I had hypnotherapy to stop me eating chocolate. AMA.

[kindnessiseverything]

5 years ago.
I'm a big fan of hypnotherapy now

@kindnessiseverything

This is interesting. I drink way too much wine and would really like to cut back but not completely cut it out. Do you think hypnotherapy could help?

I think so. I was definitely offered the choice to just cut back on the chocolate. I seem to recall the therapist really stressing that it might be the better option but I was adamant that I wanted to cut it out completely.

Thank you. I really appreciate your reply! I'm going to look into it.

i've always thought people going to have gastric reduction surgery, for extreme obesity, should try hypno therapy first.
no dangers of surgery, no side effects. in fact i think the nhs should offer this, might save a lot of money for them, and less invasive/risky for the patient.
saw it on tv some years ago. was astonishing. the therapist spoke to the client as if she was having bariatric surgery.
pre-med etc, then feeling sore afterwards, then she will find she cannot eat so much now, as her stomach is smaller.
it worked.

alexgdr - I'm with you on that. There are lots of things that I would think hypnotherapy could help but the issue of the person having to want it to help might get in the way sometimes.

For example, my DS has a needle phobia.

Hypnotherapy apparently won't work for him as he thinks his fear of needles is totally normal and it's us who are mad for allowing nurses and doctors to stab needles into our arms .

And it didn't work for my DH as he was too sceptical I think. He'd decided it wasn't going to work before he even sat in the chair
He also didn't do the homework exercises that the therapist gave him.

This is interesting. I had hypnotherapy for fear of flying and it was a waste of money - did not work at all! I was sure it would work so I don't think it was my "fault".

OP - has anyone accidentally given you chocolate and you didn't realise? How would you feel if you ate it accidentally?

How did you find a hypnotherapist? Can they work in lockdown?

Were you worried that the hypnotist might do something dodgy while they were in there, like make you act like a chicken any time someone said KFC or touch you inappropriately while you were "out"?

Are you in the Cambridgeshire area? Would love to try hypnotherapy for my needle phobia.

I had something similar about 15 years ago but it didn't work for me, would love to try again.

How did you know you were 'ready' to give it up? I am addicted to chocolate (I know some people will scoff at that word) and it has ruined big parts of my life - my confidence and enjoyment of life but mainly my health yet I still can't give it up. I want more than anything to but the 'addicted' part of me doesn't want to so I think that means hypnotherapy won't work?

Also, was it easy to think of things that repulse you? When I had hypnotherapy years and still now, there is very little that grosses me out so I would struggle to think of anything I would have a strong reaction to.

@ButterflyBitch

Why the fuck would you want to stop eating chocolate? That’s it, that’s my only question

I wondered this too, if it wasn't for weight loss. But I suppose if it was similar to an addiction and controlling your life you'd want to stop.

for health reasons presumably.
if a person is eating 3, 4, 5 bars of chocolate a day, every day, that's going to be bad for teeth, liver, heart, all sorts of processes in the body. and weight gain. and the depressive aspect of being enslaved.
it's no mystery to me.
if you have only temperate likes and preferences, lucky you.

And can lead to diabetes

I'm the least "woo" person I know and it worked for me and my smoking addiction 15 years ago.

I was working 60 hours' weeks, doing a lot of client entertaining and most people smoked.

My (equally pragmatic) colleague tried it, worked for him and he recommended it.

Hi op. Could you pm me the details please. Really need to stop eating sugar. Thanks 😊

I did exactly the same as you OP many years ago. For whatever reason my 'chocolate aversion' lasted about five years and then 'wore off'. My therapist used a slightly different hypnosis approach whereby she didn't link chocolate to foods that repel me - perhaps if she had, it would have been more permanent.

The same therapist cured my mum of smoking in one session. She went from 20 a day to 0 despite finding the session irritating (the therapists voice annoyed her), being very sceptical and needing a wee for the the whole time. She never smoked again (about 25 years).

I have a hypnosis app which I listen to as I'm going to sleep which has stopped me from binging chocolate. I still enjoy it in small amounts.

Think it does similar to what you're describing OP by linking the idea of chocolate with repulsive foods. Obviously I'm sure it's not as personalised and intense as the individual sessions. But it's worked well for me and I haven't overeaten chocolate for years now.

I still listen to it every evening as it relaxes me and helps me go to sleep!

@PaintTheFence what app is that please?

It's this one (hope the photo works)

This is interesting. I had hypnotherapy for fear of flying and it was a waste of money - did not work at all! I was sure it would work so I don't think it was my "fault".
Definitely not your fault! Shouldn't the therapist have tried a different type/format.
I first had hypnotherapy many many moons ago for a picking habit. My recollection (but it was about 30 years ago) was that he first tried Suggestion therapy and when that didn't work for me he used Regression therapy. That worked.

OP - has anyone accidentally given you chocolate and you didn't realise? How would you feel if you ate it accidentally?
Yes, it happens on the odd occasion that I'm offered cappuccino. I always say "no chocolate sprinkles please" but sometimes they forget and then just try and scoop them off. I also was invited to some friends for coffee one morning not that long ago and one of the guys was chuffed to bits to present the cake he'd made especially for us; they were quite new friends and didn't know about the chocolate. I pushed the cake around my plate with a fork for a bit, feeling more and more uncomfortable and in the end, I had to come clean. I felt really bad as they'd made the cake especially and I did think about trying to eat around the chocolate (it was a marble type cake) but I couldn't do it and was feeling more and more sicky just with it in front of me.

How did you find a hypnotherapist? Can they work in lockdown?
The guy I went to 30 years ago, I found through a register of qualified hypnotherapists. The lady I used for the chocolate was recommended to me by a mutual friend. I think some therapists offer Zoom/Skype.

Were you worried that the hypnotist might do something dodgy while they were in there, like make you act like a chicken any time someone said KFC or touch you inappropriately while you were "out"?
I don't think so. I remember with the original guy, once we did the regression therapy, I was back being a very young girl and I was talking in the voice of a very young girl and saying childish things. I knew I sounded very daft but at the same time, it felt ok. And I'm sure I would have known if something was really 'not right'. You're not really 'out'. I think the term is "a very deep state of relaxation".

Are you in the Cambridgeshire area? Would love to try hypnotherapy for my needle phobia.
No. But I'm sure there are plenty of really good hypnotherapists in Cambridgeshire.

I've now seen how to reply using the quote button so I'll continue answering the questions that way

@Crimblecrumble1990

I had something similar about 15 years ago but it didn't work for me, would love to try again.

How did you know you were 'ready' to give it up? I am addicted to chocolate (I know some people will scoff at that word) and it has ruined big parts of my life - my confidence and enjoyment of life but mainly my health yet I still can't give it up. I want more than anything to but the 'addicted' part of me doesn't want to so I think that means hypnotherapy won't work?

Also, was it easy to think of things that repulse you? When I had hypnotherapy years and still now, there is very little that grosses me out so I would struggle to think of anything I would have a strong reaction to.

I was eating it in secret and I felt out of control. I think the control was the deciding factor for me. Plus, I think I was using chocolate for comfort. You could always just speak to a hypnotherapist and tell them what you've told us here; they might have some suggestions for ways to help you.

I used fox poo, dead birds and fish innards as my repulsive things.

@ButterflyBitch

Why the fuck would you want to stop eating chocolate? That’s it, that’s my only question

It was controlling me. Or at least, that's how it felt. And I'd read somewhere that anything you do in secret is dangerous.

I've had a look in the App store; there are quite a few apps with good reviews.

I see you said you had it years ago for a picking problem. I am having a serious jaw clamping problem (24/7)
As it's involuntary/stress related would hypnotherapy be able to stop me doing it do you think?