EMOTIONAL EATING

Emotional eating is a common behaviour that many individuals experience, often turning to food for comfort, stress relief, or as a reward. Emotional hunger is not caused by physical hunger, instead is dependent on the experience of positive and negative emotions. Though emotional eaters often feel better and experience a positive mood shift once they begin to eat, they might not necessarily feel satisfied or better once they are full, as emotional eating is often followed by feelings of shame or inadequacy or discomfort.  

How can hypnotherapy help with emotional eating? 

1. **Addressing the Psychological Roots of Emotional Eating**: Emotional eating is often linked to unresolved psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, and past traumas. Hypnosis allows individuals to access and explore these subconscious emotional triggers, enabling them to reframe their relationship with food. For example, hypnosis has been shown to help individuals gain insight into the origins of their emotional distress, thereby reducing the urge to eat as a coping mechanism [(Anbar & Savedoff, 2005)]

2. **Modifying Automatic Responses to Stress and Emotions**: Hypnosis can be used to reprogram automatic behavioral responses to emotional triggers. Various hypnotherapy techniques support  ego-strengthening and cognitive restructuring which can help individuals replace the urge to eat with healthier coping strategies. [(Torem, 1992)]

3. **Enhancing Self-Control and Reducing Impulsivity**: Emotional eating is often driven by impulsive behaviors, where individuals seek immediate comfort through food. Hypnosis has been found to reduce impulsive eating by increasing awareness and mindfulness, allowing individuals to pause and consider healthier alternatives before reacting. Studies show that hypnosis can improve self-regulation and emotional impulse control [(Pellegrini et al., 2021)]

4. **Managing Stress and Anxiety**: Since stress and anxiety are major contributors to emotional eating, hypnosis can be used to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. Hypnosis sessions that focus on stress reduction techniques, such as deep breathing and visualization, have been shown to alleviate emotional distress, leading to less reliance on food as a coping mechanism [(Whorwell et al., 1992)]

5. **Improving Long-Term Behavioral Change**: Hypnosis helps individuals develop new cognitive strategies and positive associations with healthy eating habits, leading to lasting behavioral change. This is especially beneficial for those struggling with binge eating and other forms of disordered eating, as it helps break the cycle of emotional triggers leading to overeating [(Delestre et al., 2022)]

In summary, hypnosis offers a multi-faceted approach to tackling emotional eating by addressing its psychological roots, enhancing self-control, reducing stress, and promoting sustainable behavioral changes. By integrating hypnosis into a broader therapeutic strategy, individuals can achieve better control over their eating habits and develop healthier relationships with food.

References: 

Anbar, R., & Savedoff, A. (2005). Treatment of Binge Eating with Automatic Word Processing and Self-Hypnosis: A Case Report. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 48, 191 – 198. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2005.10401516.

Torem Ms et al. “The use of hypnosis with eating disorders..” Psychiatric medicine, 10 (1992): 105.

M. Pellegrini et al. “The Use of Self-Help Strategies in Obesity Treatment. A Narrative Review Focused on Hypnosis and Mindfulness.” Current Obesity Reports, 10 (2021): 351 – 364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-021-00443-z.

P. Whorwell et al. “Physiological effects of emotion: assessment via hypnosis.” The Lancet, 340 (1992): 69-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(92)90394-I.

Fabienne Delestre et al. “Hypnosis reduces food impulsivity in patients with obesity and high levels of disinhibition: HYPNODIET randomized controlled clinical trial..” The American journal of clinical nutrition (2022). https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac046.