Eating disorders: How can hypnotherapy aid the recovery journey?

Eating disorders are very complex conditions that can affect someone emotionally, physically and socially. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses; anorexia, binge-eating disorder and bulimia. In the UK, more than 700,000 people are affected by an eating disorder.

Developing an abnormal attitude towards food typically leads people to make unhealthy choices, which can have devastating consequences. The symptoms can affect everyday life and, in extreme cases, can also be life-threatening. Eating disorders can be extremely distressing, not only for the person consumed by the disorder but also for their friends and family.

Often, sufferers of eating disorders will fail to recognise that they have a problem, making it difficult to receive support. This makes it especially important for loved ones to encourage the sufferer to talk about their eating and to seek professional help.

If you have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, your doctor will recommend treatments tailored to your individual needs.

Once an eating disorder has been diagnosed, treatment can begin. Treatments tend to involve monitoring the sufferer’s physical health while helping them deal with the psychological aspects. For many, a multi-pronged approach is best when treating eating disorders, which means trying a variety of therapies. So, alongside talking therapies and medical support, you may benefit from other forms of therapy, such as hypnotherapy.

How can hypnotherapy aid recovery from an eating disorder?

Hypnotherapy aims to use the power of suggestion to change habits and thoughts surrounding certain things. For example, hypnotherapy for eating disorders would look to facilitate a change in thinking when it comes to eating.

Regression techniques can be useful for recovery, by helping to understand the root cause of eating disorders. These tap into your subconscious to reveal an event or situation that may have contributed to the development of your eating disorder.

Hypnotherapy for eating disorders may also involve Neuro Linguistic programming (NLP). This can be used in various ways. One way may be to help you remember how you coped with distressing emotions before you developed an eating disorder.

Learning to love yourself is an important part of the recovery processHypnotherapy can also help you to cope with issues related to eating disorders. For example, if you suffer from anxiety or stress; you may be fearful of going out to eat at a restaurant, fear being seen in public, or even fear food itself. Hypnotherapy can help you learn to relax and improve your overall well-being.

Using positive suggestions under hypnosis can help you change the way you think about yourself – addressing issues like low self-esteem and low self-confidence and teaching you techniques to help you cope with unhelpful thinking. Learning to love yourself again is an important part of the recovery process. You can also learn new ways of thinking about eating, gradually improving your relationship with food. This can be especially beneficial to ensure you stay healthy after recovery.

If you think you’re at risk of relapsing, be sure to seek support. Recovering from an eating disorder can be a long process, but there are professionals available to support your continued recovery.

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Written by Becky Banham
Becky is Brand and Social Strategist for Happiful and a writer for Hypnotherapy Directory.
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Written by Becky Banham
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