Help For Eating Disorders – – Hypnotherapy and NLP/

You Can Stop Food Phobia

Hypnotherapy and NLP to Help You Stop Food Phobia And Restricted Eating Problems


Hypnotherapy can help you

  • You can overcome food phobia.
  • You can stop restrictive eating.,
  • We have helped many clients
  • To get rid of this ghastly phobia.
  • How much better will you feel,
  • When in control of what you eat.

case history»

‘Here’s a brief history of how I (Steve Tromans) first became involved with resolving food phobias…’


Where Does A Phobia Of Food Come From?

Sometimes a person knows, or remembers some incident from childhood when they became very fearful of food but usually a person has no memory because it happened at such a young age. It is quite common for very young children to go of their food for a few days, usually to the total alarm of the parents, although usually the child naturally re-establishes a ‘normal’ relationship with eating before long. The good news, in terms of helping food phobia, is that it doesn’t matter how it began.

The Parent Tries Everything But Nothing Seems To Work

Occasionally though the person gets ‘stuck’ into a set of thoughts and feelings about food that make them which results in a phobic response to certain (often most) types of foods. The parent tries everything under the sun to get them to eat more food but nothing seems to work. When they express their concerns to the doctor they are usually told that the child will grow out of it, and to be fair, the child usually does in time.

Stuck With A Food Phobia

The clients we see are usually adults, often those who have tried lots of things to get rid of their phobia, quite often those who have never done anything about it but have reached the point in their lives when they are totally ‘fed up’ with the fear.  What they have invariably experienced every time they have tried to eat a ‘new’ food is a gagging or choking response, and it is the fear of gagging, the anticipation that it is ‘going to happen’ that continues to drive the problem.

What Can Be Done About A Phobia Of Food?

Essentially, a fear of food is not a complicated thing, its not like someone is doing a host of different things in their mind when it comes to trying new food. They are doing one thing, the same way, each time. It usually surprises people that this phobia can often be dealt with quite quickly over 3 or 4 sessions, and occasionally one session has sufficed.

What Exactly Will You Do To Help My Food Phobia

We use direct effective reconditioning techniques from the fields of both hypnotherapy and NLP. We deal with the patterns that have become established and we don’t care where they started because however they started they have become habituated. Now this may be a big, unpleasant habit but it is a habit nevertheless, and habits can be changes.


Please feel free to make comments and or ask questions.

37 Responses

  1. Charissa McCarthy says:

    My son has SED and food phobia. He’s in food therapy and seeing several specalists. He’s only 2 years old. We live in Oklahoma City,OK USA. Any thoughts on who could help us here?

    • steve says:

      Hi Charissa and sorry to hear that. As most of us tend to work with cognitive functions, 2 years old is too young for what we do. I wish I could offer more support. All I can say is that the more relaxed and gentle and consistent you are around food, and with your son, the easier it will be for him. Also, avoid using ‘negative language’ around him, people generally have little idea how what we say and what we hear affects us and those around us. For example, never, whilst he is in listening distance, say anything like ‘our son finds eating really difficult, he has a problem with food’, etc etc etc, as comments like this about the problem can actually make it worse. As I say, just be gentle, positive and supportive. People dont realise how difficult these problems can be for the parents… Steve Tromans – London

  2. Maeve Loughran says:

    Hello.
    I was wondering if you could help. My daughter is 19 years old and lives on a very restricted diet. All she eats is plain pasta, bread, crisps, chocolate and very little else. She is not anorexic or bulimic. She just doesn’t like the taste of food and will not try anything new. We live in Belfast but she is going to university in Liverpool at end of September.
    Regards
    Maeve

    • steve says:

      Hi Maeve
      Well firstly it is important that your daughter actually wants help with this common problem. Restrictive eaters so often eat no vegetables or fruit at all… In terms of the most local person to her, there is Nick Kemp who works out of Manchester some of the time. Alternatively she could come down to see me in London. It us usually best to do one-to-one work with restrictive eating and though this can be done via Skype I prefer work face to face with this.
      Steve Tromans

  3. Annie says:

    Hi
    Can u help me iv suffered with a food phobia now for nearly 3years it’s raining my life iv tried all kinds of therapy. I live on fortisip now and my gp has told me I’m gona get really sick. I’m so scared of putting food in my mouth and swallowing it
    Can u help me?
    I live in northern ireland

    • steve says:

      Hi Annie yes hopefully I can, I will certainly do my best. Food aversion issues are best dealt with face to face though, so it would entail you coming to see me here in London. Best Wishes Steve Tromans

      • Annie says:

        Thanks for the reply, do you think the nhs would help me with your treatment? It’s seriously affecting my life, relationships with all family members and my health
        Many thanks
        Annie

  4. meredith says:

    Hello,
    My daughter has had food phobia since she was 12 months old. She is now 14. I had her in food therapy for a whole year when she was 3. They couldn’t help her. Now she is seeing a therapist, but I don’t think she is helping all that much. The problem is that my daughter is resistant to getting better. Do you know anyone in San Diego, California that could help?
    Thanks.

    • steve says:

      Hi Meredith

      Th closest person I know who is really good is Pam Castillo in L.A. You may well find it worth it to travel to see someone excellent such as Pam. There is a link to her biography page and contact information at the foot of this page. Steve Tromans: Harley Street London.

  5. Katie says:

    Hello,
    My son is 11, and has become terrified of eating. He first started starving himself about 3 months ago. I was able to get him past that, but now he always wants me to take a bite of his food to make sure it is “safe”, and he almost has a panic attack if I don’t. I don’t want to encourage this behavior, but want him to eat. He’s been obsessive regarding expiration dates as well. I live in Arizona. Any words of advice is greatly appreciated!

    Also, I was wondering if there was any good reading material that would be helpful for me to better understand what he is going through.
    Thank you for taking the time to read this and respond! I know your time is valuable, and I appreciate your words of wisdom!!!

    • steve says:

      Hi Katie

      I am sorry but I dont know any good reading material I can recommend for this. Usually the child will grow out of it, though that is little comfort for the child and his parents whilst they are going through it, and sometimes it can go on for ages. Really I would recommend seeing someone who has experience in dealing with this issue but unfortunately I don’t know anyone in Arizona. Some of my colleagues in the USA work via Skype though, and if you could make the trip it might well be worth going to see Pam in L.A. I certainly think it would be a good idea to telephone her. Pam’s contact info is at the foot of this page. Best of luck. Steve Tromans, London.

      • Katie says:

        Thank you! I appreciate you responding to me! Hopefully this will pass!

        -Best wishes

        • steve says:

          Wishing you the best of luck Katie, the calmer and more balanced the parents can stay in these situations (and I know it isn’t easy…) the better for the child.

  6. Gemma Crawford says:

    Hi I’m wondering if you can help me I’m really bad with food and think I may have a phobia I only eat chicken and processed food it’s starting to get me down now and affecting my son I wish I could like other meats and home cooked meals but i can’t I’m starting to loose the will to live could I be helped

    • steve says:

      Hi

      Yes, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables are common classes of foods to avoid for someone with a food phobia, and if there is just one type of meat someone will eat then it is usually chicken. This kind of problem is much more widespread than most people realise and it is possible to get help. It is often best done one-to-one so get in touch with someone local for help, if one of us is local to you then that’s great but do go and get help wherever you are. Best Wishes, Steve Tromans: London.

  7. Yamada Yousuke says:

    Hello..I’m Yamada, I have thai food phobia…every time when I see any thai food I’m disgusted, feeling like I’m going to vomit if I am forced to eat..I really need to overcome this. I used to love Thai food when I was 4, but I don’t know why I didn’t like it anymore…please help me! dailyemailyamada@yahoo.co.uk I owe you if you give me an email!

    • steve says:

      Hi Yamada
      I will be happy to help you if I can. Where are you based? Are you in the south East of England? If not then hopefully I will be able to refer you to someone. Steve Tromans.

  8. Lily says:

    Hi, ever since I can remember I have been scared to eat or even try sometimes even touch different foods. All I eat is plain chicken, plain beef steak, most types of potato part from mash but again plain, parsnips, apples & bananas and that is about it. When I was younger my family would try and make me eat different types of food & I would sit there & cry until I was able to leave I would refuse to eat anything I didn’t like. It got to the stage where I wouldn’t even touch different foods. As I have got older is has started to effect my body & I am going traveling around the world in less than 5 months, but I am terrified I am basically going to starve myself if I go to a place where there is not chips for me to eat. Foods look & smell so good but I just can’t get myself to eat it. It feels like I have a mental block. It’s really embarrassing when I meet new people & I have to explain my eating habits or to go out for dinner with friends & family I can’t ever have dressings or sauce on my food I have to explain I must have it plain. Could you please help me!!

    • steve says:

      Hi Lily
      Thanks for your post and I also enjoyed our telephone conversation. So the answer is ‘Yes’ hopefully 🙂
      Steve Tromans
      07900 240192

    • steve says:

      Just a quick update on Lily. At the end of the session last night she ate lettuce and cucumber and rocket and tomato and an olive. She didn’t like the olive at all but I tried it and didn’t either (and I like olives) She also ate chicken. Now Lily had eaten chicken before but this time the entire salad (from Pret) was covered in dressing. This is a real breakthrough for her and I am delighted. Just a quick note to say that I don’t get everyone to try food. If people thought they would have to eat something when they came to see me most people with this issue would be to worried to book an appointment. It is optional and not always appropriate. The idea is to give people more control, not take it away. Steve Tromans.

  9. emma says:

    Hi my name is Emma when I was younger I ate something that made me throw up since then I have had a problem with food,it has got better over the years but there are foods I can not eat mostly healthy things,all of meat I only eat chicken can’t even eat Christmas dinners or salads,would love to be able to eat all this all started when I was about 5 I’m 32 now have tried but just can’t do it,is hypnosis the best way to sort this?? Thank you

    • steve says:

      Hi Emma

      Yes that is often how it starts, though sometimes people don’t actually remember what exactly kicked it off. I use this combination of hypnotherapy and the very direct brain training techniques of NLP to help people neutralise the fears so that they can much more easily try new foods. So the answer is yes, I may be able to help. If you aren’t anywhere near London then look for someone with stacks of experience sorting food phobias. Not everyone has experience with this. Best Wishes Steve Tromans

  10. Jelena says:

    Hi, I have been suffering from eating problems since I was a small child and today I am in my thirties. In my childhood I experienced a lot of vomiting and over time I developed a very serious nervous vomiting disorder until the point when I couldn’t keep any food and became debilitatingly thin and weak. Over time I became completely phobic of vomiting to the point of having panic attacks because of the fear every time I would eat. The panic attacks became a daily basis problem so to avoid them I starve myself. The problem is more sever at night so I haven’t been having dinners for nearly four years now. Basically I stop eating each day after lunch and have a very restricted diet since I’m too afraid I won’t digest certain foods and that I’ll vomit. I’ve been in therapy for a long time and for the same reasons I’ve been on several medications but nothing really helped to eliminate the fear and as a consequence the panic attacks. My life is limited in so many ways that I can’t even begin to explain. I don’t live in England but I would be willing to travel if needed. I desperately need some help. Thank you for your time and your help. I truly appreciate it.

  11. steve says:

    HI Jelena
    Sorry to hear of your problems it must be very difficult. Clearly it is important that you continue with whatever conventional medical help you are getting. It isnt easy giving specific advice here as I really need more information. Please feel free to email me on steventromans@gmail.com
    I will say though that I do believe anything can be sorted out. That doesn’t mean I am always right. Whatever changes come about will result in a gentle fundamental change in your lifestyle. There are lots of gentle ways to begin to sort long term panic and anxiety. Wonders can be experienced from the right kind of meditation, from yoga, from Qi-Gong etc etc. They dont tend to be immediately beneficial though, these sorts of practices. There are a number of people worldwide that may be able to provide more immediate help. If it were me I would also be getting you to do something like yoga/simple meditation etc daily. Do feel free to email me.

    • Jelena says:

      Thank you very much for your reply Steve. I have just sent you an email to the address above mentioned with more info. I look forward to hearing your feedback. Thank you in advance for your time and help. I appreciate it enormously.

  12. Amy says:

    Hi, I’m Amy and I’m 26. I’ve been a fussy eater since I was around 2. Literally all I eat is chips, crisps and chocolate. My weight is creeping up and up and I don’t want to die young. I have a daughter and I would love nothing more than to enjoy a family meal with her. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

  13. Faye says:

    Hi
    I have had a food phobia for as long as I can remember and I am now 23. Its really getting me down as I constantly want to try new foods and start cooking, but its the fear of trying something new and more the texture of foods rather than the taste! I only really eat processed foods, chips, crisps (all food my friends describe as beige.) I just don’t know how to overcome this, I dont eat any meat, fruit or vegetables and haven’t for many years. I’m worried about the implications this is going to have on my health and really want to make a change. I would really appreciate an email back so I can make the first step to sorting this problem
    Thank you!

    • steve says:

      Hi Faye I have emailed you but please feel free to call me on 07900 240192 anytime. Steve Tromans, London.

      • Faye says:

        Hi
        Just saw this comment, I don’t appear to have received an email from you, is there any way you could send it again?

        Thank you very much
        Faye

        • steve says:

          Hi Faye

          Sorry, my previous email seems to have gone awry. I have just contacted you again. Best wishes, Steve Tromans.

  14. Im a girl, I am 19 years old. And I haven’t eaten any vegetables or fruits (besides apples occasionally) since u was 4-6 years old. It has become a big problem to me, because people always notice it, and has to comment on it.. It makes me really sad because, I think that a lot of all the salds looks delicious, but I have told myself for to long that I dint like it, and now I can’t move on, and even try to eat it. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do, to just begin to taste things again. I live in Denmark, so I can’t come to an appointment or any thing. But just an advice would make me really happy!!

    • steve says:

      Hi Christine

      It is often possible to work with this vis skype. Please feel free to contact me on steventromans@gmail.com

      • jay 30 says:

        I am exactly the same I love the smell of foods more then the looks but I always tell myself I dont like it. Or if I say to my girlfriend I will try something new 98% of the time I make-up an excuse not to try it. Its so embarrassing because all my diet contains of is Pizza, Fries and cereals my friends and family are surprised that I’ve made it to 30 years old.

  15. Luke says:

    Steve has helped me greatly. I was debilitatingly thin & weak due to my food phobia, and although it sounds extreme now I was only eating coconut! After only 1 session with Steve I noticed an instant improvement. His ability to listen has not only improved my wellbeing and quality of life greatly but made me happier in myself. He’s understanding and provided realistic results at a time I needed it most.
    Thanks Steve!

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