This section is written by
Nikki Galleymore
Hypnotherapist and Counsellor
 

 B.A. Psychology and Sociology - Member EAPH
 Advanced Dip.Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy
Advanced Dip. CBT ~ Dip. Gastric Virtual Band

 

 
 

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VIRTUAL GASTRIC BAND HYPNOTHERAPY

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975 and over 39% of adults are overweight, whilst 13% are clinically obese. Being overweight is linked to high blood pressure, high HDL cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, coronary heart disease, a stroke, gall bladder problems and premature death.

Anyone with a BMI above 25 is considered overweight whilst a BMI above 30 is considered obese. Excess weight is clearly a problem many people face. When a client consults for hypnotherapy to obtain weight loss, it can be presumed that their weight has become problematic for them and that there is a genuine desire to change. Typically the client has tried various diets and fads with limited or temporary success, but in the long term, the underlying reasons for their bad eating habits remain unresolved and they ultimately revert to maladaptive eating behaviours. There are many reasons why people indulge in unhealthy eating— emotional, social, psychological, familial or cultural factors may be involved.

Every overweight person has their unique set of triggers for their bad eating habits. Many suffer from low self-esteem and a sense of failure for their inability to control their eating. Gastric Hypnotic Band Therapy is a safe, natural and highly effective weight loss programme.It combines Hypnotherapy with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and all areas of the individual client’s life are explored in order to determine how their relationship with food has developed. Typically, the first three sessions are used for exploration whilst simultaneously introducing positive changes to the client’s lifestyle. Once the client and hypnotherapist have uncovered the core reasons that led to the eating problems, they can then start to change the client’s relationship with food and how they actually feel about eating.

Hypnosis is a profound state of relaxation where the mind becomes more porous, open and susceptible to change and it is an invaluable tool to use when changing habitual behaviour. By working with the subconscious that more readily takes on board positive suggestions, the client is introduced not only to healthier eating habits, but to suggestions designed to enhance the way they feel about themselves and that encourage success. Usually during the fourth session, the actual “virtual gastric band” is fitted using hypnosis to recreate an operating room environment. It is a powerful session and it is designed to reinforce the individual client’s prior therapeutic journey, as well as fit the band. The client is then asked to return in a few weeks so that progress can be monitored, an evaluation of their needs can be made and the band tightened or loosened if necessary.

Gastric Hypno Band therapy is consistently being reported as being as effective as, and frequently more effective than traditional Gastric (Bariatric) Band surgery . Not only is it a safer option, as there is no invasive surgery or risk of complications, but it is also cost effective. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Gastric Hypnotic Band is the holistic approach towards weight loss, where the mind/body connection of unhealthy eating patterns is focused on. Treating the underlying emotional problems associated with weight gain and creating a better self image in the client, creates the maximum chance for success.
 

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ADOPTION

Perhaps the most important thing to consider when working with adoption is attachment issues. However, even though parents and therapists must be aware of and educated about attachment styles and difficulties, it is primordial to stress that the adoptee child or adult does not suffer from “attachment disorder”. She suffers from full-blown, all-out PTSD. The war veteran “ain’t got nothin’ on her”.

I am not good enough for Mummy to keep me. I was rejected, given away. And because it happened once, I have no guarantee it won’t happen again.” This is the core belief of an adoptee, and persists until, and if, she has children of her own.

So, if you are the parent, the partner, or even the therapist: expect and be prepared for not just anger; be prepared for rage. “You say you care about me, you talk about “love”… What the f*#k does that actually mean? Oh wait I know: my own mother loved me enough to give me away!!”

Yet this rage might be so repressed that it is difficult for the untrained eye to see. On the outside, the adoptee might appear to be prefect: a permanent smile, high-achieving, with perfectionistic and people-pleasing tendencies. One of my patients calls herself Chameleon. This little animal able to change its appearance on cue is her mascot, also because the Chameleon originates from an island off the African coast, like her. “When I came into my new family I was five years old. They asked me if I wanted to change my name. I said yes. They asked me if I wanted to straighten my curls. I said yes…I would have said yes to anything.” And then, seeing my face slightly contorted with worry, she flashes me her brightest, most beaming smile ever.

As a parent, expect the adoptee to attach too quickly, almost too easily to you, whilst at the same time quite possibly not attaching at all. Once you become aware of this inevitable distance, it might help to undergo some therapy of your own in order to come to terms that her idea of and tolerance to intimacy might not be the same as yours. It might be incredibly painful to realise that even though she will give you the maximum that she can, she cannot, at least for now, give you what you wanted so desperately. This is especially poignant in the case of mothers who adopt. You wanted a child so much, you went through horrific physical and emotional hardship trying to become a mother, you waited for so long, now she is finally here, except that- sometimes you have a feeling deep inside your gut as if she wasn’t really here. As if…she didn’t really want to be here, but is almost too afraid of upsetting you if she admitted it.

Be patient. Give it time, lots and lots of time. Be very careful of suffocating (smothering) her. This will only create more distance. The adoptee is often like a wild untamed animal; you can put a leash around her neck and pull her close, but as soon as you loosen your grip she will run. Or, to tame the wild animal, you can put a saucer of milk within a safe distance, and wait. Eventually she will draw closer. Eventually she will mirror your smile and smile back, but when this moment comes, do not assume the rift has been repaired. If you do, and reach out to pet her, you might get bitten. Let her take the initiative in everything, and let her come to you.

Intimacy is very hard for most people, but it is excruciatingly complicated for adoptees, because of the deep abandonment wound at the core of their suffering. Yet, this wound can absolutely be healed. And once it is, it opens up a whole new world of magical delight, the joy of true human connection. One of my patients, who was adopted, (into a highly dysfunctional family at that) is now happily married and a mother of two spunky adolescents, neither of which seem to need therapy. She takes enormous pride and joy in her family, the one she created and worked hard for. This patient has many times told me that had she not suffered so much as a child, teenager and young adult, she would never be able to feel the extent of the dizzying gratitude she feels for her amazing life now. And that is what makes it all worthwhile.

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