What is symptom substitution?

Most people are familiar with the idea that a smoker may put on weight when they give up cigarettes. The habit of smoking is being substituted with another pattern of behaviour i.e. overeating. This substitution can occur in many ways when a symptom is removed.

If suggestion therapy alone is used to remove a symptom that is a result of an underlying psychological problem, such as a traumatic experience that has been blocked out of the conscious mind. In time the subconscious mind will create another way of drawing attention the real problem which has not been solved, and may well develop a different symptom to substitute the one that has been removed.

This is why an ICHP trained therapist is committed to solution focused cause and effect therapy. Using the unique form of hypno-analysis, usually about 6-10 sessions, the cause for comfort eating is found and removed. Then the comfort eating can stop without fear of being replaced by any other form of negative behaviour.