As it is the New Year, many of us will be turning our thoughts to things we can choose as our Resolutions for making positive changes across our lives. For the majority of us, these will be focussed upon improvements such as stopping bad habits, taking up more exercise or enhancing our self image.
However, for a great number of people across the UK, there will be one thing which occupies their thoughts more than any other issue in their lives – food addiction.
Can You Be Addicted To Food?
Food addiction is a very real condition, where sufferers experience a compulsive craving for food and an inability to control how much they eat, nor register when their stomach is full. Debilitating and difficult for sufferers, an addiction to food is a recognised contributor to obesity and can be very difficult to manage without specialist support and therapy.
While most people can be satisfied by eating a meal, and feel full, people with an addiction to food have different associations and emotions linked with eating. This means that they will turn to food as a comforter when they are feeling stressed or anxious, bored or unhappy, and use food as a form of ‘safety blanket’ to provide reassurance.
Just as with any addiction, it can be very tough for people to recognise some of the emotional responses which they have to eating, and re-programme both the body and the brain to have a healthy approach to food. Most of us will remember certain situations in our childhood where food became either an enemy or a reward, and sometimes these associations can become so deeply embedded within our subconscious mind that it leaves us responding to food in a unhealthy way.
So, how does someone with a food addiction go from an unhealthy relationship with eating, to a healthy one?
The Combined Approach is of Real Benefit
This is a situation where a combined approach of coaching and hypnosis can be really beneficial. Hypnosis will work to undo the negative associations and emotions that the sufferer has with eating, by replacing habit and routine with positive affirmations and a strong sense of willpower and resolve. The hypnotherapy process will tackle the underlying issues which make someone reach for the biscuit barrel when they are feeling nervous or depressed, and instead provide healthy, positive and life-affirming thoughts which encourage a great attitude and approach to food.
At the same time, coaching can be really helpful in addressing some of the underlying reasons behind the food addiction, and supporting the individual to re-think their relationship with food in a more positive and healthy way. Many people who have an unhealthy relationship with eating will have very low self-esteem as a result, and it’s critically important to recognise that this needs to be addressed in order for positive changes to be made. Coaching supports people to gain confidence, set achievable goals for themselves, and approach the issue from a healthy, non-judgmental way.
If you are battling with food addiction at the moment, and are looking for support to become free of your addiction, it’s well worth considering a combination of hypnosis and coaching to help you break out of your negative relationship with food.
In just a few sessions you will be feeling confident in yourself and your own strengths and abilities, and be well on the way to forming a life-long new relationship with food that leaves you feeling nourished, satisfied and – above all – happy with your new body image and confidence.
