Food cravings are always psychological and not physical. Satisfaction is a sensation which the brain creates by combining different signals, like signals about the blood sugar level, signals about how much food is in the stomach, knowledge about what they have eaten and what they need, etc. There is, for example, enterostatin, a peptide created by the enzyme procolipas and which is produced when fat is separated in the intestines. This peptide sends signals to receptors saying "this is enough". The opiate system which controls feelings of wellbeing is restrained so that the reward centers in the brain are no longer stimulated.

For normal people, the brain combines all these factors to conclude that they are not hungry any more. For a person with eating disorders, this function either does not work at all, or works only partially. Some often have a correct feeling of satisfactions, but ignore it.

Many people with eating disorders are not conscious of their hunger and satisfaction sensations. They cannot react to a sensation which they are not conscious of. Such people cannot separate hunger and other disagreeable feelings like anger, fear, tiredness or aversion. All of these feelings will to them be experienced as hunger. People who cannot distinguish different sensations may get eating disorders.

Food reduces anxiety. A person who is agitated and nervous may want to reduce the anxiety with food, and this wish may be larger than their capacity of recognizing satisfaction.

Both eating and the misuse of drugs can affect the neurotransmitters in the brain and thereby reduce feelings of discomfort. One then feels calmer and better.

The following are examples of unpleasant feelings which may be reduced by eating:

Stress, melancholy, tiredness, depression, anxiety, guilt feelings, irritation, anger, inferiority feeling, loneliness, insecurity, shame, boredom, disgust, embarrassment, exhaustion, jealousy, sadness, shyness, etc.

The abuse of food, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs can be momentarily tempting, but in the long run it leads to a far worse life than the alternative, which is to face up to one's unpleasant feelings. However, the average person prefers denial and the use of whatever substance that will help contribute to the reinforcement of this preferred reality.

So, you may be wondering at this point what the solution is? What one needs is a permanent solution and not a quick fix because the quick fix is always temporary. The best solution I know of is hypnotherapy. Sometimes it helps to think of a computer. The brain is comparable to computer hardware and the mind as the operating system software, running all of the programs. When you have an obsolete program that is no longer serving your needs, or you want to install another program in its place, what do you do? You delete it. Poof, it is gone, end of story. And so it is with hypnotherapy in relation to your unwanted programming and beliefs.

I know you have seen hypnosis used as entertainment and have seen people, who, under hypnosis believed they were chickens and you concluded this must be some type of dangerous mind control. You need to know that the hypnotist tested many people in order to find those who were the most suggestible . Most people do not fall into this category, in fact only a small percentage of people will be that suggestible. On a scale of 1 to 100 most people will fall into the midrange of suggestibility . Only those at the top of the scale will believe they are chickens and for a very short time because hypnosis is a natural state of mind on the level of day dreaming. Even if a person wanted to believe they were a chicken for the rest of their life, it just couldn’t happen due to the lack of reality involved. And, no one can ever make you do anything that is against yours ideals and integrity. It is perfectly natural state and perfectly safe. Let go of your fears so that you can benefit from its healings, quickly and safely.

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