Hypnotherapy for Anorexia or Bulimia

Celia Bird & Bonita Rayner-Jones are all specifically trained to work with clients with eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa

Is an illness characterised by weight loss, an intense fear of gaining weight, even though under weight, a distorted body image and amenorrhea (absence of 3 or more menstrual cycles). It primarily affects
adolescent girls in approximately 1-2% of the population. Obsessive compulsive disorder is common amongst anorexia clients, concealing or hoarding food. Clients are often ritualistic, any deviation from the
norm can cause anxiety. When suffering from anorexia severe food limitation feels rational, and an inability to see the dangers takes over. Depression is a common manifestation of the illness and is
almost always alleviated by nourishment.

Medical Complications of Anorexia:

• Kidney failure
• Decreased heart size
• Decreased bone marrow
• Decreased oestrogen and testosterone
• Fine hair
• Chronic renal failure
• Cramps, weakness, swollen salivary glands
• Bowel obstruction due to under use
• Dry pale skin
• Orange tinge to skin discoloration due to excessive eating of oranges
• Poor concentration
• Impaired sleep
• Decreased libido

Hypnotherapy or hypnosis helps Anorexia by:

• Teaching self hypnosis
• Stimulating motivation to eat
• Goal setting
• Accessing true body image
• Lowering levels of anxiety
• Increasing feelings of confidence and self esteem
• Emphasizing feelings of general well being
• Exploration of early memories and relationships
• Re-accessing body feelings such as hunger
• Identifying and secondary gains (reasons for holding onto anorexia)
• Identifying triggers - loneliness, boredom, anger, depression, tranquillizing from anxiety, low self esteem, self worth measured by weight, unhappy or disrupted family life - and finding more constructive ways of dealing with these issues.

Bulimia Nervosa

A disease, which is characterised by repeated bouts of overeating and an excessive preoccupation with the control of body weight, leading to the person to adopt extreme measures so as to mitigate the fattening effects of ingested food. Large amounts of food is generally eaten in private with a feeling of lack of control and inability to stop, so to prevent weight gain one or a number of the following techniques are used: vomiting, laxative, diuretics, enemas, fasting and excessive exercise. Self evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight, there is persistent preoccupation with food, client can spend a
large proportion of their waking hours thinking about food, planning the next binge, or feeling appalled by the last. The disease is often triggered by dieting, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression, tranquillizing from anxiety, low self esteem, self worth measured by weight/shape

Physical Complications of Bulimia:

• Dehydration
• Heart disorders (Arrhythmia, cardiomypathe)
• Acute gastric dilation
• Dental erosion
• Aspiration pneumonia (vomit in wind pipe)
• Seizure
• Polysistic Ovary syndrome
• Menstrual irregularities

  Contact: Our London Clinic on; 07780 617 811 Or our Ipswich, Suffolk Clinic on; 0845 0941147 - local call rate.

Binge Eating Disorder is a new disorder which looks like bulimia, with recurrent binge episodes but without the compensatory measures seen in bulimia. As a result many binge eaters are over weight, or of normal weight. Sometimes binge eaters might exercise or skip a meal here and there. They are often distressed about their eating and tend to eat very quickly or in response to a cue, i.e. stress, sadness, anger, often feeling disgusted with themselves after a binge.

Hypnotherapy or hypnosis helps Bulimia by:

• Teaching self hypnosis
• Direct suggestions to stop binge/purge cycle
• Lowering levels of anxiety
• Increasing feelings of confidence and self esteem
• Emphasizing feelings of general well being
• Exploration of early memories and relationships
• Re-accessing body feelings such as fullness
• Identifying and secondary gains (reasons for holding onto bulimia)
• Identifying triggers - loneliness, boredom, anger, depression, tranquillizing from anxiety, low self esteem, self worth measured by weight, unhappy or disrupted personal life - and finding more constructive ways of dealing with these issues.
• Prohibition of certain foods (aversion therapy)
• Increase motivation