Dear Readers,
We get a lot of questions about the use of hypnosis in eating disorder treatment, so I thought it would be useful to have Bart Walsh LCSW write about his theory of why hypnosis can help some eating disordered patients remit symptoms and feel better in “their own skins”. At Kartini Clinic we make every attempt to address “the whole child” in a holistic approach to medical and mental health treatment. Not every patient or every parent may be comfortable with Bart’s approach, but many are. Hypnosis is, at all times, administered in the setting of weight restoration, family involvement and the other aspects of treatment outlined in my blog and on our website. – Dr. O’Toole
Unconscious communication, hypnosis and eating disorder treatment
The treatment of eating disorders (ED) like anorexia nervosa (AN), eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) and bulimia nervosa (BN) pose significant challenges to both affected individuals, their families and treatment providers. Systemic in their symptomatic expression, these diseases influence thought, mood, perception and behavior. Much of the AN, BN and EDNOS symptom complex demonstrates hypnotic trance phenomena like time distortion (expanded or contracted perception of time), hallucination, catalepsy (involuntary tonicity of muscles or suspension of voluntary movement), amnesia and dissociation. This poses hypnosis as a good fit for particular parts of ED treatment.
Scientific investigation points to significant heritability factors and genetic expression linked to the ED symptom complex. Given the deep and comprehensive level of psychobiological functioning expressed by the ED, much benefit can be derived from therapeutically accessing these deep levels of functioning. The entity we call the unconscious mind has access to various levels of psychological and physiological functioning. It knows about past experience and the learning and emotion tied to experience. It knows what is happening in the body and can have significant influence on that. It knows about skills, abilities and potentials held by an individual. It has a wonderful production crew that puts on a show during sleep. The unconscious can be considered an expert on self. This expert can be consulted directly through hypnotic trance or other means. The unconscious expresses itself regularly through the body, most commonly as body language, and in dreams. Direct communication with the unconscious is a wonderful way for an individual to gain much more control.
Consider hypnosis like two people going for a drive. In your waking state the conscious mind has the steering wheel, while the unconscious is in the passenger seat working on the lap top computer, getting all kinds of things done. In a sleep state or a trance state, its the unconscious that has the steering wheel. The conscious mind may be observing everything from the passenger seat or it may be asleep in the back seat or it may move back and forth between those two positions.
Trance simply reflects unconscious dominance over one’s experience. We all experience natural trance states like day dreaming, spacing out, singular focus on an activity and tuning out while watching television. Hypnosis utilizes a person’s natural trance facility.
Work with the unconscious can be done effectively through a form of body language known as ideomotor (ideo= idea, motor= movement) questioning. A signaling system, much like head nods and shakes, is set up for yes and no responses from the unconscious. Fingers are often used as signals. Questions and possibilities are then posed to the unconscious and it responds through the yes or no signals. No trance induction is needed for this kind of communication with the unconscious.
At the Kartini Clinic various forms of unconscious communication have been employed to establish a realistic body image and remit a multitude of ED symptoms. This approach is also useful for managing anxiety, other mood disturbances, addictions and phobias
Bart Walsh, LCSW
