I started my emotional eating behaviors at a very early age & most likely, will have them forever. Whenever I share this with others, especially my patients, they are disappointed, believing that since I'm a therapist, I should have been able to "rid mySelf" of these. What they are really saying is that if a therapist couldn't change emotional eating behaviors, then there is no hope for them. While, on the surface, that seems to be the truth, there is an upside to this, for there are some benefits hidden underneath what appears to be a negative.
Here we are practicing "interactive self-hypnosis." Our goal is to get underneath the problem, for that is where the cleaning needs to happen & that is where the answers reside. So, while I'm not a fan of my emotional eating issues, I'm happy to have the opportunity to go even further underneath them, because the debris that is there is not about eating, but about other things. In this instance the desire to eat emotionally is actually actually an catalyst of energy for opening further into my subconscious mind. Through the years I've been able to dig up lots of "negative treasure"...& each time I'm able to do this, I free myself even further from the part of my past that has blocked me in other areas of my life. Most of that negative treasure is connected to self-image & self-esteem issues that have bothered my relationships with others, as well as my relationship with mySelf. These negative treasures have kept me locked up creatively, for indeed, one cannot be truly creative with locks on the doors.
I'm going to invite you to look over my shoulder as I work with some current emotional eating issues that actually popped up today, but before that...
A NOTE TO NEW READERS:
This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.
FINDING & EXCAVATING TREASURES
If you follow my writing, you know that I like to utilize automatic journaling & I have a need to do just that today. Each time a negative behavior or habit surfaces, you have the opportunity to treasure trove. Let me break this activity into sections so it's easier to understand. First, you come to notice the thought or desire to eat for emotional reasons. This is easy to know because if it's not meal time or if you change your menu to something less healthy, you know that your emotional eating issue has clicked in. Now that you are "aware", the next thing to do is to "release". This means moving out of the "circus of the world" & into the Golden Egg. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to go back & read the earlier chapters of the book. All releasing of mind & body tension is done inside the Golden Egg or place of meditation. Here you are also in direct communication with your Higher Self & Therapeutic Self. Sometimes the tension related to the emotional eating is higher than other times, so the amount of time needed for releasing may change. For my issues today, I needed to remove myself from the kitchen & go into my office. I ended up sitting in my Golden Egg for about five minutes, which is quite a long time. However, this also told me that I was going to dig up some very valuable "treasure."
Once you have released sufficiently & you will know this intuitively, then you are ready to "treasure trove." You cannot excavate treasure before releasing or half releasing. In other words, you can't cheat. The subconscious mind will not let you. When I'm releasing, especially in a situation like I faced today, I had my automatic journal under my hands. I imaged each releasing breath going down my arms, through my hands & into the actual journal. I was making it clear to my subconscious mind that I wanted to "treasure trove". My creative mind was opening with each breath & already knowing my desires. When I felt comfortable regarding my releasing, I opened my journal & began communicating with my Higher Self, Therapeutic Self & Inner Mentors or Coaches.
"Thank you for being here for me. I sense mySelf underneath the emotions that were pulling me towards releasing through food. I am open to receiving knowledge about why I was being pulled today & especially with such a vengeance. I haven't felt this degree of pulling in a very long time & I would like to dig up the reasons for this. Please give me the directions to do this." I sit quietly & just let my questioning find it's place. I do not demand or make any further effort. I know that the answers I'm seeking will be forthcoming, either now or later today, but they will come because I have asked in the proper way. I am relaxed & open for receiving. This is all that is asked of me. The timing is up to the subconscious mind or Higher Self. I don't receive any answers right now & I accept this. I wait for a bit & then return to my daily activity.
I'm washing the dishes, running the warm water over my hands while scaping the plates. Silence is around me & I'm at peace with mySelf. Visiting images enter my mind. My own need to be clear of debris. Putting things back to order & finding a new balance for a variety of things that I cannot change; things that I'm frightened about. I can go into each of these fearful images & bring them to the light. I haven't been doing that & so they have accumulated & festered in the fearful marinade I've allowed to be. Some of these images are very big, having to do with illness, death & the dying process. I have a huge room in my subconscious mind for these fears, since my father died unexpectedly when I was a young child, so this room has been activated & is very connected to high level emotions that want to be fed with food. I know this consciously, but the tending must be done meditatively or in self-hypnosis. I return to my automatic writing journal & do what is necessary. As I clear this big negative treasure, I understand mySelf on a new level & can therefore care for mySelf on a new level. Yes, it was a very big treasure & I am grateful.
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.
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