I recently received a nervous call from a 55-year-old female recovering alcoholic and drug addict. She has been sober 15 years, but now she is experiencing a problem with what she called her sugar addiction.
I have helped many people with this issue.
While the treatment is similar to most addictions, one crucial distinction is the sugar itself, which can spark sleep problems, irritability, night and day sweats, heart palpitations, rapid breathing and nervousness.
Most of these symptoms mimic a panic and anxiety attack. The recovering addict does not realize this. Panic and anxiety commonly are triggered by a period of low blood sugar. The brain needs sugar to function. If it is not receiving a sufficient amount, it will create a scenario that will cause adrenaline to be produced. This, in turn, feeds the brain with what it needs. Ultimately, it further depletes the body’s sugar reserves.
A False Premise
If someone on a freeway on-ramp suddenly experiences such attacks for the first time, this will unsettle him he will trick himself into believing that getting on the freeway was the trigger. An association has been made within the subconscious. From now on, every freeway on-ramp will bring back the same negative reaction.
The two elements are, of course, unrelated.
It could take years for the person to unravel the mystery – unless he finds a hypnotist who will show him how to correct the error. Usually, a reversal can be achieved within nine weeks.
I have said sugar but I should have said carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates quickly break down to sugar, and they are rapidly burned up by our bodies. Correspondingly, our sugar levels swiftly plummet, leaving the person on an emotional roller coaster. When the blood sugar level is low the person experiences sweating, nervousness, irritability. He is reduced to making poor, emotion-drenched decisions. When the sugar level is high, a person feels more energetic.
This was happening for the recovering alcoholic I spoke about. She had been experiencing traditional panic and anxiety symptoms. She realized sugar was her latest substitute addiction. Spiraling out of her control, she meant to stop it.
She constantly poured sugar into her system. When she wasn’t practically drinking it, she would crave it. When consuming large amounts, the same symptoms she felt when she drank, now were invading her body again. She feared a relapse into alcoholism.
Small Doses
I have said before a protein-rich diet, taking in small amounts of protein every two hours, is the solution. A protein rich-breakfast, protein snack, protein lunch, protein snack, protein dinner and protein snack. No meal or snack need be large.
The diet I gave her recommends eliminating all carbohydrates for 21 days. I do not agree with that, but as long as the client understands he or she must understand two factors:
• Reduce carbohydrate input by 75 percent for three weeks, and
• When eating carbohydrates, ensure balance by eating plenty of protein.
Following that formula, blood sugar levels begin to stabilize. Panic attacks ease and disappear.
The diet, coupled with hypnotic intervention to help the client become desensitized to the attacks, resolves most panic and anxiety. In this case it eliminated her need to sugar binge. Uncomfortable at first, she was unsure what to do. The day after her first session, she called to ask me what to do. You see, on the way home the night before, she bought brownies. But she never touched them.
Her mind registered that she had bought the brownies. She soon forgot about the. This meant the suggestions for the desensitization process were beginning to work. Her subconscious was giving her the necessary thoughts to eliminate her panic, and most importantly, to halt her sugar cravings.
Hypnosis helps you vanquish behaviors that you accept to become the actions that you want.
Within four sessions, my client was enjoying her life with much less sugar in her system, no panic attacks and a greatly elevated energy level.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net
