How to Overcome Eating Disorders?
Hypnotherapy is used for more than just pain management and smoking cessation. For many individuals with eating disorders, hypnosis is able to help alleviate the symptoms of their disorder. Bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders are technically classified as mental disorders. This is because most of the symptoms of the disorder are caused by the mind. Your body perception, confidence and habits are all affected by the way your mind works. If you can change your mind’s inner functioning, you can effectively change the disorder. Hypnosis to Overcome Eating Disorders can help.
Does Hypnotherapy Work for Eating Disorders?
There are numerous medical studies that show the positive effects of hypnosis on irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, anxiety, chronic pain and insomnia. From helping people heal after a surgery to alleviating pain, hypnosis has been proven to be a valid, effective treatment in a variety of areas. Due to the mental aspect of an eating disorder, hypnosis can be especially useful in treating this condition. It can help to modify your body image so that you feel more confident about who you are and how you look. Over time, hypnosis can help with:
− Encouraging a positive attitude
− Improving your body image
− Reducing the anxiety and stress that fuel your disorder
− Developing positive habits to replace your disorder
− Alleviating the physical symptoms associated with an eating disorder
How Does Hypnosis Work to Overcome Eating Disorders?
Whenever you lose track of time while driving, listening to music or reading a book, you are essentially engaging in self-hypnosis. During hypnosis, the normal mental chatter and negative thoughts in the mind are quieted or stopped. In this state, you can work directly with the subconscious mind. Individuals with an eating disorder may be guided through visualization exercises to imagine the desired results and positive behaviors. Repetitive messages like feeling relaxed, releasing anxiety and living a healthy lifestyle are often repeated at intervals throughout the session or download.
Throughout the session, you are encouraged to feel more relaxed. Your hypnotherapist may work with your subconscious mind to change how you handle stress. Instead of using your disorder to cope with anxiety, you may develop new habits like meditating, doing yoga or exercising when you are worried.
Breaking Old Habits for Good
Anorexia and bulimia are more common among young women, but they can occur in people of any age, gender or ethnicity. In essence, these disorders are connected to a self-image issue. The individual perceives their body as “too fat”, and they use diets, purging and exercise to remove the unwanted fat. Unlike a normal dieter, someone with an eating disorder is more likely to become severely underweight and have significant anxieties about food. Over time, this condition can become self-perpetuating. The negative habits become locked in the individual’s mind, and only exceptional effort can help to break these habits.
Hypnosis for bulimia or anorexia focuses on the cause of an eating disorder: the mental thoughts, habits and anxieties that are causing you to binge, purge and restrict your diet. By focusing on the root of the problem, you can alleviate the disorder and develop positive habits. Instead of feeling stressed or anxious as you try normal eating patterns, you will feel relaxed and ready to break free from the past.