Hypnotherapy & Bulimia

Hypnotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapies are commonly used to help treat bulimia nervosa, the eating disorder, and may achieve quicker results than the more traditional therapies, according to Australian researchers.

78 bulimia patients participated in the study which took place over eight weeks. Their results were compared with those on a waiting list who had not received any treatment at all.

The two treatments were found to be equally beneficial, and the data showed significant improvements in the participants in the treatment groups which were not seen in the patients who were on the waiting list and had received no treatment of any kind.

Both the hypnotherapy and the cognitive behavioral groups had similar low levels of bingeing or purging after the treatment ended. Interestingly, the effects were similar to those achieved by therapeutic approaches, which usually take much longer.

Griffiths RA, et al. Eur Eating Disord Rv, 1994; 2:202-20

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