Binge eating and loss of control can feel frightening, not just because of what you ate, but because of how it happened. People often describe it as a switch flipping, a tunnel feeling, and suddenly the part of you that normally makes decisions is not really in charge.
If you are reading this and thinking, yes, thatâs me, youâre not alone. This page sits within our Eating And Weight section, and it links closely with our main page on Hypnotherapy For Weight Loss. If you are not sure where to start, that main page is usually the best entry point, and this page stays deliberately narrow, it focuses on binge eating and the felt sense of losing control.
On this page
What This Can Feel Like
For some people it is a large amount of food quickly. For others it is repeated episodes where they eat past the point of comfort, then feel shocked afterwards. The details vary, but the theme is the same, the episode feels automatic and difficult to interrupt once it has started.
It can also come with a particular kind of thinking. You might hear, âIâve ruined it nowâ, âI may as well finishâ, âIâll start again tomorrowâ. It can happen so quickly that it feels like the episode is decided before you have a chance to intervene.
Afterwards, many people go straight into regret and harsh self talk, then set new rules. The problem is, when those rules become extreme, they can add pressure. Pressure tends to make the next urge feel stronger, so the whole thing stays stuck in motion.
How Hypnotherapy Helps With Binge Eating And Loss Of Control
Hypnotherapy is useful here because we are not relying on willpower in the heat of the moment. We work with the subconscious layer that drives the episode, the internal cues, the urge response, and the sense that it is inevitable once it starts.
Evidence And Research
In one study, people doing a behavioural weight management programme lost weight in both groups, but those who had hypnosis added continued to lose weight at later follow ups, while the non hypnosis group showed little further change. That longer term pattern is often what matters clinically, not just initial change, but whether it keeps moving in the right direction. Bolocofsky et al, 1985.
A UK randomised controlled trial looked at hypnotherapy as an adjunct to dietary advice in people with obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea. The weight loss was modest, but the stress reduction hypnotherapy group showed a small ongoing benefit at 18 months compared with baseline, and did better across the full follow up period than dietary advice alone. Cochrane et al, 1998.
A more recent randomised trial in adults with obesity and high disinhibition found hypnosis and self hypnosis improved eating behaviour measures, and showed a beneficial trend for weight outcomes. For people who experience eating as âhard to stop once it startsâ, that behavioural shift is often the important part. HYPNODIET trial, 2022.
In sessions, we typically focus on reducing urgency, restoring a natural pause, and changing what your system expects will happen next. When the urge stops feeling like a command, and your mind starts predicting a different outcome, you often feel steadier around food without having to fight yourself all day.
We also keep the tone of the work practical and non shaming. If binge eating and loss of control has become part of your life, it is usually because your system has learned a fast way to shift state. The goal is to help your mind and body learn a different response that feels calmer, more controlled, and more you.
What Sessions Focus On
We keep this specific. Not generic motivation talk, not a lecture, and not a plan that depends on you being âgoodâ forever.
- Identify the exact sequence of an episode, what happens just before it starts, what it feels like as control drops, and what happens afterwards.
- Work directly with the âswitch flipâ moment, so you can restore a calmer sense of control early enough to matter.
- Reduce rebound and backlash, so one episode does not turn into days of punishment and spiralling.
- Build confidence that you can be around food without it turning into an emergency.
If you also want the wider support around eating and weight, you can browse the Eating And Weight section, or start with Hypnotherapy For Weight Loss.
A Note On Shame
People often carry a lot of shame about binge eating and loss of control. They worry they will be judged, told off, or pushed into a generic plan. Shame tends to keep the behaviour hidden and more powerful, so we treat it as part of the problem to reduce, not something to reinforce.
Taking The Next Step
If binge eating and loss of control is starting to feel like it is taking up too much space in your life, it is worth getting support. We offer sessions in person in Wallington, Surrey, and online, and we will help you build a plan that is realistic, respectful, and focused on the outcome you actually want, feeling back in charge of yourself.
If you are not sure where to start, begin with our main page on Hypnotherapy For Weight Loss, or browse the Eating And Weight section.