Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 4 Issue- 10, 1 April 2020 | Page 26

In this instalment I shall discuss the Situational and Thinking Triggers
relating to food and overeating. Eating is a way some people cope with
unpleasant emotions, such as depression, anxiety, anger and loneliness, or
with negative physical states, such as fatigue, tension or pain.
Situational eating is usually stimulated by cues from the environment
that the pleasure of eating is available. For instance, when the clock
indicates its lunchtime, appetite is usually stirred. Passing the window of a
bakery shop and smelling the aromas coming from within can create the
desire to buy and eat some goodie. Certain occasions, such as birthdays,
holidays and vacations, are often cues to eat inappropriately. The simple
act of dining out in a restaurant, fast food or fine dining can stimulate some
to overeat.
Clients who rank high in this category are especially susceptible to
external influences. Perhaps they’re creating this susceptibility by worrying
too much about food, weight and dieting. In any event, as a therapist, we
need to assist them in learning, whenever possible, to avoid cues to eat
and to respond differently to those they can’t avoid. They may need to
rearrange their environment so that inappropriate eating is less likely. This
could involve changing the way they buy, store, cook and serve food and
the way they clean up afterward. You can help them anticipate potential
problems and handle them effectively by planning ahead.
Another important Trigger in inappropriate eating is :-
—the way people think
—including how they talk to themselves,