Greetings from Doc Judie
In my last post, I talked about spending time with a young women in the emergency room of a small town hospital. She had a low blood count and was care flighted to a city with facilities that could handle her emergency. As a follow up, there is good news and bad news. Leukemia has been ruled out, but the experts are connecting her low blood count to her on going eating disorder. This problem is connected with body imaging and is so common in my young adolescent clients..
It is not surprising that eating disorders are on the rise considering the emphasis our society places on being thin. Ads in magazines and on the television tend to use the most idealized images of women, touched up and air-brushed to perfection.
Statistics on eating disorders are staggering. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 10 million people in the United States, mainly women, struggle with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Then there are those who show signs of disordered eating yet don’t fit the exact clinical definitions of anorexia or bulimia. These cases are designated eating disorder not otherwise specified, or EDNOS. Binge eating is a type of EDNOS. And it is the sufferers of EDNOS that lack categorization and treatment options, often causing long-term damage.
While eating disorders may start with preoccupations with food and weight, they are most often about much more than food. People with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming.
The best treatment to date is through the Mayo Clinic. They use family therapy as the entire family as to be educated about the behavior of their daughter and in a few cases, their sons. It is tricky because the therapists are working with behavioral problems and physical problems that are deeply entrenched into the minds of the clients suffering from this disorder.It is often found in other members of the family, and an attitude about maintaining a certain look or weight.
Clinical hypnosis can be one of the most effective interventions in the treatment of eating disordered clients. Many of the young clients who have shown signs of eating disorders have deep seated control issues and do not trust new interventions. It is a slow process and building rapport must first be established as clients can view hypnosis as something that is going to take away their perceived control. Relaxation is the best place to start. Teaching relaxation techniques while the client is in an altered state is not only effective and a good place to build trust and shift their thinking to new possibilities about the way they look at their body. The addition of clinical hypnosis by a skilled professional greatly enhances the treatment of an eating disordered client. Clients find that hypnosis actually helps them regain control and maintain a healthy weight.
I usually start by giving my clients " a vacation" to go to a place where they look just right, not too fat and not too skinny, but just right. They are accepted and people admire their toned bodies and their level of energy. There is a wonderful buffet at the vacation place, and the client select foods that are so delicious and so good for them. They just know what to eat they are attracted to tropical fruits, vegetables, and perhaps a source of protein such as fresh shrimp or slow roasted chicken. (check with their preferences before giving suggestions) The food nourishes their bodies and the automatically stop eating when their are full. The food is sacred, it is a special type of fuel that makes their bodies build lean muscles and gives them energy, when they eat this sacred food, they look and feel beautiful. The mind starts to realize that this is a true statement and they start looking at their bodies as vehicles without "gas" not going anywhere.
Consider hypnosis in a treatment plan if you have this condition, or if you know someone who suffers from an eating disorder. Hypnosis incorporated into the plan can speed up a long on going process by addressing the problem where it began, deep in the subconscious, the emotional part of the mind.
Here is to your mental and physical health
Doc Judie
775 7823889 judie@docjudie.com
