first session lasted about an hour. We talked about me, which was rather self-indulgent but enjoyable. My therapist told me that hypnotherapy is about reaching psychological wellness, meaning that we have a clear state of mind free from addictions.
“Once we have a clear mind, we are more susceptible to being guided in the right direction.”
I realise that my mind is far from clear and ponder if this affects my eating habits?
The therapist said that I needed to think about eating like going to the toilet-only doing it when we need to, and when it isn’t convenient, we don’t act upon it.
I tell them that I consider myself to be a very happy person, so comfort-eating doesn’t apply to me. My therapist tells me that this constant happiness state isn’t real and that I should allow myself to feel different emotions. If I have negative thoughts, I need not worry about them.
“It is about getting happy with looking like you. The dissatisfaction kicked in at some point, and it has become a permanent feature.”
Brutal but true.
Then we moved onto the actual hypnotherapy. I laid back in the chair while calming music played, and my therapist spoke over it. I defiantly felt relaxed and a little woozy, but I was aware of everything-even the cars outside. The therapist talked about how I would soon find myself not wanting to overeat because it would be too much effort. -I have to say that at this point, my mind had wandered to what I wanted to lunch.
I was given a CD to play at home over the next week.
For the rest of that week, I did make better food choices and didn’t eat to excess, but sadly, it didn’t last. I found myself not having time to listen to the CD because my mind was full of everything else.
I went back for three more sessions. We worked on various issues that I didn’t even consider would impact on my eating such as relaxing before I went to bed, removing work from my house, allowing myself time to feel emotion, and forgiving myself for not being perfect.
Granted I do not always listen to the CD, but I know it is there should I need it and that is enough for me.
So, how are things now? Well, I’ve accepted that my body is a vessel and not a failed project, I can be unhappy and angry, and that if/when I slip off the path that isn’t the end of the world.
Of course, things haven’t always gone to plan, and there have been times when I’ve wondered if any of this has helped at all, but those times have become less frequent. Something is working.
If you would like to discuss how hypnotherapy can help you, please contact us on 01803 500300 for a £10 only discussion.