Can hypnosis support people with anorexia?

Anorexia nervosa is the clinical title of an often complex illness that primarily affects young people – mainly females. It can affect them for a lifetime as we are now seeing older people living with this condition. If left untreated, it can become life-threatening with death the outcome. Although it may start out as a desire to lose weight and look good, it can spiral out of control with no end goal of reaching a certain weight or looking a certain way.  

Anorexia is a psychological disorder that also affects the person’s physical condition. There can be many factors that indicate the person could have anorexia as opposed to just being on a diet to lose weight. Some may have low self-esteem or have a feeling of helplessness with no control over their lives. They may have grown up being teased about their appearance or observed a parent who was diet-obsessed. Being able to control their food intake and exercise may be their only way of fighting back.

The euphoric feeling of seeing weight loss can urge them on and make them feel good about themselves. The more weight they lose, the bigger their desire to continue by pushing themselves even harder. People with anorexia often have a distorted body image and even when their bones are protruding, they may restrict their calorie intake more and more, and up their vigorous exercise regime.

People with anorexia may hide their bodies under baggy clothing and hide food at the dinner table. They will often purge and make themselves sick afterwards. They may develop tooth decay, thinning hair and a poor skin condition. Females' periods will stop as the body tries to preserve life and, without intervention, the organs can shut down. Even, when they are too weak to even stand, people with anorexia often still believe they are too fat as their state of mind becomes fragile.

The psychological makeup of people with anorexia can be so complex that many traditional therapies and practices fail. The individual may be hospitalised and on strict observation 24/7 to ensure the food they are made to eat is ingested and not purged. They might gain weight and during talking therapy will promise they will continue to gain weight when discharged from care. However, there is a high chance they will go back to their previous habits but with even more determination to reduce their body weight further.

So how can hypnotherapy help?

The therapist will begin by addressing the underlying emotional reasons behind their behaviour. Sometimes, the individual will resist any help or treatment as they may be unable to see that there is a problem to begin with. Understanding why the person has anorexia is the first thing the therapist will address. As mentioned already, there are many different reasons why someone might develop anorexia. An upbringing of diet-obsessed family members, being constantly teased about being even a little overweight, poor self-esteem, lack of confidence, distorted body image, lack of control or fear of failure. Any one of these can be the reason that someone feels the need to control their food intake.

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention that allows the individual to access their subconscious mind. In a therapeutic environment, the individual will be encouraged to relax and allow the therapist to address the issues. Hypnosis allows a heightened suggestibility to be accessed which enables them to reframe any deeply ingrained behaviours that are at the root cause of the anorexia. It will change the negative thought patterns such as anxiety and stress associated with these behaviours to more appropriate, positive ones.  

Whilst in a hypnotic trance-like state, the individual is more open to suggestion which can allow positive changes. By unlocking this part of their subconscious mind, it enables the therapist to guide the individual to explore their thoughts and address any limiting beliefs they have. It can help them understand their emotional responses and any false beliefs they may have about their body image.  

With an experienced therapist, hypnosis is a safe place to confront any fears that are stopping the individual from loving themselves as they are. The therapist can boost their self-confidence and feelings of self-worth, allowing them to accept who they are and how they look. Changing how they see themselves and encouraging them to live a healthy lifestyle can all be achieved whilst in a relaxed, hypnotic state. Several sessions will be needed to promote trust, build on self-worth and to reframe behaviours and thought patterns. Addressing the root cause of why the individual has developed anorexia ensures continued recovery and is less likely to regress back to old habits.  

Anorexia and bulimia have deep-rooted causes which are complex and difficult to overcome simply by dealing with the food intake. The psychological causes are often embedded deep into the psyche and the individual will usually be experiencing feelings of fear, trauma and anxiety. Hypnosis is an excellent therapy for guiding individuals to heal from within, allowing them to live a healthy, fulfilling life.