Dear EFT Community,
Are you or a loved one struggling with bulimia? Therese Baumgart, EFT practitioner and certified Hypnotherapist how a client with bulimia episodes now uses EFT to control her binging and purging compulsion with great success.
-EFT Universe
By Therese Baumgart, Certified EFT Practitioner
“Linda” is a vibrant athletic career woman and mother. Prior to her first appointment with me, she told me on the phone that she had a food issue, but she was not specific.
When she arrived in my office she said she had never told anybody before, but she had been bingeing and purging for two years.
What began as a twice a month event, had now increased to twice a week. As she related this problem, and through most of our session, Linda was very emotional. I used her information and often her exact wording to construct her EFT set-ups and phrases.
Linda mirrored my tapping on herself as we both worked together.
Here is a sample of our EFT phrases:
Even though I feel ashamed and disgusted with myself, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though this is a secret I never told anyone, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though I’m so humiliated and embarrassed, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though binging and purging is my secret, and I’m so ashamed, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though if they found out, they would say, “Linda, it’s so disgusting; it’s so repulsive; Linda, how could you do that?” I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though the worst thing in the world is for them to find out, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though they would criticize me, they would reject me, they would judge me harshly, I deeply and completely accept myself.
After Linda had released all the intensity on the above phrases down from 10 to 1, I suggested some other phrases, to tap in some perspective, and a reframe, on her situation.
Here are some of the reframe phrases:
Even though if they had the same problem, I would be supportive and compassionate, as I deeply and completely accept myself and them.
Even though I have to be perfect, they are perfect, as I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though they don’t have any problems, they don’t have any secrets, I deeply and completely accept myself.
We concluded the session with the following:
I choose to extend compassion and emotional support to myself.
I choose kindness, flow, and serenity (Linda’s words).
I choose to treat myself with respect and dignity.
I choose to treat myself with kindness and compassion.
As Linda was getting ready to leave she mentioned she was most tempted to binge and purge in the afternoons. So for additional support between our first and second session (which would be in two weeks), I recommended that every morning before starting her daily activities Linda “set up the day” with EFT.
These are the set-up-the-day phrases:
In the afternoon when I feel conflicted and restless, I choose peace, flow and serenity.
I extend kindness and compassion to myself, I choose self-respect and dignity.
I also told Linda to follow her own thoughts and use them for her EFT set-ups and statements.
I believe that part of Linda’s rapid progress is due to her high motivation to help herself and her complete acceptance and enthusiasm for EFT. She had started our first session extremely distressed and crying and ended the session with a huge confident smile, saying that she felt “wonderful.”
Linda’s second appointment was two weeks later.
She reported that she had not had any bulimia episodes and had been faithful in doing her set-up-the-day phrases and in tapping daily on whatever issues came up. She had even attended her family’s Thanksgiving dinner, felt a little too full, but had used EFT to handle the situation successfully.
During her second appointment we identified a core issue/incident from her childhood involving her mother, which echoed some of the emotions and thoughts around her bulimia. We used EFT to release these related core issues from 10 down to 0.
Linda is now optimistic and confident about her continued success, and so am I.
Below is an excerpt of a note that Linda sent me after her first session:
As I reflect on the last 1 1/2 weeks since we met, the overall sense I have is that the torment is gone from my relationship with food. Before I came to see you and had my first EFT session I had definite feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness, and helplessness about binging and my weight. I did not realize the amount of shame I felt about my actions in the area of binging.
As I tap each morning and sometimes in the evening, my “sayings” are generally:
Even though I use food to soothe my feelings, I know there are healthy ways to comfort and care for myself, as I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though I feel helpless in the afternoon and I want to eat lots of sweets, I know this is a natural feeling, and I find healthy ways to care for myself, as I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though I feel powerless over sweets, I know I am a free, fit and satisfied woman who accepts and takes care of herself, because I deeply and completely accept myself.
I have to say for the first time I feel like I have a healthy home inside myself, a place I can go, through tapping, that soothes, comforts and cares for me and my feelings. I hear the torment and I “go home” to the comfort and compassion of the tapping session. It is truly a relief and grace for me.
I look forward to our next session.
